From October 26, 2017 to October 28,207, the House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) are leading a Congressional Delegation to see the devastation and recovery efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Florida Keys after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. They will be joined by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT), Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), Norma Torres (D-CA), and Anthony Brown (D-MD).
Leader McCarthy stated that “We are committed to supporting our fellow citizens throughout the country as they recover and rebuild from the devastating natural disasters that hit this fall. As Congress continues to work with the Administration and local authorities to ensure communities receive the resources they need, this trip to Puerto Rico, South Florida, and the U.S. virgin Islands will underscore the bipartisan commitment to immediate and long-term support.”
“Over one month after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Florida Keys, our fellow Americans continue to face a humanitarian crisis,” stated Whip Hoyer. Hoyer added: “We are taking this delegation to these areas to see first-hand the challenges residents face. I remain committed to ensuring that the federal government is providing every available resource to assist those in need and help these communities rebuild.”
The trip will start with a briefing to the delegation on the hurricane response at coast Guard Air Station Miami, where Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) will join.
St. Croix, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria, will be the first stop that the delegation will make, after they will see the damage in Frederiksted. In Frederiksted they will see a condemned school and a destroyed post office before traveling to Christiansted to tour the Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital, which sustained extensive damage. Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-USVI) will be accompanying the delegation in their visit to St. Croix.
In Puerto Rico, the delegation will meet with affected residents in Las Piedras and distribute food and water. They will then visit the interior of the island, touring damage in Utuado, and meet with community leaders and residents. Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón and Governor Ricardo Rosselló will join the delegation on their tour.
Representative Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) will join the delegation in their last stop in the Florida Keys. There they will view damage in Marathon and tour a debris removal site before receiving a briefing on recovery efforts from US Coast Guard, FEMA, EPA, and others at the Coast Guard Sector Key West.
