[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 445 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 445

 Marking the 6-month anniversary of the devastation of Puerto Rico and 
          the United States Virgin Islands by Hurricane Maria.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 22, 2018

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Casey, Ms. 
Cortez Masto, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Harris, Mr. Nelson, Mr. 
Schumer, Ms. Warren, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Baldwin, and Mr. Wyden) submitted 
      the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Marking the 6-month anniversary of the devastation of Puerto Rico and 
          the United States Virgin Islands by Hurricane Maria.

Whereas, on September 13, 2017, the National Hurricane Center began tracking a 
        tropical wave that ultimately became Hurricane Maria;
Whereas Hurricane Maria became the tenth most intense Atlantic hurricane on 
        record and the most intense tropical storm of the 2017 season;
Whereas, on September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as 
        a Category 4 storm with sustained wind speeds of 155 miles per hour;
Whereas Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands 
        (referred to in this preamble as the ``U.S. Virgin Islands'') just 14 
        days after Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were hit by Hurricane 
        Irma;
Whereas, on March 20, 2018, the people of the United States that live in Puerto 
        Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will mark 6 months since Hurricane 
        Maria nearly destroyed Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands;
Whereas, 6 months since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, more than 
        120,000 people are still without electricity, and hundreds of thousands 
        of people continue to lose power on a temporary basis;
Whereas Puerto Rico remains under a state of emergency and reconstruction 
        efforts are still underway;
Whereas tens of thousands of people in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands 
        are still awaiting permanent shelter;
Whereas more than 67,000 households in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands 
        needed blue roof tarps as a form of temporary roofing for homes;
Whereas Puerto Rico was struggling with a severe debt crisis and a deteriorating 
        health care system prior to Hurricane Maria, the effects of which have 
        exacerbated the suffering in Puerto Rico;
Whereas more than 700,000 cubic yards of debris, or the equivalent of 190 
        Olympic-sized swimming pools, have been collected in the U.S. Virgin 
        Islands;
Whereas approximately 3,900,000 cubic yards of debris need removal from Puerto 
        Rico;
Whereas, when calculating customer hours of lost electricity service, Puerto 
        Rico is experiencing the longest blackout in the history of the United 
        States;
Whereas thousands of Puerto Ricans have relocated to the mainland of the United 
        States as a result of Hurricane Maria;
Whereas the official death toll from Hurricane Maria stands at 64 victims in 
        Puerto Rico; and
Whereas research suggests that the actual direct and indirect death toll from 
        Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico may be more than 1,000 victims: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) remains profoundly concerned with the continuing crisis 
        plaguing Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands 
        (referred to in this resolving clause as the ``U.S. Virgin 
        Islands'') as a result of Hurricane Maria; and
            (2) pledges continued support to--
                    (A) the millions of citizens of the United States 
                living in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and
                    (B) to the citizens of the United States who have 
                relocated from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands 
                to the mainland of the United States in the aftermath 
                of Hurricane Maria.
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