[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6175-S6176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



          Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery Effort

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, in the last 24 hours since I came to 
the floor to talk about Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, there 
has been progress but far less progress than is necessary at this 
critical time of humanitarian crisis, when the people of those islands 
literally face a chasm, a deepening canyon of needs and challenges.
  Over the next 24 hours, over the next 24 days, over the next 24 
months, this crisis must be met with a strategy, an overarching plan, a 
Marshall Plan for Puerto Rico that commits the resources unequivocally 
and unambiguously, making sure we match the depth of this crisis with a 
magnitude of resources and commitment that is needed and deserved. That 
kind of response, which has been lacking so far, is absolutely 
necessary for the hope of Puerto Rico because as the threats of disease 
and contaminated water increase, not to mention the lack of proper 
medicine, healthcare, roads, transportation and communication, food, 
water, medicine, basic necessities rise on that island, the people of 
Puerto Rico will lose trust and confidence in fellow Americans that 
must do more. We need to give them the hope they deserve, and that hope 
has to be more than rhetoric and more than patting ourselves on the 
back as the President has done. It has to be a real commitment.
  In fact, there is no reason for back-patting. The response so far has 
been inadequate, lacking the full attention and commitment that is 
needed. It has been a story of inattention and inadequate strategy so 
far to meet this deepening humanitarian crisis.
  The people of Texas, Florida, and throughout the gulf coast and the 
Southeast who have been affected by the storms have received the full 
commitment of America. It is what we owe our fellow Americans. That 
same commitment is owed to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. We saw 
an immediate disaster response there that must also be devoted to 
Puerto Rico. The emergency aid and full funding made to the victims of 
those storms in the gulf coast and Florida must be given to Puerto 
Rico, and I am hopeful that a relief bill will be fashioned this week.

  I am also hopeful that the financial control board that has 
responsibility for Puerto Rico's internal finances can be given the 
flexibility and that the Government of Puerto Rico will be given the 
flexibility that is needed to deal with this disaster--nothing less 
than a full court press, a full plan and strategy, and a plan that 
directly addresses the needs of Puerto Rico in so many areas.
  On transportation, what is the plan to ensure that basic goods can 
move from one end of the island to another? Right now the roads are 
unusable. By

[[Page S6176]]

all accounts, getting things across the island by road is impossible. 
Radar and navigation systems at the airports are down. The 
transportation mechanism of the island is literally ripped apart. So 
potable water, food, and fuel are impossible to move where they need to 
go. That state of affairs is inadequate and unacceptable in America in 
2017.
  Electricity and power are disrupted across the island. What will be 
done to restore power and electricity throughout the island? What will 
be done to make sure that diesel is available there and in the Virgin 
Islands? Many of the machines essential for lifesaving at the hospitals 
cannot be powered by generators alone. That state of affairs is 
inadequate and unacceptable in America in 2017.
  All five of the hospitals in Arecibo, one of Puerto Rico's largest 
cities, are without power. Many other hospitals are shuttered as well. 
Clinics are closed.
  Mosquito-borne diseases are a real and present danger. Deadly 
ailments in contaminated food and water may cause serious and possibly 
deadly diseases. As these diseases spread, what is the plan to stop 
this kind of inadequacy? It is unacceptable in America in 2017.
  As to communications, or the basic ability to talk to each other, to 
reassure each other, and to know what is going on with relatives and 
loved ones and friends--no wonder that angst and alarm are spreading 
beyond Puerto Rico to Connecticut, where those relatives and friends 
live now--this kind of lack of communication is unacceptable in America 
in 2017. What is the plan to correct it?
  On public safety, looting and theft are becoming more prevalent. As 
the days drag on, law and order will deteriorate unless public safety 
is addressed more effectively.
  There is another kind of challenge. A dam that is about to burst and 
could cause havoc in surrounding areas is a clear and present safety 
danger that illustrates again the weakness of Puerto Rico's 
infrastructure.
  Towns throughout the island have suffered severe flooding. So housing 
and basic shelter are inadequate. What is the plan to rebuild?
  Payment for medicines cannot be made unless cash is available, and 
the lack of electricity means that the ATM machines are not working. If 
there is no cash for residents to buy basic goods, including food and 
water, how does the administration plan to solve this problem? This 
kind of inadequacy is unacceptable in America in 2017.
  Rebuilding will require a long-term commitment. It will require a 
plan and a strategy, not just over the next 24 hours or 24 days but 24 
months and longer. It must deal with a financial situation that is a 
storm of its own.
  As I described it yesterday, this storm is not a natural disaster. It 
is a manmade disaster, the result of healthcare and tax programs that 
are beyond any fault of the people of Puerto Rico. It is not of their 
doing.
  Vast swaths of resources have been swept away in Puerto Rico, 
including many of the attractions important for Puerto Rico's tourist 
industry. The same is true, for example, on the island of St. John in 
the Virgin Islands. Tourism is a key component of Puerto Rico's 
economy. It may take years and possibly decades to restore. What is the 
long-term plan? What is the strategy for Puerto Rico and for the Virgin 
Islands? There needs to be a kind of Marshall Plan for rebuilding 
because the devastating damage done is no less than what Europe 
suffered as a result of World War II. We have an obligation--certainly, 
no less than rebuilding our European allies--to restore and rebuild 
Puerto Rico.
  All of these natural disasters and the financial manmade storm come 
as Puerto Rico continues to endure the struggles of its internal 
financial commitments that are necessary for the lifeblood of the 
economy. Jobs and economic progress must be the end goal.
  With so many questions about the President's plan or lack of plan, I 
am struck by the need for this body and this Congress to take the 
initiative. I think we will need to begin action, begin hearings, and 
begin a process of building a plan if the administration fails to 
present it.
  I believe, too, that we share so much with the island of Puerto Rico 
in people who have come to Connecticut and other parts of the country 
that we will find a ready and enthusiastic audience and support for 
such an effort.
  In the past 2 days, after silence through much of it about Puerto 
Rico, the President seemed to blame the island itself, its financial 
struggle, other storms, and even the size of the ocean. There should be 
no excuses. There must be a call to action.
  I thank the Coast Guard, our military, the first responders, the 
rescuers, and relief organizations--from Americares to the Red Cross to 
Save the Children--that have devoted so much and given so much in these 
times of crisis. They have been stretched thin. They have performed 
with courage and generosity and so have the donors who have come 
forward in Connecticut and around the country. People are calling my 
office asking what they can do for the people of Florida and the gulf 
coast and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They are all fellow 
Americans, and we owe it to them to do more and do better to make sure 
that we keep faith with our fellow Americans.
  I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to talk about this 
subject.