[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6181-S6182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



          Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery Effort

  Mr. President, let me turn now to this question of the Puerto Rico 
disaster. It has now been a week since Hurricane Maria made landfall in 
Puerto Rico, and 3.5 million American citizens are living amidst a 
horrifying state of devastation. When I was chairman of the Energy and 
Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the affairs of 
Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and America's other territorial 
possessions, I got very involved in the economic issues on the island.
  But I come today to make a humanitarian plea to my friends and 
colleagues in the Senate. It is a plea not about economics. It is about 
people--fathers and mothers, children, grandparents, teachers, nurses, 
and thousands of veterans who served their communities and their 
country proudly. They are dealing with something that is almost 
unimaginable--this horrifying set of circumstances that they now find 
dominating their lives. The press accounts describe Puerto Rico as 
looking like a war zone. Millions of people on the island are without 
power, running water, and fuel. The few hospitals that are open--only 
20 for the entire island--struggle to care for the injured and the 
sick. Many doctors and first responders are unable to get to their 
workplaces because their lives, too, are thrown into chaos, and 911 
still doesn't work. Cell service and power are down. The airport in San 
Juan barely functions now, after days of being completely off the grid.
  It is almost impossible for us here in this city to imagine this. We 
have the basic infrastructure and health and safety that we take for 
granted every day. Only one word sums up the state of the islands--
demolished. It is almost impossible to gauge the full extent of the 
devastation. Nobody knows how many lives have been lost or how many 
homes and businesses have been damaged beyond repair, and how many 
lives have been shattered.
  What is known is that this disaster has affected the lives of every 
single one of the 3.5 million individuals living on the island and the 
millions more on U.S. mainland, who have had sleepless nights worrying 
about loved ones. This is a humanitarian crisis on American soil. It is 
past time to step up and provide immediate aid to help these 
Americans--not only for Puerto Rico but also for the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, which has also been clobbered by these storms. It is not just 
the right thing to do. It is the only thing to do.
  A few hours ago, I joined 35 of my colleagues in sending a letter to 
the President, and we requested a number of concrete actions. There are 
other additional steps in my view that are vital. So I want to just 
tick through some of them on the floor.
  First, the President has to issue a full disaster declaration for all 
of Puerto Rico, not just parts of it. Currently, 24 municipalities in 
Puerto Rico have yet to receive individual disaster assistance. This 
means that people who have lost their homes in these areas are 
ineligible for Federal assistance. This is unacceptable.
  Next, while the President rightfully revised his original disaster 
declaration so that the island will not have to split the cost of 
disaster relief with the Federal Government for 180 days, the President 
should continue this assistance until the island is back on its feet.
  The administration also needs to include funding and necessary 
emergency support for the Puerto Rico Medicaid Program in any emergency 
request. Medicaid in Puerto Rico doesn't work the way it does in the 50 
states, where it is a guarantee of care for vulnerable, low-income 
people. Puerto Rico's Medicaid Program is built on a block grant, which 
means that in times of crisis, resources might not be there when it is 
needed most. Even before the disasters, Puerto Rico was close to 
depleting its Medicaid supplemental funding. When it does, it will have 
nowhere to turn to pay for medical care for many of its most 
vulnerable.
  In my view, this is a perfect example of why block grants--as 
contemplated by the bill that we considered in the Finance Committee 
this week--Graham-Cassidy-Heller--and vital programs like Medicaid 
don't mix. It is a recipe for disaster.
  In addition, there are expired tax provisions unique and vital to 
Puerto

[[Page S6182]]

Rico's economy, and they ought to be extended with any disaster relief 
package in order to give workers and businesses certainty and 
predictability. This includes tax incentives for producing goods in 
Puerto Rico and rebates for taxes on exported rum. In my view, if this 
is done properly and laid out in a proactive way, it will give 
predictability for the future and make a difference--an important 
difference to a lot of people on the job.
  It is also vital to get Puerto Rico's electric grid up and running 
and provide power generators in the meantime. This isn't simply a 
matter of recharging phones or turning televisions back on for news 
updates. Going without power is life-threatening. Perishable food goes 
bad. Those with diabetes can't refrigerate their insulin. Hospitals 
have a difficult time running essential medical equipment, like 
dialysis machines or heart monitors. Air conditioners are useless, 
which is especially dangerous for kids and seniors given the hot, humid 
temperatures and the limited supply of safe water.
  Another necessary step is to help ensure that Puerto Rico and the 
U.S. Virgin Islands receive assistance as quickly as possible, and that 
would include a short-term waiver of the Jones Act. The Jones Act is an 
important policy for ensuring a vibrant U.S. maritime industry and for 
our national defense. But in times of disaster it is more important to 
get supplies to the impacted areas as quickly as possible. The 
government has granted such a waiver in Houston and Florida, and it is, 
in my view, beyond comprehension that they haven't done the same thing 
for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
  Finally, the administration needs to mount a full-court press to 
rebuild the islands' roads, ports, and airports. Once aid arrives, it 
is useless if you can't get it out to those who need it most.
  As several of my colleagues and I wrote to the President today, our 
military is uniquely qualified to help Puerto Rico meet some of its 
critical recovery needs. That includes construction battalions that can 
repair power and surface transportation infrastructure.
  I close by saying that the people of Puerto Rico and the Virgin 
Islands are desperate for our help. This situation is extreme. Congress 
and the administration need to act as soon as possible. The cleanup 
from Maria and Irma is just the beginning. The fact is that these 
megastorms, fueled by global warming, are going to keep coming, even 
after the power is restored and the storm damage from Maria and Irma is 
repaired. There is going to be a lot of work necessary to reverse years 
of struggle and build up Puerto Rico's economy and infrastructure.
  Coming to the aid of our fellow Americans at a time of crisis, in my 
view, is at the very core of being Americans. At home, I call it ``the 
Oregon way.'' Our natural disaster this summer was wildfires. Recently, 
I was out visiting fire camps that stretched from our northern border 
with Washington State to our southern border with California and many 
points in between. I met people helping Oregon fight fire from all over 
the United States. I met Floridians who were there the weekend Irma hit 
Florida. They were there to help Oregonians deal with fire, when they 
and their families were worried about what Irma was going to do to 
Florida.
  Colleagues, I close simply by way of saying that we should expect no 
less in our efforts here in the Senate to help our fellow Americans in 
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The American people now have 
to be part of a mobilization to bring together the enormous resources 
in the Federal Government to help when disaster strikes. It is a matter 
of basic fairness and humanity to help protect and restore these 
American citizens and lands.
  I yield the floor.
  I thank the Senator from Oklahoma for his courtesy.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Daines). The Senator from Oklahoma.
  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, first of all, let me say to the Senator 
from Oregon that help is on its way. It is a very difficult thing 
because we don't have any idea how long this is going to last. When you 
stop to think about a land that is in the tropics not having 
electricity, it is something that is hard to imagination and to get 
arms around the devastation that takes place. I appreciate the fact 
that he has brought that up.