[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 21 (Friday, February 2, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AT 1: FAILING OUR NATION IN DISASTER RECOVERY

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                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 2, 2018

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the need for prompt 
and effective disaster recovery for the United States.
  I consider it a high priority to maintain the efficacy of our 
country's disaster recovery procedures, to help ensure the safety of 
the American people.
  In 2017, this nation saw a very anemic response to disaster recovery 
from this Administration.
  Four months ago, Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 hurricane, devastated 
the island of Puerto Rico, destroying infrastructure and leaving the 
island without power.
  Puerto Rico, which produces more pharmaceuticals by dollar value for 
the nation than any of the 50 states or any foreign country, has been 
key to the supply of these intravenous (IV) saline bags and solution 
routinely used in hospitals and clinics.
  Hurricane Maria halted production at Baxter International Inc., a 
pharmaceutical manufacturing plant that produces 43 percent of IV 
saline fluids for U.S. hospitals.
  This year's flu season has been uncharacteristically aggressive, 
which makes the shortage of medical supplies caused by Hurricane Maria 
all the more problematic.
  The American Hospital Association has urged the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) to take ``any and all steps possible'' to resolve 
worsening shortages of small-volume saline solutions--sterile 
suspensions of drugs and lifesaving nutrients administered 
intravenously.
  The FDA has responded by relaxing regulations on the importation of 
medical saline solutions from other nations.
  Saline solutions are fundamental to patient care in hospitals, as 
over 200 million IVs are administered annually in the United States.
  Critical small-volume saline solutions include: (1) Sodium Chloride 
0.9 percent a solution that is used to absorb and transport nutrients, 
maintain electrolyte balance, and maintain blood pressure, and (2) 
Dextrose 5 percent, a form of glucose injected into a vein through an 
IV to treat low blood sugar, insulin shock, and dehydration.
  Had it not been for our allies allowing IV saline to be sent to the 
U.S., we could have been in the midst of a public health crisis.
  The lack of response by this Administration to Hurricane Maria is 
another example of how this Administration is failing the American 
people.
  Another example of the shameful disaster recovery response of this 
Administration is the handling of the Hurricane Harvey, which 
devastated the nine-county, 9,444 square mile Texas Gulf Coast.
  The effects of Hurricane Harvey have long outlasted the storm itself.
  This Administration has not risen to the task of producing an 
effective recovery plan for the largest housing disaster to strike the 
U.S. in our nation's history.
  Hurricane Harvey damaged at least 203,000 homes, of which 12,700 were 
irreparably destroyed.
  There are 18,000 families who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey still 
living in hotels and motels six months after the crisis, with no 
resolution in sight.
  A staggering 889,425 people, post Hurricane Harvey, have registered 
for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
  The first tranche of emergency funding approved by Congress has yet 
to be distributed to Texas by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development because the agency has not published in the Federal 
Register the rules governing how housing funds made available may be 
allocated between state and local entities.
  Each of this President's immediate predecessors has had to navigate 
our nation through many disasters.
  President Bush had September 11th and Hurricane Katrina.
  President Obama inherited the near-total collapse of our nation's 
financial system, but thanks to his exceptional leadership, the Dow 
Jones is consistently breaking records, the economy continues to 
expand, and our American families are more financially stable.
  Mr. Speaker, a prerequisite of leadership is the ability to solve 
problems and make critical decisions.
  President Trump lacks the ability to inspire the nation and the 
fortitude to overcome adversity.
  As we consider the President's assessment of the State of the Union, 
one fact has become abundantly clear: this Administration cannot handle 
disaster recovery.
  This Administration's failure to effectively implement proper 
disaster recovery has left thousands of Americans with no clear path to 
reclaiming their lives.

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