[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H1752]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CALLING ATTENTION TO THE SUFFERING IN PUERTO RICO

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I am ashamed that our national government 
seems to have abandoned American citizens of Puerto Rico. Yesterday 
marked 6 months since Hurricane Maria furiously blew ashore. In those 6 
months, more than 1,000 Americans have died because of the storm. In 
fact, people are still dying in Puerto Rico from causes that are 
directly related to Hurricane Maria's impact, and more than 100,000 
American citizens in Puerto Rico are still without electricity.
  Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, we tend to forget how much we rely on 
electricity until it goes out. Without electricity, people who rely on 
respirators must choose between their homes and their health. The 
elderly, sick people, and newborn babies have to suffer through the 
heat and cold.
  Mr. Speaker, if this was happening anywhere else in our country, we 
would have riots. But instead of action, all Puerto Rico gets are 
excuses from the national government.

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