[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 5, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H7864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      FEMA BUNGLING 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, recently FEMA released a report into its own 
response after Hurricane Maria swept Puerto Rico last year.
  To sum up the report, FEMA screwed up.
  FEMA underestimated how much food people would need.
  FEMA miscalculated how much fresh water people would need.
  FEMA didn't foresee how difficult it would be to get supplies to the 
island.
  And when Hurricane Maria struck, FEMA's warehouse in Puerto Rico was 
basically empty.
  I was most shocked by FEMA's admission that its plans for a crisis in 
Puerto Rico were based on a focused disaster like a tsunami, not a 
major hurricane devastating the whole island.
  Just last week, the island's death toll was adjusted to reflect the 
reality that thousands of people died because of Hurricane Maria. Mr. 
Speaker, these were American citizens.
  The Federal Government must do better. Lives are at stake.

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