[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 74 (Monday, May 6, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2628-S2629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Puerto Rico

  Finally, Mr. President, we have been trying for weeks now to come up 
with a package of disaster assistance for Americans impacted by fires 
and floods and typhoons and hurricanes that would be acceptable to my 
friends on the other side of the aisle. Meanwhile, the President 
continues to wage a bizarre and fact-impaired campaign against millions 
of American citizens living in Puerto Rico.
  This morning, the President claimed incredibly that Puerto Rico has 
received $91 billion in recovery funds

[[Page S2629]]

while other States have been left behind. That defies the facts. He 
also suggested that Puerto Rico should be thankful for the funding they 
have already received and accused Democrats of selling out other parts 
of the country. There is a lot to unpack there, so here it goes.
  For one, Puerto Rico has not received $91 billion--not even close. At 
most, Puerto Rico has received $11 billion while billions more, already 
allocated by the Congress--Democrats and Republicans--are being 
withheld by the Trump administration itself. Just last week, the 
administration missed a self-imposed deadline to advance the release of 
$8 billion in funding to help the island rebuild and prepare for future 
disasters.
  Second, it is galling even by the President's standards to say that 
Puerto Rico should be thankful for disaster aid. The President hasn't 
said that Alabama should be thankful for disaster aid. He hasn't said 
that Texas should be thankful or Florida or the Carolinas. But for some 
reason, the President implies that aid to Puerto Rico is some kind of 
favor he is doing. I remind the President that helping parts of our 
country recover from natural disasters is not a favor; it is what we do 
as Americans and what we have always done until the President's heavy 
hand disrupted the legislation that Democrats and Republicans had 
crafted and were prepared to pass.
  When a natural disaster strikes one corner of the country, Americans 
put politics aside and come together to help each other out. The 
President, however, is failing our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico and 
all those rebuilding their lives and communities after disaster.
  For those here who say ``Well, let's just pass this bill now,'' the 
House won't pass this bill. The House will not pass a bill without full 
aid to Puerto Rico, and neither will this Chamber.
  So what are we talking about here? We are talking about a President 
who came in and for some reason didn't want to give aid to Puerto Rico 
while giving to everywhere else even though Puerto Rico's disaster 
probably, per capita, affected them worse than any other State. They 
are American citizens, I would remind the President. Now he is 
bolloxing the whole thing up.
  Both sides here in Congress--Democrats and Republicans who believe in 
aid--ought to disavow the President's decision and pass relief for all 
Americans affected by natural disasters--all Americans. Democrats are 
ready to support disaster relief for every corner in this country--the 
west coast, the Midwest, the South, and Puerto Rico. As our negotiators 
continue to make progress on a disaster package, I fervently hope we 
come to a resolution very soon.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.