[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 163 (Monday, September 21, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5729-S5730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Hurricane Laura

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, a few weeks ago, on August 27, Louisiana 
and southeastern Texas were hit by Hurricane Laura.
  I say ``Louisiana'' because if you look at some of the press reports, 
they say ``Southwest Louisiana,'' but the impact of Hurricane Laura in 
Louisiana was much greater.
  The storm came onshore in Southwest Louisiana in Cameron Parish. It 
headed north, then moved northeast, and finished in the northeastern 
part of our State.
  I have seen the damage from the air and on the ground. I have never 
seen a hurricane do this kind of damage in any State, much less 
Louisiana.
  The path of destruction is about 60 miles wide, starting in Southwest 
Louisiana, running north, bending to the northeast, and it is about 200 
miles long. We took it full in the face.
  When you see devastation like this, when you go through something 
like this, you start to understand that we human beings are a vain lot. 
We think we can control nature, but nature controls us.
  Our entire electrical system went down. Our water system went down. 
Our internet went down. Our cable TV went down. It was a category 4 
storm with winds of up to 150 miles an hour.
  This storm was unusual in that winds were sustained and did not 
dissipate as it got further inland. We took it full in the face.
  Now, it doesn't do any good to complain. Louisianans are resilient 
people. We live by the old Japanese proverb: ``Fall down seven times, 
stand up eight.'' We are standing back up.
  About 60 percent of our electrical power has been restored. We now 
have water back. In some cases, there are still some boil orders 
because the water is not clean. But we are deficient in one area, and 
that is cable TV and internet, with an emphasis on internet.
  I want you to understand I am not talking here about a mere 
inconvenience. I am not talking about people missing their favorite 
television shows. I am talking about kids' education; I am talking 
about the ability to deliver healthcare; and I am talking about the 
ability to conduct commerce. None of those things can be done in 
today's world without the internet. The internet, particularly in 
Southwest Louisiana, is provided by a company called Suddenlink.

  (Ms. MURKOWSKI assumed the Chair.)
  Suddenlink is owned--it was purchased by a company called Altice USA. 
Its CEO is a gentleman whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting, Mr. 
Dexter Goei, and I am here today to plead with Suddenlink to please get 
our internet restored. Suddenlink has done such an abysmal job that 
Suddenlink needs to change its name to Neverlink.
  Suddenlink provides internet service to 150,000 Louisianans. I 
haven't studied their financials, but let's say at $150 a month, if you 
include the cable television part, Louisianans pay Suddenlink--soon to 
be named Neverlink if they don't do a better job--about $23 million a 
month.
  Now, all of our public utilities have been working very hard.
  Entergy has worked hard. AT&T has worked hard. CenterPoint Energy has 
worked hard to get our utilities restored so that we can start 
recovering.
  Suddenlink has not worked hard. At one point, we had 29,000 people on 
the ground helping us to restore our water system, helping us to 
restore our electric power, helping us to cut trees, helping us to get 
tarps on roofs. We had at most 300 representatives from Suddenlink--300 
representatives to handle restoring internet for 150,000 Louisianans.
  Suddenlink should be ashamed of itself. We have restored about 60 
percent of our electrical power. We have restored about 16 percent of 
our internet.
  Once again, I am not talking about someone missing their favorite 
television program. As the Presiding Officer knows, because you have 
the same situation in Alaska, all of our public schools are not open, 
all of our private schools are not open because of the virus. Many of 
our kids are having to learn remotely, and they can't do it without the 
internet. They can't.
  The Presiding Officer is also aware of how the internet is integral 
to the ability to deliver healthcare. I don't know a single business 
today that can operate without the internet. Many of our businesses, 
including our small businesses, because they can't have customers 
coming into their shops, are doing a lot of their commerce over the 
internet. There is just one problem in Louisiana. Because of Suddenlink 
dragging its feet, we don't have internet, and we can't recover without 
it.
  I don't mean to be overly critical, but this has just gotten out of 
hand. Every one of our public utilities has done a yeoman's work--has 
done an extraordinary job--except the one--except the one. If Mr. 
Dexter Goei is listening tonight--and again, I don't mean to be overly 
critical. I plan to visit with him in the next couple of days. I think 
he has finally agreed to come visit Louisiana.
  We have three requests. First of all, we need workers on the ground. 
You can't restore the internet service without people working to 
restore the internet service, and let me say it again. Entergy, just to 
pick one of our utility companies, has over 10,000 workers restoring 
the power. Suddenlink, which provides internet for 150,000 people, has 
a grand total of 300 people. It can't be done. We are currently not a 
priority, even though 150,000 of my people write a monthly check to 
Suddenlink.
  No. 1, Suddenlink, respectfully, put some people on the ground to get 
our internet restored.
  No. 2, we need a local office for Suddenlink. They don't even have 
one. Maybe it is because they don't have internet, but many people lost 
their homes. At a minimum, they lost their roofs. They don't have cable 
boxes.

[[Page S5730]]

They have to have somebody they can go to and say: Here is my old box. 
Give me a new box. But Suddenlink doesn't even have a local office.
  No. 3, I am going to ask Mr. Goei to please commit to our State 
leadership to start giving us a daily update on restoring the service--
how many homes and businesses have been added each day.
  Again, I know I am repeating myself, I don't mean to be overly 
critical and we have been very patient in Louisiana, but the time has 
come to call it like it is and say it like it is. At the rate they are 
going, Suddenlink needs to change its name to Neverlink in Louisiana. 
We cannot recover without internet--we can't do it--and Suddenlink link 
has let us down.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.