[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 3, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PREVENTING BLACKOUTS IN PUERTO RICO

  (Mr. Hernandez of Puerto Rico was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, Puerto Rico faces an energy crisis. In 
anticipation of a generation shortfall this summer, which was announced 
months ago, the government said that it would pursue the option of 
deploying barges to provide temporary energy generation.
  I am no fan of fossil fuels but an even lesser fan of blackouts, so I 
supported the government's decision.
  However, a few weeks ago, the government walked back that plan. It 
cited objections from Federal agencies, claiming the barges were not 
viable because they couldn't withstand hurricane-force winds. Based on 
that, the proposals were disqualified from the bidding process.
  Then began the rumors of irregularities, lobbying, and conflicts of 
interest. The discomfort made its way to Washington, and some of my 
Republican colleagues crossed the aisle to share with me their 
concerns.
  Soon after, one of the companies disqualified from the bidding 
process issued a public statement calling for transparency. They 
pointed to political ties and potential undue influence.
  I believe that a demand for transparency is fair and that a demand 
for transparency should be nonpartisan.
  That is why, yesterday, I joined my Republican colleague, Chairman 
Mark Green of the Homeland Security Committee, in sending a bipartisan 
letter to multiple Federal agencies. We are requesting explanations for 
the rejection of the barge proposals and the decisionmaking process 
behind it.
  Let me be clear: This is not about siding with one company over 
another. It is about transparency. It is about oversight. It is about 
whether Federal agencies, knowingly or not, were used to manufacture a 
pretext to favor certain interests.
  The people of Puerto Rico don't deserve blackouts, and we need to 
make sure that there are no deals being made in the dark during those 
blackouts.
  Mr. Speaker, in the interest of my constituents, I will repeat my 
remarks in Spanish.
  (Spanish translation of the statement made in English is as follows:)
       Senor Presidente, Puerto Rico enfrenta una crisis 
     energetica. Ante la proyeccion de un deficit de generacion 
     electrica para este verano, el gobierno habia anunciado que 
     buscaria suplir las necesidad energetica mediante barcazas 
     temporadas.
       Yo no soy fanatico de los combustibles fosiles--pero soy 
     menos fanatico de los apagones. Por lo tanto, respalde esta 
     iniciativa del gobierno.
       Pero hace unas semanas, el gobierno dio marcha atras. Alego 
     que las agencias federales habian senalado que las barcazas 
     no eran viables porque no resistirian vientos huracanados. Y 
     con ese argumento, las propuestas fueron descalificadas del 
     proceso de subastas.
       Fue entonces cuando comenzaron los rumores--sobre 
     irregularidades, sobre cabilderos, sobre conflictos de 
     interes. Y la incomodidad llego hasta Washington. La 
     incomodidad causo que varios colegas republicanos cruzaran el 
     pasillo de este hemiciclo para expresarme directamente sus 
     preocupaciones.
       Nosotros entendemos que, si una de las companias 
     descalificadas, luego publico una declaracion publica 
     exigiendo transparencia, lo menos que podemos hacer es exigir 
     transparencia.
       Esa compania senalo posibles vinculos politicos e 
     influencias indebidas de cabilderos. Por eso, ayer me uni a 
     un colega republicano, el presidente del Comite de Seguridad 
     Interna, Mark Green, para enviar una carta bipartidista a 
     varias agencias federales solicitando explicaciones sobre la 
     descalificacion de la propuesta de las barcazas y el proceso 
     de evaluacion que se siguio.
       Ahora quiero ser claro: esto no se trata de favorecer a una 
     compania sobre otra. Se trata de transparencia. Se trata de 
     supervision. Se trata de saber si agencias federales fueron 
     utilizadas--con o sin su conocimiento--para fabricar un 
     pretexto para descalificar estas companias para favorecer 
     ciertos intereses.
       El pueblo de Puerto Rico no merece apagones. Pero el pueblo 
     de Puerto Rico tampoco merece que se hagan acuerdos a oscuras 
     durante esos apagones. Y este congreso esta disposicion de 
     averiguar si las cosas se estan haciendo correctamente y del 
     lado correcto es que estaremos siempre.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Puerto Rico will provide 
a translation of his remarks to the Chair.

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