[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15118]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1515
                    PUERTO RICO AND HURRICANE RELIEF

  (Mr. HILL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, it has been 8 days since Hurricane Maria 
slammed into Puerto Rico and impacted the lives of Americans there, who 
are now in dire need. Power and communications remain down; food, 
water, and fuel are scarce; infrastructure continues to crumble; and 
Americans are dying. Tackling recovery is urgent.
  I was pleased to see that President Trump has asked Brigadier General 
Richard Kim to go to the island and seek to lead. Because of the 
island's topography and isolation, this isn't a Houston, this isn't a 
New Orleans or a Florida. Rescue and relief isn't as easy as moving a 
convoy of power company trucks down the interstate highway. 
Logistically, this is much more difficult.
  Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I believe it is time to set up a joint task 
force, with one person in charge, able to make decisions and not get 
``stuck on stupid,'' as one Army general famously said. That general, 
Russell Honore, turned around the government floundering after taking 
charge of Joint Task Force Katrina.
  On the ground, the joint task force can coordinate all public and 
private relief efforts, starting with putting our National Guard to 
work, reopening the air tower, clearing the roads, and opening a chow 
hall.
  I continue to pray for Puerto Rico, but each of us must understand 
our beloved island's crisis is very different.

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