[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15777-15778]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CRITICAL TIME OF LIFE AND DEATH FOR PUERTO RICO AND VIRGIN ISLANDS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Espaillat) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, this is a critical time of life and death 
for millions of U.S. citizens on the island of Puerto Rico and also in 
the Virgin Islands.
  The efforts to rebuild will be great, and we each have a critical 
role to play to help these families recover following the aftermath of 
these catastrophic storms.
  We have witnessed so much devastation this hurricane season, and the 
impact has been particularly destructive and wreaked havoc. It has left 
millions of U.S. families without shelter, electricity, and their lives 
in ruin.
  We all have a part to play in the recovery efforts and must answer 
the calls to provide relief and aid in the immense rebuilding efforts 
that will take place to assist all of them who have been affected.
  The amount of help and heart I have seen in my home State of New 
York, including a recent effort of Uptown United this weekend, and from 
constituents of mine like Lin-Manuel Miranda, and even from children 
willing to crack open their piggybanks has been overwhelming.
  If the Federal Government could have matched that compassion, then 
Puerto Rico would be well on its way to recovery.
  Last night, the House Appropriations Committee released a $36.5 
billion disaster relief package: $5 billion of that will go directly to 
Puerto Rico; $14 billion for FEMA's disaster fund; and $16 billion for 
the National Flood Insurance Program. I see this as an initial 
downpayment. I hope this is just the beginning.
  Nearly a month into this crisis, the status of Puerto Rico today is 
such:
  The Jones Act. On Sunday, the White House let the 10-day shipping 
waiver for the Jones Act expire for Puerto Rico, meaning that foreign 
ships can no longer bring aid to the hurricane-ravaged island from U.S. 
ports. I have been pushing for at least a 1-year waiver and a permanent 
waiver for oil.
  Electricity. To date, only 15 percent of Puerto Ricans have power and 
electricity, not being able to get in contact with their loved ones and 
the great impact the lack of electricity has on patients with dialysis.
  Water. Access to clean drinking water lingers around 20 percent. It 
is reported that seaborne bacteria are contaminating the water supply. 
This may lead to bacterial infections such as cholera, dysentery, E. 
coli, and typhoid. That can be really disastrous. The typical 
treatments for these illnesses, like tetanus shots and powerful 
antibiotics, are not readily available on the island where medical 
supplies are quickly running out.
  The damage estimates. It is calculated around $95 billion. This is 
roughly 150 percent of the Puerto Rican annual gross national product. 
The downpayment really should be $10 billion to $15 billion.
  The budget. The White House has reported that they have asked 
Congress to authorize approximately $30 billion in new disaster-related 
funding.
  Fatalities. Mr. Speaker, the official death toll has increased to 43 
deaths directly or indirectly related to Hurricane Maria. The death 
toll, unfortunately, will continue to rise, and this is becoming more 
and more our Caribbean Katrina. I urge my colleagues to pass the 
Disaster Relief Fund for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the 
Caribbean.

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