09.29.17

Natural Resources Committee Dems Ask for an Oversight Hearing on the Trump Administration’s Puerto Rico & USVI Relief Efforts

Washington, D.C. – To help ensure our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) are receiving urgent hurricane recovery and relief support, House Natural Resources Committee Democrats sent a letter to Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) late yesterday requesting an oversight hearing on the Trump administration’s efforts to address this growing crisis.

The letter, led by Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs Subcommittee Ranking Member Norma Torres (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), highlights that it’s been more than a week since Hurricane Maria hit the islands of Puerto Rico and USVI and many people have been left without electricity, food and clean water supplies, and have limited cell phone service. According to recent reports, nearly half of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million residents still don’t have access to clean drinking water. The Ranking Members believe this humanitarian crisis affecting millions of U.S. citizens should be prioritized above all other Committee business and elevated to a top priority:

“… [T]he Natural Resources committee has broad jurisdiction over all matters regarding the insular areas of the United States, our members are often looked to for answers regarding the federal government’s efforts to assist the people of the Virgin Island and Puerto Rico in securing the help they need in this time of crisis. Accordingly, it is appropriate that we exercise our authority in this regard, to hear from officials of the Trump administration, in a hearing, on the sufficiency of their efforts to respond to the crises in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.”

The full letter is available at: http://bit.ly/2furkVc.

Earlier this week 146 House Democrats sent a letter to Trump asking him to deploy additional Pentagon assistance to Puerto Rico and the USVI to help with recovery efforts.

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