Senior Dems: FEMA Ending Power Line Work Leaves Puerto Rico Vulnerable as Hurricane Season Begins
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long to protest his decision to end the Army Corps of Engineers’ mission in Puerto Rico to help rebuild its fragile power grid before the job is complete and all customers’ power has been restored.
“We are writing to object to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) decision to end the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) mission assignment for power line restoration work in Puerto Rico. As you are aware, Puerto Rico is still recovering from the catastrophic damage that resulted from Hurricane Maria, and we are deeply concerned that you pulled out before the mission was complete.”
“FEMA’s decision to scale back the Federal presence in Puerto Rico is troubling given that approximately 10,000 Americans still lack power, eight months after the storm.”
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Media contact:
(Thompson) Adam Comis at 202-225-9978
(DeFazio) Bayley Sandy at 202-225-4472
(Pallone) CJ Young at 202-225-3641
(Grijalva) Adam Sarvana at 202-225-6065
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