Blumenthal, Murphy want more help for Puerto Rico, where they found ‘abject neglect’
Sens.
Blumenthal said he was "furious and heartbroken to see Americans treated with such abysmal, abject neglect."
He said almost half of the island's residents are still without electricity or drinkable water. Many schools remain closed.
"We walked through a neighborhood in San Juan and it was completely dark," he recalled. "There was no power, except for a couple of places. We wondered: 'How are children doing homework? How are people cooking dinner?'"
"You can't run an island on generators," Blumenthal added. But he said the
Blumenthal called the situation "a humanitarian crisis."
"The economy is declining rapidly and tourism is sinking, 106 days since the hurricane," Blumenthal reported. "They need support from the federal government, and that support has been abysmally inadequate."
The senators spoke to a receptive audience of about 60 at the library of
"It's shocking to me how the federal government allows residents to languish nearly four months after Hurricane Maria," Harp said. "It's an island that seemingly has been left adrift."
New
Indeed, Blumenthal said he and Murphy were told repeatedly during their island tour that its residents appreciate the aid provided by the people of
"You really are making a difference," he told the people in the library.
But Murphy reported seeing raw sewage flooding through neighborhoods because the water course remains "gummed-up with debris" such as fallen trees and there is no functioning sewage system. As a result of all the water damage, mold is pervasive in homes.
"It's just unacceptable that this is happening in
He said many more roof tarps are needed "so rain doesn't fall on kids who are sleeping."
As a result of the months of devastation and slow pace of repairs, Murphy said, people are leaving
Blumenthal called it "a tragedy for the island. They're losing people with skills and talent and energy."
The senators were introduced to two Puerto Ricans sitting nearby whose lives have been upended by the hurricane and its aftermath.
Through an interpreter, he said that in his town of Maricao, "We lost everything. The streets, the bridges are gone. There is no water, no electricity. People are coming down with diseases. They're washing their clothes in the street and taking showers in the street. There is still very little food in the market."
Murphy said he was impressed by the resiliency of the island's people and added that
Blumenthal noted some Democratic senators have announced a bill that would send billions of dollars to
Murphy and Blumenthal are also trying to roll back a provision of the newly-enacted federal tax restructuring law so
Trump in September approved a disaster declaration for
Blumenthal added, "
The senators called for a bipartisan effort to bring meaningful aid to
During the question-and-answer session, a woman told the senators about the impact of the hurricane and the island exodus in
The senators closed the event by again praising the local residents' activisim. Blumenthal told them, "
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