House Homeland Security Subcommittee Issues Testimony From Puerto Rico Central Recovery & Reconstruction Office
"Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today on behalf of the 3.2 million American Citizens of
"I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for passage of the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, H.R. 2157, P.L. 116-20, which included critical
"As members of this Committee have seen through their visits to
"Despite all of this, Governor
"As we look to the future - we recognize that the island's past remains a weight on our recovery. Long before the 2017 Hurricanes,
"In the aftermath of the Hurricanes,
"The COAs are grouped into Capital Investments and Strategic Initiatives. The Capital Investments focus on the following foundational areas: Energy; Communication/Information Technology; Water; Transportation; Housing; Public Buildings; Education; Health and Social Services; and, Natural and Cultural Resources. The Strategic Initiatives are designed to move beyond infrastructure recovery and focus on the following areas of long-term social and economic growth: Enhancing the Ocean and Visitor Economies; Modernization of Emergency Services; Agricultural Transformation; Digital Transformation; Transition to a 21st Century Workforce; Entrepreneurship Expansion; and, Reduction of Policy and Structural Barriers to Support Advanced Manufacturing.
"As an example, the Capital Investments surrounding Energy include our Electronic Grid Modernization (GridMod) Plan. There is no question that a reliable and efficient power grid is key to the future success of
"As we continue to move towards affordable energy, the
"Last year, we took the first steps to achieving our vision by assigning the COAs to state government agencies for implementation. A total of 30 agencies were selected to be COA leads. Each of the selected agencies will develop specific action plans to achieve the goals identified in the COAs. Action plans will describe the projects and related steps that must be taken, identify the funding sources, and lay out a timeline for completion.
"To ensure proper oversight, coordination, and execution of the COAs, the Governor established the Central
"We are now 22 months into our recovery and making significant progress towards the upwards of
"Despite our successes, we continue to struggle with obsolete policies and ever-changing rules governing the use of Federal funds on the island. While we welcome Federal oversight as appropriate for the expenditure of tens of billions of tax payer dollars, I am concerned that the recovery of
"While this is one example, we have also contended with: inconsistencies in
"An additional - and looming - threat to our recovery and reconstruction efforts is the upcoming
"Throughout the recovery process, a key function of COR3 has been to work collaboratively with
"
"The question of
"The unfortunate reality is that Federal policy towards
"The current reform process happening in
"Despite our many challenges, the
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