Menendez Announces Fact-Finding Mission to Puerto Rico to Survey Hurricane Damage, Assess Federal Response

Congressional Documents & Publications

September 28, 2017

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NEWARK, N.J. - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the highest ranking Latino in the U.S. Congress, held a press conference today at Newark International Airport with local Puerto Rican community leaders to announce he is traveling to Puerto Rico to survey the devastation, gauge the federal response, and meet with local officials and residents on the ground to assess how Congress can help provide necessary resources. Flanked by State Senator Teresa Ruiz, Newark City Councilman Luis Quintana, Newark City Councilman Anibal Ramos, the Senator announced he would be taking a commercial humanitarian flight out of Miami, Fla, to San Juan after the Trump Administration obstructed his previously organized Congressional Delegation (CODEL) with over a dozen Members of Congresshttp://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2017.

Menendez has played a leading role in Congress to ensure the federal government provides the necessary help to the U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands impacted by Hurricanes Maria and Irma. He has received briefings from FEMA and the Governor of Puerto Rico in the past few days, and has called on Republican leadership to allow Congress to do its part to help the 3.5 million American citizens on the islands recover and rebuild. Since Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, leaving wrought historic devastation, Senator Menendez:

* Sent a letter with his Senate colleagues asking President Trump to waive the local cost shares for Puerto Rico for FEMA disaster assistance. The cost share for most projects is 75% federal, 25% local.

* Joined colleagues in sending a request to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke to extend the crucial Oct. 5 deadline for Dreamers to renew their DACA status in the wake of three storms that have disrupted the day-to-day lives of millions of people in the U.S., including in Puerto Rico.

* Lead a coalition of Senators in writing to Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell urging them to bring up an emergency disaster supplemental bill to fund CDBG-DR, FEMA's disaster relief fund (DRF), and other disaster accounts. FEMA is expected to run out of money in its DRF before the end of the calendar year and no CDBG-DR funding is currently available for PR.

* Sent a letter to U.S. Airlines serving Puerto Rico requesting they take additional steps that ensure victims of Hurricane Maria are not stuck on the island due to unreasonable fees or exorbitant ticket prices to the mainland United States.

* Joined colleagues in sending a letter expressing deep concern about the situation in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and outlining eight specific actions to be undertaken by the Trump administration