WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., ranking Democratic member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued the following news release:

Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter (https://democrats-oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/documents/2017-10-11.EEC%20to%20WH%20Doc.%20Request%20re.Hurricane%20response.pdf) to President Trump's Chief of Staff, General John F. Kelly, requesting White House documents relating to the federal government's preparation for and response to recent hurricane activity affecting multiple U.S. states and territories.

Although Republican Tom Davis, former Chairman of the Oversight Committee, sent a letter to the Bush White House requesting documents after Hurricane Katrina, Chairman Gowdy declined to join this letter to the White House.

Specifically, Cummings requested documents or communications prior to September 5, 2017, by White House officials relating to threat assessments, mitigation measures, emergency preparedness, or other contingency plans in the case of a hurricane striking Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands; and documents and communications from September 5, 2017, to October 4, 2017, by White House officials relating to any steps taken to prepare for the hurricanes, as well as "logistics challenges, distribution of commodities, or power restoration following the storms."

As the Washington Post reported in Lost Weekend: How Trump's Time at His Golf Club Hurt the Response to Maria (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/lost-weekend-how-trumps-time-at-his-golf-club-hurt-the-response-to-maria/2017/09/29/ce92ed0a-a522-11e7-8c37-e1d99ad6aa22_story.html?stream=top-stories&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=.3af0440d1247):

As Hurricane Maria made landfall on Wednesday, Sept. 20, there was a frenzy of activity publicly and privately. The next day, President Trump called local officials on the island, issued an emergency declaration and pledged that all federal resources would be directed to help.

But then for four days after that--as storm-ravaged Puerto Rico struggled for food and water amid the darkness of power outages--Trump and his top aides effectively went dark themselves.

Trump jetted to New Jersey that Thursday night to spend a long weekend at his private golf club there, save for a quick trip to Alabama for a political rally. Neither Trump nor any of his senior White House aides said a word publicly about the unfolding crisis.

Trump did hold a meeting at his golf club that Friday with half a dozen Cabinet officials--including acting Homeland Security secretary Elaine Duke, who oversees disaster response--but the gathering was to discuss his new travel ban, not the hurricane. Duke and Trump spoke briefly about Puerto Rico but did not talk again until Tuesday, an administration official said.

Administration officials would not say whether the president spoke with any other top officials involved in the storm response while in Bedminster, N.J. He spent much of his time over those four days fixated on his escalating public feuds with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/09/22/trump-warns-that-madman-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-will-be-tested/?utm_term=.42ca869dbbd8), with fellow Republicans in Congress and with the National Football League (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/09/22/donald-trump-profanely-implores-nfl-owners-to-fire-players-protesting-national-anthem/?utm_term=.3e1716f38d0e) over protests during the national anthem.

Tom Bossert, homeland security advisor to President Trump, reportedly stated (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-adviser-tom-bossert-administration-has-new-business-model-for-puerto-rico-response/article/2635948) that the Administration is employing a "new business model" in Puerto Rico's recovery efforts.

WINDSOR, Conn.— The Life Insurers Council announced that Dierdre Woodruff, senior vice president of Puritan Life Insurance Company, will serve as chair of the LIC Advisory Board for 2026.

“Dierdre is taking the chair at a significant time as we look towards new ways to grow membership and anticipating member needs in a rapidly changing marketplace,” said Dean Lambert, LIC executive director. “Her experience as a forward-thinking, transformational leader will help advance the LIC’s mission to help small-to-midsize insurance and financial services companies improve performance through shared excellence.”

Woodruff succeeds Joan Cleveland, president and chief executive officer of SWBC Life, who will continue on the LIC Board as immediate past chair.

Brad Phillips, chief executive officer and chairman of Liberty Bankers Insurance Group, is this year’s LIC vice chair and Rear Adm. Brian E. Luther, USN (Ret.), president and CEO of Navy Mutual Aid Association, is LIC secretary.

New appointments to serve a three-year term on the LIC Board are Christopher Belz, president and CEO of Catholic Life Insurance, and Silvio Rodia, executive vice president and chief risk officer of ELCO Mutual Life and Annuity.

Continuing LIC Board members are:

• Byron Allen, president and CEO, American Savings Life Insurance Company
• Chris Campbell, CEO and chairman of the board, BetterLife
• Joseph Evanish, national president and CEO, Slovene National Benefit Society
• Kayte Fredrickson, president and CEO, Teachers Life
• Fernand LeBlanc, president, preplanning solutions, TruStage
• Moshe Lichtenstein, chief investment officer, Converge US
• Tony Mravle, president and CEO, KSKJ Life
• Steve Shaffer, board chair, president and CEO, Homesteaders Life
• Greg Temple, president and CEO, Catholic Order of Foresters

-end-

About the Life Insurers Council
The Life Insurers Council is a council of LIMRA and LOMA that provides small-to-midsize life insurance company senior management with a personal network of peers sharing practical business solutions for the challenges companies with limited resources face. To learn more, visit www.loma.org/lic.

About LIMRA
Serving the industry since 1916, LIMRA offers industry knowledge, insights, connections, and solutions to help more than 700 member organizations navigate change with confidence. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.

About LOMA
Established in 1924, LOMA helps to advance the financial services industry by empowering more than 700 financial services companies to navigate change with confidence. Visit LOMA at www.loma.org.