CHC Chair Statement on Puerto Rico Blackout
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April 18, 2018
Washington, D.C. - Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement in response to the island-wide blackout in Puerto Rico:
"I am appalled to hear that nearly seven months after Hurricane Maria, the entire island of Puerto Rico is once again without power. It is unconscionable that, more than half a year after this devastation, millions of our fellow Americans continue to live under intolerable conditions - without access to clean water, food and electricity.
"The Trump administration failed Puerto Rico in the days and weeks following the deadly hurricane, and continues to fail and neglect the people of Puerto Rico. It is disgraceful that one of the most powerful nations in the world has utterly failed in helping our fellow Americans. We must continue to shed light on the work that remains to be done on the island. We cannot leave our fellow American citizens behind.
"We urgently need this Republican-controlled Congress to appropriate the necessary disaster relief funds required to rebuild and improve Puerto Rico's energy infrastructure. This first step is critical in preventing future blackouts and ensuring our fellow citizens have a path toward recovery."
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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.