DeLauro Announces Puerto Rico Visit to Assess Recovery Effort
NEW HAVEN, CT (January 25, 2018) – Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for funding the Department Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as a senior Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for funding the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), today announced that she will travel to Puerto Rico on January 25 and January 26 to assess the recovery effort underway and continue to fight for comprehensive disaster relief funding. DeLauro will be joined on the trip by Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), her colleague on the Appropriations Committee.
"I remain deeply concerned about the response to the ongoing crisis in Puerto Rico. These are Americans citizens—our family and our friends. Hundreds have taken refuge in Connecticut's Third District, and I will continue my efforts at home to provide short-term transitional housing assistance and prescription drug coverage for them," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "Months have gone by since Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the island of Puerto Rico, yet our many of our fellow Americans on the island still do not have access to basic necessities like water, electricity, and medical care. That is unacceptable. I am hopeful that my meetings with local and federal officials, as well as families, will help inform Congress' work as we continue our effort to pass a disaster relief package that makes Puerto Rico whole."
DeLauro's travel itinerary includes:
- Briefings on infrastructure, as well as hurricane response and recovery with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
- Visit to a Community Health Center
- Tour of Hospital Centro Médico
- Tour of Escuela San Agustín
- Visit to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dengue Branch and Lab