U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined The Business Briefing to discuss his call for President Biden to ban U.S.-China travel, the Putting American Autoworkers First Act, Florida’s economic growth, and more. See below for highlights and listen to the full interview...
The Biden Administration set a November 30, 2023 deadline for Venezuela’s criminal Maduro narco-regime to release U.S. hostages and enable opposition leader María Corina Machado, who had a landslide victory in October’s primary elections, to run against Maduro in the...
Last month, American autoworkers secured big wins through negotiations with the “Big Three” automakers. Automakers have historically threatened to offshore manufacturing jobs and production to cut costs, even while they receive generous benefits from the American tax...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host Mobile Office Hours this week to assist constituents who were affected by Hurricane Idalia. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s eight regional offices a more...
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), a company directly funded and supported by the Chinese Communist Party, continues to pose national security risks to the United States. This past spring, CATL batteries were installed at Camp Lejeune, North...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s...
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) were joined by several of their colleagues in introducing a resolution today to recognize one year since Hurricane Maria’s landfall in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands and reaffirm the Senate’s commitment to support the people of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands as they continue to rebuild and recover from the devastation of the storm.
The text of the resolution is below.
Marking 1 year since the landfall of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
Whereas, on September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria passed through the United States Virgin Islands as a category 5 hurricane and made landfall in Puerto Rico as a category 4 hurricane, causing significant devastation across those islands;
Whereas the people of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands have shown an incredible and resilient spirit in rebuilding after their record losses;
Whereas Hurricane Maria contributed to an estimated 2,975 deaths in Puerto Rico;
Whereas the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that Hurricane Maria caused an estimated $90,000,000,000 in damage to Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, making Hurricane Maria the third-costliest hurricane in United States history;
Whereas, as a result of Hurricane Maria—
(1) 3,300,000 residents of Puerto Rico were left without electrical power;
(2) 95 percent of cellular sites were knocked out;
(3) 80 percent of water service was inoperable; and
(4) thousands of Puerto Ricans were displaced from their homes and relocated to the mainland United States;
Whereas significant challenges remain in recovery and rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico 1 year after Hurricane Maria hit;
Whereas Congress appropriated billions of dollars with the specific purpose of directly helping the citizens of Puerto Rico to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the hurricane;
Whereas the electrical grid on the island of Puerto Rico remains unreliable and susceptible to intermittent brownouts and blackouts; and
Whereas many Puerto Ricans continue to be displaced without access to permanent housing both on the island of Puerto Rico and on the mainland: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) recognizes that September 20, 2018, marks 1 year since the landfall of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico;
(2) honors the victims who lost their lives due to Hurricane Maria;
(3) commends the resiliency of those still rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Maria;
(4) recognizes the continued challenges facing Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands in the wake of Hurricane Maria;
(5) commits to ensuring that survivors of Hurricane Maria have adequate resources to continue the recovery process;
(6) extols the work of first responders and citizens who contributed to saving countless lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria; and
(7) reaffirms the commitment of the Senate to support the people of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands as they continue to rebuild and recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria.