05.08.18

This Week in Committee: Markup on Nine Bills

Today marks the 230th day since our fellow Americans living in Puerto Rico lost power and were devastated by Hurricane Maria. Many people living on the island are still lacking power and still need assistance from the federal government. Instead of addressing the immediate needs of the people, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) traveled to Puerto Rico to promote oil and gas projects and discuss importing fossil fuels to the island. Bishop has continuously ignored the fact that renewable energy sources on the island provided some of Puerto Rico’s only sources of power in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane.

Bishop also continues to demonstrate his support for the interests of mainland bondholders over the needs of the island's residents; as exemplified by the March 29th, 2018 letter Bishop sent to the Oversight Board, prompting Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rosselló to respond to the Oversight Board's Chairman urging the board to “to consider a balanced approach towards all of Puerto Rico’s stakeholders” and not “favor the treatment of mainland bondholders.”

Democrats on the Committee will continue to call for greater investments in recovery efforts on the island, and a resilient and sustainable modernized infrastructure that will benefit the people of Puerto Rico over the interests of oil and gas industry giants on the U.S. mainland or wall street bondholders.

COMMITTEE'S SCHEDULE

Tuesday, May 8