FEMA Acknowledges Puerto Rico Lacks Rebuilt Homes, Hospital to Survive COVID-19

[Judi Lynn]

Source: NBC News


FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor responded to concerns about why thousands still lack a safe home and why Vieques has no hospital since Hurricane Maria
Published July 24, 2020 • Updated on July 24, 2020 at 4:59 pm

The Federal Emergency Management Agency faced tough questions Friday by lawmakers who said Vieques still doesn't have a functioning hospital while thousands of other Puerto Ricans continue to wait for their homes to be rebuilt almost three years after Hurricane Maria.

Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., questioned FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor on both matters as the agency prepares for a hectic hurricane season amid the coronavirus pandemic, NBC News reports.

"Puerto Rico has a surge in infections that is one of the highest, if not the highest, on the mainland," Velázquez said during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing. "But my question is why is it that thousands of families in Puerto Rico still do not have a home, especially during this hurricane season?"

Gaynor responded by saying that while "there's no easy answers," FEMA's commitment to Puerto Rico is demonstrated by the more than 2,000 federal employees the agency has on the island. He also added that Puerto Rico's recovery is reliant on "a partnership between FEMA, who does temporary work to keep people in their homes" and the Department of Housing and Urban Development "to do permanent work on houses," as well as cooperation from the local government in Puerto Rico.

Read more: https://www.necn.com/news/coronavirus/fema-acknowledges-puerto-rico-lacks-rebuilt-homes-hospital-survive-covid-19/2302154/

[pfitz59]

1. This is criminal neglect

Trump hates the islanders

[chowder66]

2. +1000

[Sherman A1]

3. Precisely

It is exactly that

[Karma13612]

4. If someone told him

He could have a Trump Tower there, he would suddenly be VERY eager to fix the island.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. tRump inflicting same shit on US as he did on Puerto Rico: profits over lives; Greed Over People. nt

[JI7]

6. Trump wants to wipe them out

[Lonestarblue]

7. What FEMA did to Puerto Rico should result in criminal charges.

Congress authorized money for Puerto Rico, but FEMA delayed and refused to turn over much of it at Trump’s orders. And some of the money they spent was wasted on contracts for administration buddies who never delivered. I forget the state (Montana, Wyoming?) but some small company with few employees and no experience got a contract to rebuild infrastructure. They failed to deliver, but I suspect they got their payment.

[llashram]

8. trump never

did anything to help Puerto Rico after their devastating hurricane disaster. Threw some paper towels to them if I remember correctly. Now they suffer more. and more and more. Oh shit! What am I thinking, they are brown-skinned others, aren't they? They don't matter to trump or his officials at FEMA.