the appointment of Jennifer Granholm to lead reconstruction efforts for the U.S. Government is a positive step

The next request will be requiring the action plan for the rebuilding of the power grid system to the Committee, including timelines and estimated years in which milestones are to be achieved.

Governor, we were talking about the situations between FEMA, PREPA, and many people on the island that are following this hearing are always complaining that every week we do have a lot of blackouts.

I am pleased to report that Puerto Rico is emerging from a challenging period with strength and optimism into a new era of stability evidenced by the island's economic upswing.

The only ones elected to do that job is the Governor of Puerto Rico, who is sitting right there, and me.

We still need to improve them is the answer that I can give you.

How much has LUMA been paid over the last year?

A Resident Commissioner in Congress from the Territory of Puerto Rico.

LUMA is represented at this hearing, so you can ask them directly.

I think Puerto Rico has been facing many----

This Committee did not pass H.R. 1522. We passed H.R. 8393. That was a consensus bill that had many hearings through the years.

For about 3 years, the spending that happened in Puerto Rico was emergency spending by FEMA.

I will try to be brief, but----

I am not going to allow PREPA to end up with a debt burden that is going to end up causing extraordinary increases, unacceptable increases, in the cost of electricity in Puerto Rico.

So, why treat Puerto Rico differently than the way you treat other states when they are in times of need?

We are coming here to be treated the same as our fellow American citizens.

Having a plan of adjustment confirmed by the Federal court is absolutely essential, because it would stabilize PREPA's finances.

There is oversight on LUMA from so many quarters.