Chuck Schumer: “Now, Mr. President, one final word here on wildfires, which I know my colleague from California is ready to speak about.…”

“Now, Mr. President, one final word here on wildfires, which I know my colleague from California is ready to speak about. She has seen the damage and is working so hard to help the people of her State. So we are going to talk about wildfires, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. First, we can't forget about the 3.5 million American citizens in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, who continue to suffer the terrible effects of Hurricane Maria, the strongest storm to hit the island in a century. It has been more than a month since Maria, and 75 percent of Puerto Rico is still without electricity, only a third of the island's cell sites are functional, and many who have diseases like diabetes and other diseases or who are in need of dialysis have been unable to receive their specialized treatments and medication. One million Americans in Puerto Rico are suffering without access to clean water. We have seen the pictures of them drinking sewage and water from Superfund sites. I read this report that they have accidentally used wells located in one of the most contaminated Superfund sites, Dorado, to get water, because they are so desperate. I have called on the White House to put a point person in charge of the recovery, and I repeat that request today.…”