your budget would eliminate heating assistance for low-income Americans and, in particular, seniors.

I would hope you would take your executive action and fix it, and then I am delighted to have meetings with you at any time.

This is a very important subcommittee.

I really want to thank you, Mr. Secretary, for joining us today.

I was honored to be appointed to this special committee that is supposed to be figuring out how we can operate more effectively and more efficiently.

There have been more than 50 major disaster declarations so far in 2017. Twenty of them were for disasters that occurred since your confirmation, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

I do hope, if we ever get this budget process going, we will be able to give you a number that will provide for adequate funding to do this.

It is my hope that today we can have a productive discussion about how FEMA can best help those impacted by Harvey, Irma, and Maria with a particular focus on how to assist Puerto Rico with vital repairs and improvements to its power…

After Superstorm Sandy, it was very difficult to garner support for the disaster assistance we needed.

Puerto Rico has requested $46 billion in CDBG, with an additional $10 billion for community development projects like hospital reconstruction, school investment, small business grants.

This request includes a proposal for a national mitigation competition, but includes no new money to address the unmet needs in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.