Sen. Markey Introduces Bicameral Resolution on 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Maria

In full transparency, the following is a media release from Sen. Ed Markey, who was elected by voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to serve the state in Washington DC in the US Senate. He is a Democrat. (stock photo)

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WASHINGTON DC – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) joined his colleagues led by Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Representative Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) in introducing a bicameral resolution marking the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s destruction in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This year’s anniversary comes as Category 1 Hurricane Fiona made landfall in the Caribbean, devastating Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic where widespread flooding and infrastructure damage has been already reported. There are currently hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans without power and water service, in addition to residents who have lost their homes as a result of the storm.

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Hurricane Maria is the second deadliest storm in United States history, with the official death toll standing at 2,975 victims, while some academic experts estimate the toll to be as high as 4,645. It is also the third most costly tropical cyclone in our country’s history, with damages estimated to have cost more than $98 billion. This storm resulted in the complete collapse of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid and triggered physical and mental health, migration, housing and infrastructure crises that the island has continued to face in the years since the storm. The impact of this unprecedented natural tragedy was further exacerbated by the human-made tragedy of the Trump’s Administration response following Hurricane Maria.

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In the Senate, joining Senator Markey in cosponsoring the resolution led by Senator Menendez are Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn,), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.).

In the House, joining Rep. Velázquez in cosponsoring the resolution are Reps. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Darren Soto (FL-09), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Val Demings (FL-10), and Alma Adams (NC-12).

Click HERE to read the resolution.

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