Velázquez on FEMA Puerto Rico After-Action Report

Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) commented today on the release of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) 2017 Hurricane Season After-Action Report:

"This report makes clear what we already knew, namely, that FEMA was profoundly unprepared for Maria, its response was hobbled by incompetence and a lack of leadership and, tragically, the people of Puerto Rico suffered because of it. This Administration was woefully unready for the severity of this storm and it cost Puerto Ricans their lives. From the President on down, this Administration failed 3.3 million American citizens in Puerto Rico.

"Time and again, Administrator Long assured Congress and the American people that the agency was managing the disaster in a responsive, orderly way. Now, the Administrator's own agency has produced a report showing this to be glaringly false. There needs to be accountability and profound change at FEMA."