OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Investing in A New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act

Floor Speech

Date: July 1, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Transportation Infrastructure Environment

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Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise to speak on my amendments 12 and 13 included in the en bloc No. 4.

Amendment 12 incorporates my bipartisan bill, H.R. 6050, making Puerto Rico an eligible applicant for the Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART Grants as well as its Drought Resiliency Project Grants.

These programs provide Federal funding for water conservation projects, as well as projects that improve water management to increase resiliency to droughts.

Currently, Puerto Rico is the only territory and noncontiguous jurisdiction in the U.S. where these grants are not available.

Reliable water service is essential, particularly as we confront COVID-19 and we are asking people to wash their hands, and yet, in Puerto Rico we are announcing rationing measures impacting over 140,000 customers. Unfortunately, as much as 59 percent of the water produced by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority is lost through a deficient distribution system.

This situation is further complicated by our vulnerability to droughts. In fact, per the U.S. Drought Monitor, 77.48 percent of Puerto Rico is currently under abnormally dry conditions. Approximately 59.84 percent of the island is experiencing drought, while 26.11 percent is facing a severe drought. The Governor of Puerto Rico, as I just told everybody here, has already announced water rationing measures impacting more than 140,000 customers.

Given this reality, Congress should ensure Puerto Rico, just as Alaska and Hawaii and the rest of the U.S. territories, is eligible for WaterSMART and Drought Resiliency Project Grants.

My second amendment, amendment 13, allows Puerto Rico to issue commercial driver's licenses, or CDLs, and makes the island eligible to receive Commercial Driver's License Improvement Grants.

Requirements of CDL licensure promote increased skills, knowledge, and safety of those operating a commercial motor vehicle to a well- established standard.

This amendment provides Puerto Rico a 5-year grace period to come into CDL compliance and provides immediate eligibility for grants to expedite this process.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment in the en bloc package.

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