Public Comment
Cruz Silenced
The feisty, no nonsense mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, was silenced, denied an opportunity to testify before the House. She had been extremely critical of the lackadaisical Trump administration’s response to the devastation caused by hurricane Maria. It seems likely that the White House leaned on compliant lawmakers to prevent Cruz from voicing more criticism of FEMA and the White House.
Borrowing from Trump’s playbook, Cruz took to Twitter to denounce FEMA’s lack of response to the urgent needs of the people of Puerto Rica.
The Republican majority, for the second time canceled the hearing, with no date for it to be rescheduled.
To add insult to injury, a $300 million no-bid contract was awarded to Whitefish Energy, a tiny company based in the hometown of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in Montana.
A leaked copy of the contract prohibits the federal government from auditing Whitefish's work and shields it from other details of the company's records.
"In no event," the contract says, will the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, FEMA, the Comptroller General of the United States, "or any of their authorized representatives have the right to audit or review the cost and profit elements" of the deal.
How convenient!
