Hoyer Statement on Puerto Rico's Recovery Efforts and the Whitefish Contract

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today on Puerto Rico's recovery and the Whitefish contract: 

“It has been more than a month since Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck Puerto Rico, and three out of four residents on the island remain without power.  That is unacceptable, and every effort must be made to restore the electrical grid, which is crucial to restoring other infrastructure, including communications, clean water, and health care.  The decision by the PROMESA Board to name a Chief Transformation Officer for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) is an important step, one which I hope will speed the process of restoring access to electricity to the 3.4 million American citizens who live in Puerto Rico and help with the long-term economic recovery of the island. 
 
“The work of restoring critical infrastructure and rebuilding communities in Puerto Rico must not be marred by politics or cronyism.  That is why news of a contract granted to Whitefish Energy Holdings from Interior Secretary Zinke’s hometown in Montana is highly alarming.  Americans living in Puerto Rico deserve to know how this contract was awarded and why other bidders, which may have had greater staff and resources available at the ready for recovery projects, were rejected.  Congress must look into this matter and provide the American people with a full and transparent accounting of how this company received such a large contract for work in Puerto Rico.”