DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement on the third anniversary of Hurricane Maria:

“Homes ripped from their foundations. Businesses reduced to rubble. Livelihoods washed away. These are the sobering images I witnessed when I visited Puerto Rico three years ago to bring supplies to those in need. Hurricane Maria’s devastation claimed the lives of 4,645 Americans, displaced thousands more, and changed the island I once knew forever. As we commemorate the third anniversary of this tragedy, the people of Puerto Rico are still struggling to rebuild. These are our fellow American citizens. And we owe them not simply our prayers, but our action. Democrats believe our government has a solemn responsibility to protect its people, especially in the wake of natural disasters. We will honor those we lost by continuing to fight for the resources Puerto Ricans need to recover, and for the dignity and respect they deserve.”