30 Million Meals Were Due to Puerto Rico, Only 50K Made It. Cummings and Plaskett Want to Know Why.

Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD)and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D-USVI) sent a letter Tuesday to House Government and Oversight Committee Chair Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC), asking the Committee to investigate reports that FEMA awarded a $156 million contract to a one-person company to deliver 30 million meals to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Just 50,000 meals made it to the island when 18.5 million were first due. FEMA ended up terminating the contract, but the lawmakers want to know why it was awarded in the first place. "It is difficult to fathom how FEMA could have believed that this tiny company had the capacity to perform this $156 million contract," read the letter, which also calls for Gowdy to subpoena FEMA for all documents pertaining to the contract. FEMA has been criticized for its slow and cumbersome post-hurricane response. Congressman Darren Soto (D-FL) calls it “a troubling reoccurring pattern with FEMA’s oversight of contracting procedures.” Meanwhile, representatives from FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Energy are scheduled to testify in Congress on February 28th about the restoration of electrical service on the island. More here.