San Juan Mayor Calls Out GOP for Being 'Afraid' After They Cancel Her Congressional Testimony

There’s been no bigger critic of the Trump administration’s ongoing failure to handle Hurricane Maria’s devastation than San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz. So it makes sense that Cruz would be invited to Washington, D.C. to speak to a House committee on the issue.

At least, that was the plan.

Instead, shortly after arriving in Washington, her hearing was apparently canceled by House Republicans without any proposed replacement times. In a video posted early Tuesday morning, Cruz said this was because Republicans were “afraid” of what she might say.

“We’re gonna use the time to visit people on Capitol Hill,” she said. “Those that aren’t scared of the truth. Those that can handle the truth. So they will help us make things better in Puerto Rico. We’re gonna keep up the fight.”

On Twitter, the Homeland Democrats account run by Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) confirmed Cruz’s allegations.

House Republicans have so far offered no explanation for the last-minute cancelation of Mayor Cruz’s testimony.

In early October, FEMA director Brock Long dismissed Cruz’s pointed criticism of the Trump administration’s hurricane response, telling ABC News’ This Week, “We filtered out the mayor a long time ago. We don’t have time for the political noise.”

As Mayor Cruz filmed her response to the last-minute cancellation, just 33% of Puerto Ricans had access to electricity, with nearly 20% still without clean drinking water.