We can't change the past. But we can do better. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

For many families, the decision to place an elderly family member in a nursing home is very difficult. You expect nothing but the best -- the best people, the best resources, the best facility -- to ensure your loved one is safe and happy. Unfortunately, nursing homes in Florida and across the nation are not meeting that expectation. When Hurricane Irma barreled through Florida earlier this year, thousands lost power -- including nursing home facilities. Elderly individuals died because of lack of air conditioning. Nursing homes need to treat their residents like people, not dollar signs. They shouldn't cut corners when it comes to things like emergency backup generators. I'm working on a plan that would: 1. Require nursing homes to have sufficient backup generators to power air conditioning for at least 96 hours. 2. Require utility companies to make nursing homes a top priority after natural disasters, just like they do with hospitals. 3. Assist small nursing homes in complying with these requirements. We can't change what happened after Hurricane Irma. But we can make sure this preventable loss of life doesn't happen again.  Thank you. Debbie