Trump says supplies are streaming into storm-tossed Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON— On the defensive over the pace of federal help for Puerto Rico, U.S. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans cleared the way Thursday for more supplies and government cash for the hurricane-ravaged U.S. island.
Trump waived federal restrictions on foreign ships delivering cargo. And House Speaker Paul Ryan said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief account will get a $6.7-billion (U.S.) boost by the end of the week. Trump and his advisers, meanwhile, defend- ed the administration’s response to the devastation on the island, which was hit by Hurricane Maria on Sept. 20 with many people left desperate for power, food and other supplies.
“The electric power grid in Puerto Rico is totally shot. Large numbers of generators are now on Island. Food and water on site,” Trump tweeted early in the day.
The developments Thursday came after Trump came under sharp criticism for what critics said was a too-slow response to a humanitarian crisis among Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million residents.
From the White House driveway to cable television, a squad of advisers defended the president’s response and described the relief efforts as well underway, with most hospitals “operational.”
Tom Bossert, Trump’s Homeland Security adviser, said the impression of a slow response isn’t so much wrong as it is outdated. He said more than 40 of the island’s 69 hospitals are accepting patients.
And FEMA administrator Brock Long said the efforts have been hampered by damaged airports and ports on the island.
“The question is that last mile,” Long told CNN, speaking of the diffi- culty of getting aid all the way to those in need.
Ryan, meanwhile, said a “huge capital injection will occur in two days” to help Puerto Rico recover. He noted Trump had waived a matching funds requirement, which means the cash-strapped island won’t have to contribute to the initial costs of the federal assistance. The Wisconsin Republican said he expects the Trump administration to send Congress a request for a long-term recovery package once damage assessments are conducted.
“We will quickly act on that request,” Ryan said.