The US on Monday ramped up its response to the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico, even as US President Donald Trump brought up the island’s struggles before Hurricane Maria struck — including “billions of dollars” in debt to “Wall Street and the banks which, sadly, must be dealt with.”
The Trump administration has tried to blunt criticism that its response to Hurricane Maria has fallen short of its efforts in Texas and Florida after the recent hurricanes there.
Five days after the Category 4 storm slammed into Puerto Rico, many of the more than 3.4 million US citizens in the territory were still without adequate food, water and fuel. Flights off the island were infrequent, communications were spotty and roads were clogged with debris.
Officials said electrical power might not be fully restored for more than a month.
Trump on Monday pointed out some differences between the two states and the island in a series of tweets.
“Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble,” he tweeted.
Trump also said that the island’s electrical grid was already “in terrible shape.”
Still, he tweeted: “Food, water and medical are top priorities — and doing well.”
In Washington, officials said no US Navy ships were headed to the island because supplies could be carried in more efficiently by plane.
The Trump administration ruled out temporarily setting aside federal restrictions on foreign ships’ transportation of cargo, saying it was not needed.
The government had waived those rules in Florida and Texas until last week.
Although the administration said the focus on aid was strong, when two Cabinet secretaries spoke at a conference on another subject — including US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, whose agency is helping restore the island’s power — neither made any mention of Puerto Rico or Hurricane Maria.
Democratic lawmakers with large Puerto Rican constituencies back on the mainland characterized the response so far as too little and too slow.
The confirmed toll from Maria jumped to at least 49 on Monday, including 16 dead in Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Ricans are Americans,” said US Representative Nydia Velazquez, who traveled to Puerto Rico over the weekend to assess the damage. “We cannot and will not turn our backs on them.”
Trump was expected at the end of last week to visit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands after they had been ravaged by Hurricane Irma, but the trip was delayed after Maria set its sights on the islands.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator (FEMA) Brock Long and US Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert landed in San Juan on Monday, appearing with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello at a brief news briefing.
Although Rossello had urgently called for more emergency assistance over the weekend, he expressed his gratitude for the help so far.
The governor said the presence of Long and Bossert was “a clear indication that the administration is committed with Puerto Rico’s recovery process.”
“We’ve got a lot of work to do. We realize that,” Long said.
Perry and US Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke made no mention of Puerto Rico or the hurricane during a joint appearance before the National Petroleum Council, a business-friendly federal advisory committee, where reporters were not allowed to ask questions.
Perry had traveled with Trump to Texas and Florida following hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Department of Energy crews are working in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, coordinating with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, FEMA and a team from the New York Power Authority, among others.
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