Republicans are scrambling to avoid appearing unresponsive to the Hurricane damage in Puerto Rico, which has resulted in an escalating humanitarian crisis that some are already comparing to Hurricane Katrina.
The main critics of the federal government’s response to Puerto Rico are Democrats who say not enough is being done to help the U.S. territory, which was ravaged by Hurricane Maria last week.
That criticism had an immediate impact: Late on Tuesday, House Republican leaders agreed to rework a hurricane tax relief bill to include Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The original version, blocked by Democrats on Monday, only included Florida and Texas.
Democrats on Tuesday stepped up criticism of the federal government response so far to the unfolding disaster in Puerto Rico, and while some would not blame President Trump directly, they did not praise his actions, either.
“It’s not going fine, absolutely not,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday after calling for a list of major resources he wants the United States to sent immediately. His list included more than 1,000 U.S. troops, 200 generators and the construction by the Coast Guard of a temporary port to enable cargo shipments.
Some Democrats are comparing the federal response in Puerto Rico to 2005 when President Bush was accused of not quickly acting to provide federal aid to Louisiana after it was badly flooded following Hurricane Katrina.
“To the president again, if you don’t take this crisis seriously, this is going to be your Katrina,” Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., said Tuesday.
Republicans are eager to avoid the Katrina comparison.
The GOP began the day in both the House and Senate by immediately pledging to help Puerto Rico recover from the storm. The hurricane flattened the island’s infrastructure, knocked out most electricity and left food, water, and medicine scarce.
“This is our country, and these are our fellow citizens,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Tuesday. “They need our help, and they’re going to get our help.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also promised federal aid in a morning floor speech.
Some Democrats are directly accusing President Trump of neglecting Puerto Rico and acting insensitively about the crisis.
“No more important issue facing @POTUS & Congress than delivering aid and support to #PuertoRico & #USVI. Should have been done days ago,” Rep. Joe Kennedy, D-Mass., tweeted.
Others criticized Trump for spending his time criticizing football players who kneeled during the national anthem while Puerto Ricans suffered.
“Too busy attacking the NFL to notice Puerto Rico’s living hell? Wake up @POTUS. Hurricane victims need food and water NOW,” tweeted Jill Stein, who sought the Democratic nomination for president.
Democrats also condemned the president for tweets about Puerto Rico’s massive debt problem, which left the territory unable to pay creditors and resulted in the creation of a control board to restructure its finances.
“Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble,” Trump tweeted on Monday.
By Tuesday, as more and grimmer reports from Puerto Rico poured in, President Trump took a different tone, pledging relief for Puerto Rico and promising a visit next week that will also include a stop in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which was also badly damaged by the storm.
“I’d like to take a moment to send America’s hearts and prayers to the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Both have been devastated, and I mean absolutely devastated, by Hurricane Maria,” Trump said Tuesday. “And we’re doing everything in our power to help the hard-hit people of both places, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.”
Republican leaders say President Trump will assess the damage and sent an appropriations request for federal aid, which they pledged to bring to the floor and pass.
“I expect we’ll hear more soon on what additional resources will be necessary in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the paths of the storm,” McConnell said. “The recovery effort is certainly not going to be easy. It’s not going to be quick. But we are here to do our part.”
