House Speaker Paul Ryan said Monday that lawmakers are working with the White House to send additional relief to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.
“The stories and images coming out of Puerto Rico are devastating. Congress is working with the administration to ensure necessary resources get to the U.S. territory,” Ryan said in a statement. “Our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico remain in our prayers as we make sure they have what they need.”
Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico last week after it made landfall there as a category 4 storm. The hurricane knocked out power for the entire island, and officials warned its electrical grid may be down for four to six months.
Food, water, and gas have since become increasingly scarce on the U.S. territory of 3.5 million people.
On Saturday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it is sending resources to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which was also hit hard by the storm.
Six commercial barges delivered food, water, generators, and cots to the islands over the weekend, the agency said, and “millions of meals” were also being flown to Puerto Rico from Kentucky and Florida.
The Defense Logistics Agency is transporting 124,000 gallons of fuel to Puerto Rico, and FEMA said arrival is expected in the next few days.
