Rubio, Gutiérrez Urge Trump to Aid Puerto Rico

Both Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) wrote to Donald Trump urging the administration to provide immediate aid and relief to Puerto Rico as it begins to assess the damage from Hurricane Maria, a Category Four hurricane that made landfall yesterday. Rubio and fellow Florida Senator Ben Nelson (D) wrote to both Trump andAG Jeff Sessions. “It is important that the federal government stands ready to assist in the difficult days after Hurricane Maria passes, when hope must be available to combat despair. ... we urge your administration’s continued attention to this dangerous storm so that appropriate federal resources can quickly be made available as locally unmet needs arise,” reads their letter to Trump. “We respectfully urge you to expand the scope of the task force in Puerto Rico to account for any illegal activity related to Hurricane Maria,” the Senators asked of Sessions. Gutiérrez asked Trump to “declare a major disaster in Puerto Rico as soon as the statute allows and direct FEMA to aggressively marshal and coordinate all federal resources available to the Island as quickly as humanly possible.” Trump did so early this morning. See the Rubio/Nelson letters here and the Gutiérrez letter here.