On the defensive over the pace of federal help for Puerto Rico, 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 disaster relief account will get a $6.7 billion boost by the end of the week. Trump and his advisers, meanwhile, defended the administration's response to the devastation on the island, which was hit by Hurricane Maria 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."

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said she signed the waiver of a federal law called the Jones Act to clear the way for foreign-flagged ships to deliver supplies between U.S. ports.

"You are seeing devastation in Puerto Rico. That is the fault of the hurricane," Duke told reporters in the White House driveway. "The relief effort is under control."

Tom Bossert, Trump's homeland security adviser, said the impression of a slow response isn't so much wrong as it is outdated.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 difficulty 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.

Duke said the shipping waiver came in response to a request from Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello. The waiver, the White House said, would go into effect immediately.

Rossello responded on Twitter to Trump's action: "Thank you @POTUS."

Duke had waived the law earlier this month to help ease fuel shortages in the Southeast following hurricanes Harvey and Irma. That order included Puerto Rico but expired last week, shortly after Maria struck.

The Trump administration initially said a waiver was not needed for Puerto Rico because there were enough U.S.-flagged ships available to ferry goods to the island. </s> New York state, home to more than 1 million people of Puerto Rican descent, is sending a lot more than thoughts and prayers to the hurricane-ravaged territory.

New York state, home to more than 1 million people of Puerto Rican descent, is sending a lot more than thoughts and prayers to the hurricane-ravaged territory.

The U.S. federal government has dispatched large numbers of personnel to Puerto Rico to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and local officials have praised the response.

The U.S. federal government has dispatched large numbers of personnel to Puerto Rico to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and local officials have praised the response.

Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said Thursday morning that thousands of containers holding aid for the island are stuck at the port.

Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said Thursday morning that thousands of containers holding aid for the island are stuck at the port.

Lawmakers demand details on the use of private emails by some of President Donald Trump's close advisers.

Lawmakers demand details on the use of private emails by some of President Donald Trump's close advisers.

Some in administration use personal phones, despite advice

Some in administration use personal phones, despite advice

A money crisis is emerging in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, with banks closed or on limited hours and many people unable to work and running short of cash.

A money crisis is emerging in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, with banks closed or on limited hours and many people unable to work and running short of cash.

Now even money is running out in hurricane-hit Puerto Rico

Now even money is running out in hurricane-hit Puerto Rico

Power lines are down after the impact of Hurricane Maria, which hit the eastern region of the island in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

WASHINGTON (AP) - On the defensive over the pace of federal help for Puerto Rico, 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 disaster relief account will get a $6.7 billion boost by the end of the week. Trump and his advisers, meanwhile, defended the administration's response to the devastation on the island, which was hit by Hurricane Maria 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."

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said she signed the waiver of a federal law called the Jones Act to clear the way for foreign-flagged ships to deliver supplies between U.S. ports.

"You are seeing devastation in Puerto Rico. That is the fault of the hurricane," Duke told reporters in the White House driveway. "The relief effort is under control."

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 difficulty 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.

Duke said the shipping waiver came in response to a request from Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello. The waiver, the White House said, would go into effect immediately.

Rossello responded on Twitter to Trump's action: "Thank you @POTUS."

Duke had waived the law earlier this month to help ease fuel shortages in the Southeast following hurricanes Harvey and Irma. That order included Puerto Rico but expired last week, shortly after Maria struck.

The Trump administration initially said a waiver was not needed for Puerto Rico because there were enough U.S.-flagged ships available to ferry goods to the island.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Puerto Rico’s governor said officials were working to get food, fuel and water “everywhere on the island” as millions of people continued to suffer without the basics and reports emerged of vital supplies stranded at Puerto Rico’s main port.

About 97% of the US commonwealth’s 3.4 million residents were still in the dark Wednesday, one week after Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said. About half the residents do not have running water.

Puerto Ricans are waiting hours in line to get gas, food and cash. Gas stations and supermarkets are rationing supplies, while banks are running low on cash.

“Right now we are in emergency mode,” Rosselló said on Wednesday afternoon. “Our focus is not necessarily restoring energy. The energy grid has been destroyed. … And we need to rebuild it. That does not get rebuilt in days.”

Asked if he thought the federal government was doing everything it can to help the island, Rosselló said, “Well, they are. This is an unprecedented event. President Trump has been in close communication with me practically every day making sure we have the assets, giving orders to his team so that they can execute.”

The governor said getting aid where it’s needed has been a challenge because of the magnitude of the destruction on the island.

“This has been the biggest catastrophe in the history Puerto Rico in terms of natural disasters,” he said.

Critics said the government’s aid effort could be improved if Washington lifted the Jones Act, an obscure, nearly 100-year-old law that requires all goods ferried between US ports to be carried on ships built, owned and operated by Americans. The law had the unintended consequence of making it more expensive to ship things from the US mainland to Puerto Rico. Trump said Wednesday “we’re thinking” about lifting the Jones Act for Puerto Rican ports in the wake of Hurricane Maria, but he said a “lot of shippers” don’t want it lifted.

Rosselló said he had not asked the President to lift the Jones Act so aid might flow more fully to Puerto Rico. “I did not solicit that to him personally but it is something that would help Puerto Rico, certainly, at least in the short run,” Rosselló said.

As desperate Puerto Ricans wait for aid, there’s not enough food to go around. In the town of Utuado, Lydia Rivera has started to ration crackers and drink rainwater to keep her two grandchildren alive.

The hurricane killed 16 people in Puerto Rico, 27 in the island nation of Dominica and one in the US Virgin Islands. As Puerto Rico attempts to recover from the disaster, there were signs that aid sent from the US mainland isn’t making it to people in need. And the US recovery efforts in Puerto Rico have been markedly different from the recent responses to other Americans in hurricane-stricken Texas and Florida.

With supplies running out, many Puerto Ricans are collecting water from mountain streams.

Harry Torres said the water is all they have for cleaning and drinking until help comes. They’ve heard on the radio that trucks loaded with supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have arrived on the island.

Some help began arriving. On Wednesday, a plane carrying 3,500 pounds of water, Army meals ready-to-eat, diapers and other supplies headed from Florida to Puerto Rico. The plane, which usually carries out intelligence missions, returned to the US mainland with dozens of family members of federal employees.

Two military officials told CNN on Wednesday that another 2,000 to 3,000 US troops will be sent to Puerto Rico in the coming days to assist with aid. One official with US Northern Command said there are approximately 2,500 active-duty troops in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. This does not include National Guard forces.

“We are getting help from the federal government, but this is an unprecedented set of circumstances,” Rosselló said Wednesday. “We want to make sure that we recognize that a lot of resources are coming in. They are coming in by air or by boats. But they are starting to execute.”

Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have seen fewer personnel since Hurricane Maria hit than Texas and Florida did during recent hurricanes in those states.

FEMA said more than 10,000 federal staff members were on the ground in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands assisting search-and-rescue and recovery efforts.

Trump announced he will visit Puerto Rico next Tuesday, nearly two weeks after Maria struck the US commonwealth.

“Puerto Rico is a very difficult situation,” he said Wednesday. “I feel so badly for the people.”

The President has faced criticism for his response to Puerto Rico, compared with Texas and Florida — two states he visited within four days of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

With nearly all Puerto Ricans still without power Wednesday, the lack of electricity and fuel have yielded dire consequences.

At a hospital in San Juan, two people died in an intensive care unit after it ran out of diesel, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz said.

Residents are relying on generators to keep appliances such as air conditioners, medical devices and refrigerators running.

At the San Jorge Children’s Hospital in San Juan, 12 children depend on ventilators to survive, but the hospital has only a limited amount of fuel for generators, said Domingo Cruz Vivaldi, the hospital’s executive director.

The hospital is the largest private children’s medical center in the Caribbean. When the hospital ran out of diesel Monday, the ventilators had to run on batteries for hours until another hospital offered them fuel.

“We were very thankful for that. We were very lucky,” Cruz Vivaldi said.

The hospital is working to secure more gas, he said, because that diesel will only last about two days.

‘People are starting to get desperate’

Before sunrise every day, dozens of people hauling red plastic gas cans start lining up at gas stations. They need fuel to power their cars in case of an emergency or to keep generators running at home.

Some wait for up to six hours armed with lawn chairs and umbrellas.

“If the gasoline arrives, it will fix our problems,” Utuado Mayor Ernesto Irizarry said. “People are starting to get desperate,”

At least 60 people have been arrested for violating the overnight curfew ordered by the governor to keep the island safe.

And 36 have been arrested for looting and theft in Humacao, Caguas, San Juan and Bayamón, said Michelle Hernandez, superintendent of the Puerto Rico police.

While Puerto Ricans await more government help, some companies and a Florida college are stepping up.

Telecommunications giant AT&T is bringing floating antennas to help re-connect Puerto Ricans, said Rosselló, the governor.

And Miami Dade College will offer in-state tuition to displaced college students from Puerto Rico, the college said via Twitter.

Rosselló said he hopes the kindness shown by Puerto Rico during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma will be returned.

“The people know that Puerto Ricans are proud US citizens,” he said.

“After Irma, we helped out others — about 4,000 US citizens that were stranded. We gave them shelter and food. During Harvey, we sent out resources to Texas as well. … And now it is time to take a quick decision and help out Puerto Rico as others have done.”

Maria and another storm continue to churn in the Atlantic Ocean but are not expected to threaten the US mainland.

Now a Category 1 hurricane, Maria is 165 miles east of North Carolina and is expected to move northeast and then east out into the Atlantic. Hurricane Lee, a Category 3 storm, is 485 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and will likely move north and northeast. </s> President Donald Trump posted a trio of tweets Monday night that appeared to center on Puerto Rico's fiscal debt, as the devastated U.S. territory struggles to recover from powerful Hurricane Maria.

After commending the recovery of Texas and Florida — which were lashed by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, respectively — Trump tweeted Monday: "Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble."

Trump continued , "It's old electrical grid, which was in terrible shape, was devastated. Much of the Island was destroyed, with billions of dollars owed to Wall Street and the banks which, sadly, must be dealt with."

"Food, water and medical are top priorities - and doing well," Trump added.

Hurricane Maria, the strongest storm to hit Puerto Rico since 1928, killed 16 people and left millions without power or communications when it battered the island last week. Beset by food and water shortages, Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló issued a statement appealing for help for his "essentially devastated" island.

"My petition is that we were there once for our brothers and sisters, our other U.S. citizens, now it's time that U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico are taken care of adequately, properly," Rosselló wrote Sunday. On Monday, he called for greater federal aid and appealed to Congress to pass a relief package and treat Puerto Rico like any other U.S. state, Politico reports.

According to the Associated Press, 3.4 million U.S. citizens in the territory are without adequate food, water and fuel. Communications are still lacking and electrical power may not be fully restored for a month.

Trump's response, which appeared to put the issue of the island's bank loans before emergency supplies, provoked consternation among some diplomats. "Is the President of the United States saying that the mammoth hurricane damage is Puerto Rico's fault?" posed Samantha Power, the former U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Before the Category 4 storm struck, Puerto Rico was suffering from a $73 million debt crisis , that had left agencies like the state power company broke.

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management said aid was getting to the island, and that the agency had more than 700 staff on the ground in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, delivering diesel, food and water to communities, reports AP. </s> QUEENSLAND’S disaster experts could be sent to Puerto Rico to help the hurricane-ravaged island get back on its feet.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday met Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello to offer assistance following the devastation wreaked on the US territory by Hurricane Maria, dubbed the region’s worst recorded natural disaster.

Ms Palaszczuk (pictured) said she wanted to ensure Puerto Rico had full access to Queensland Reconstruction Authority and other departmental officials involved in responding to the damage from the Hurricane.

She has also offered to welcome the Governor and a delegation to Queensland so they could see first hand how the state handled disaster management and recovery following disasters such as the 2011 floods, and last year’s Cyclone Debbie.

Mr Rossello accepted that offer at yesterday’s meeting in Washington.

Ms Palaszczuk said she had also offered to deploy Queensland’s disaster experts to Puerto Rico should they be needed.

“I explained the devastating floods in 2011 and how we needed to transform our response and establish a Queensland reconstruction authority,” she said.

“Sadly, Queenslanders have had to endure too many natural disasters, including Cyclone Debbie last year. But it does mean our emergency response and other agencies are well-versed in how to respond to a disaster and in leading the ­recovery.

“I am determined that we help our friends. The Governor understands the experiences we have had, and I believe he is keen to understand what we have done to ensure our practices are the best and our response is comprehensive.”

Ms Palaszczuk is in the US on a 10-day trade missing. </s> Washington (CNN) The US military is planning to deploy the USNS Comfort hospital ship to assist with FEMA's response efforts in Puerto Rico a week after Hurricane Maria smashed the island as a Category 4 storm, several defense officials told CNN.

The Comfort is a seagoing medical treatment facility "capable of providing resuscitation and stabilization care; initial wound and basic surgery; and postoperative treatment," according to the US Navy.

Puerto Rican officials asked for additional medical assistance from the ship after initially indicating that they wanted to focus on getting power restored to damaged hospitals on shore, US officials told CNN.

CARIBBEAN SEA (April 10, 2015) Military Sealift Command (MSC) hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) sits anchored off the coast of Belize for it's first mission stop during Continuing Promise 2015.

While the Comfort is on the way, according to FEMA administrator Brock Long, it may not deploy for another week -- within five to nine days as additional forces are activated to help man the ship along with its current crew of about 18 civilian mariners.

The crew is expected to grow to as many 60 and the medical crew could increase from the approximately 65 now with the ship to as many as 1,200, according to officials.

Hillary Clinton urged the Defense Department to send a Navy medical ship, while Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called for Republicans to join with Democrats to pass a robust relief package.

The Navy hospital ship is just one part of the military's humanitarian assistance effort -- deploying assets to both Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands after the storm decimated critical infrastructure in the region.

The USS Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group has already been conducting rescue operations in the region, including eight medical evacuations and 148 airlifts, and delivered 44,177 pounds of relief supplies and cargo to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands since Maria struck, according to the Pentagon.

The US Air Force is also sending additional aircraft to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to ramp up the volume of daily relief missions.

Speaking on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford said the priority is making sure airfields can operate.

"The responsibility is primarily DHS, but at this point we're not trapped in bureaucratic niceties, what we're trying to do is make sure that we get the people of Puerto Rico the support they need when they need it," he said.

"All the other support they need can't come in until we get the ports and airfields open, so that's why Northern Command has placed that at the top of the list in terms of the support we're providing," he added.

Dunford said he expects more military aircraft will be used particularly for "generators, water, food, those kind of immediate needs."

In addition to deploying the USNS Comfort for additional medical assistance, the Defense Department is supporting FEMA's immediate priorities for Puerto Rico including: debris and route clearance of critical transportation routes; re-opening air and sea ports; re-establishing utilities, and implementation of a commodities distribution plan.

"Northern Command continues to conduct 24-hour operations, aggressively conducting search and rescue operations, bringing additional essential commodities to the islands, and restoring power at hospitals, ports, airports and other critical facilities," according to the service.

The US military is sending a variety of additional aircraft vehicles to assist with ongoing missions aimed to deliver critical supplies and capabilities to Puerto Rico:

One C-17 Globemaster with the remaining Contingency Response Element to establish airport operations. This unit includes more than 50 personnel.

One C-17 and one C-5 with the Mobile Emergency Response Support unit to provide mobile telecommunications, life support, logistics, operational support and power generation.

One C-17 with the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. This unit includes approximately 20 personnel with tactical trucks and utility trailers to provide site assessments.

One C-17 with the 63d Signal Battalion from Fort Stewart, Georgia. This unit includes approximately 15 personnel, tactical trucks and utility trailers to provide satellite ground communications capabilities.

Two C-5s with the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to provide tactical airlift with eight helicopters.

Two C-130s with the FAA's Incident Staging Base Cache from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. This unit includes approximately 50 personnel and four heavy duty trucks and equipment.

The Air Force is also further increasing airport throughput capacity in San Juan by assisting the Federal Aviation Administration with air traffic control repairs.

The US military is also deploying additional aerial and medical assets to the Virgin Islands to assist in ongoing relief efforts:

Four C-17s with water and meals to St Croix.

Two C-17s and one C-130 to St Thomas with National Guard units that include approximately 120 personnel. </s> As Puerto Rico struggles amid mass power outages and food and water shortages, some politicians and experts say that one 97-year-old maritime law will make recovering from the disaster much more difficult.

The Jones Act, passed after World War I to protect the U.S. ship-building industry, requires that domestic shipping must be conducted by U.S.-owned, U.S.-made ships staffed by American crews. This has meant that Puerto Rico, an island that relies on imports from the U.S., pays more than twice as much as neighboring islands for American goods, according to a report by former International Monetary Fund economists.

Nydia Velázquez, a Puerto Rican-born congresswoman who represents parts of New York City, is leading the call for a one-year suspension of the act while the island rebuilds from hurricane damage.

“The island is now facing an unprecedented uphill battle to rebuild its homes, businesses and communities,” said Velázquez in a letter written to the Department of Homeland Security on Monday and signed by seven other members of Congress. “Temporarily loosening these requirements – for the express purpose of disaster recovery – will allow Puerto Rico to have more access to the oil needed for its power plants, food, medicines, clothing, and building supplies.”

The Department of Homeland Security suspended the Jones Act on Sept. 8 because of disruptions of the oil supply system after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, but the waiver expired on Sept. 22. Hurricane Maria hit on Sept. 20, knocking out all power to the island and nearly all cell phone towers.

“My expectation is to rebuild stronger than ever,” Gov. Ricardo Rossello told NBC News. “But clearly if this is not taken seriously ... Puerto Rico is going to collapse into a humanitarian crisis.”

The Trump administration said this week it would not extend the waiver for Puerto Rico. A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that officials think that waiving the Jones Act would be unnecessary.

An assessment by Customs and Border Protection, an office of Homeland Security, showed there was “sufficient capacity” of U.S.-flagged vessels to move commodities to Puerto Rico, said spokesman Gregory Moore, in a statement to Reuters.

“The limitation is going to be port capacity to offload and transit, not vessel availability,” Moore said.

Democratic Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez from Illinois on Tuesday criticized leaving the Jones Act in place, amid Puerto Rico's financial crisis. The territory has been in a severe recession since 2006 and declared a form of bankruptcy earlier this year.

Gutiérrez, who was among those who signed Velázquez’s letter to the Department of Homeland Security, said the U.S. government should suspend the Jones Act at least for a decade if not repeal it permanently.

“Since it was imposed on Puerto Rico, the Jones Act has cost Puerto Rican consumers more than all the money owed to Wall Street, yet the president reminds us of the debt in his tweets,” he said on the floor of Congress. “Let the ships flow as quickly and as cheaply from wherever they may come from because this is an emergency.”

Other politicians have spoken out in the past against the Jones Act for needlessly hurting Puerto Rico’s economy.

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona first introduced legislation to repeal the law in 2010 and tried again in July.

“I have long advocated the repeal of the Jones Act, an archaic and burdensome law that hinders free trade, stifles the economy, and ultimately harms consumers,” he said.

On Tuesday, McCain said he was urging the Department of Homeland Security to waive the act for Puerto Rico to aid its recovery efforts. In a letter to Acting Secretary Elaine Duke, he also asked that it assess how a long-term waiver or full repeal would effect hurricane-damaged communities, including those in Florida and Texas.

Economists at the University of Puerto Rico found that the Jones Act cost the island’s economy $17 billion between 1990 and 2010, according to a 2012 report.

Republican Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama cited this study in 2016 when he, too, called for Puerto Rico to be exempt from the Jones Act. Three American territories are exempt from the Jones Act: the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.

Other studies have said the Jones Act costs Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska about $2.8 billion to $9.8 billion per year.

A report by the Government Accountability Office in 2013 said that although the Jones Act may make imports to the island more expensive, the dedicated routes also ensure reliability and keep more than 1,400 American jobs.

In April, the Trump administration had appeared to be moving forward with an Obama-era proposal to reverse the Jones Act, but it was withdrawn in May.

The Jones Act was last temporarily waived in December of 2012 so that petroleum products could be delivered for relief assistance after superstorm Sandy.

Op-eds in major national newspapers have endorsed calls to get rid of the act, including one published Monday in The New York Times by Nelson A. Denis, a former New York state assemblyman who has written extensively on Puerto Rico's economic crisis.

“A humanitarian crisis is about to explode in Puerto Rico,” Denis wrote. “But the consequences of Jones Act relief would be immediate and powerful. This is not the time to price-gouge the entire population. It is time for Congress to act ethically and responsibly and suspend the Jones Act in Puerto Rico.”

The consequences of leaving the Jones Act in place could be dire for the 3.5 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico, some experts warn.

“It means extending the suffering,” said Dennis Nixon, a professor of marine law at the University of Rhode Island. “It’s hot there today, there’s a risk of thunder showers. They’ve got no electricity, no drinking water."

Nixon said that it could lead to an even more painful financial crisis for Puerto Ricans, who might start leaving the island in a forced mass migration to the U.S.

"It would hugely accelerate the ability to move goods into Puerto Rico, because you’d basically be getting a 20 percent discount on everything," he said.



Jonathan Gutoff, a maritime law professor at the Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island, said that even though the Jones Act may not be hindering aid from reaching the island, it does increase prices for consumers and makes it harder for businesses to market their exports.

“Given that Puerto Rico is suffering from a fiscal crisis and the aftermath of Maria, anything to help Puerto Ricans should be done and the Jones Act should be suspended,” he said.

Whether or not to repeal the act is a tougher question, Gutoff said. Because of the role of the Jones Act in maintaining the American boat building industry for offshore work, more study should be done before a repeal, he said.

The American Maritime Partnership said it is actively working with the Trump administration, FEMA, The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD), and other relief organizations to deliver food, fuel, first aid supplies and building materials to Puerto Rico. Approximately 9,500 containers of goods have already arrived on the island to help in recovery efforts, according to the partnership.

“A steady stream of additional supplies keeps arriving in Puerto Rico on American vessels and on international ships from around the world,” said the charmain of the partnership, Thomas Allegretti. “The problem now is distributing supplies from Puerto Rico’s ports inland by surface transportation.”



The Shipbuilders Council of America did not immediately respond for comment on the Jones Act, but according to its website the council strongly supports the act, calling it "vital to America’s economic, national and homeland security." </s> Elvia Diaz: 3.5 million Puerto Ricans are American citizens. But you'd never know it in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

The Spanish-speaking Puerto Ricans fronting Hurricane Maria’s devastation have been merely an afterthought of their motherland – the United States.

A week after the hurricane slammed the Caribbean island, residents are without water, electricity and food, and are completely isolated. Completely alone.

You haven't seen the round-the-clock television coverage or gripping images of people agonizing over the rubble where their home or a business once stood.

For all practical purposes, President Donald Trump, Congress – the entire nation, really – is miserably failing Puerto Rico, and you've got to question why.

Remember Harvey battering Houston or Irma approaching Florida? You couldn’t turn anywhere without being inundated with every detail of the hurricanes on television, radio, social media and in newspapers.

The coverage of Houston and south Florida as well as the prompt federal financial aid was fitting and necessary. But what about Puerto Rico? A huge collective yawn, at best. And when cable news finally ramped up coverage, newscasts found it necessary to scroll headline saying “Americans” in Puerto Rico.

No, folks, they don’t mean Americans from the mainland living there. They mean the 3.5 million residents on the island are Americans, as in U.S. citizens.

It pains me to see congressmen like Ruben Gallego, Raúl Grijalva and others clamoring for help for Puerto Rico, which is on the brink of disaster. Theirs is a cry for attention to the fact that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, too.

The island is officially a commonwealth state – an unincorporated territory of the United States. Its residents are U.S. citizens, but they cannot cast a ballot for president or vice president. The island doesn’t have a vote in Congress.

Statehood has been a perennial fight within Puerto Rico. The island has been split between those who want to become the 51st state and those who prefer the status quo.

Either way, the U.S. Congress officially governs the island and thus it should treat the territory as it would any other state when it comes to caring for its people. It's unclear how much it will cost to rebuild but it'll be a long and costly recovery. On Tuesday, Trump announced he'll visit the island next week to survey the damage.

The federal government should provide federal relief funds immediately and Americans should respond with the same fervor and generosity, too.

If this won't get attention, what will?

Hurricane Maria flattened homes and left the island without electricity and communication.

“Hot, isolated and running out of supplies,” read The Washington Post headline of its Sunday story about Puerto Rico’s predicament.

“Four days after a major hurricane battered Puerto Rico, leaving the entire island in a communications and power blackout, regions outside San Juan remained disconnected from the rest of the island,” reported The Post.

It pains me that Latinos have to cry out for attention, for help. It pains me to see they're the afterthought of everyone, including their own countrymen.

If only Puerto Rico had an NFL team, oil, cigars, political clout – anything with commercial appeal to draw attention to itself in this time of need.

Elvia Díaz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1.

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Which Hispanic is the real Republican? </s> Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday that federal assistance is on its way to Puerto Rico, a day after he broke his recent silence about the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria since it made landfall on the US territory.

Trump also announced that he would visit Puerto Rico next Tuesday, saying it was the earliest he could reach the battered island.

"Thank you to Carmen Yulín Cruz, the Mayor of San Juan, for your kind words on FEMA etc. We are working hard. Much food and water there/on way," he wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning, moments after Yulín Cruz appeared on CNN's "New Day."

Sharing harrowing details of rescue efforts in her city, Yulín Cruz praised the Federal Emergency Management Agency's "great job" and "logistics help."

"Our bodies are so tired, but our souls are so full of strength that we will get to everyone we can get to," she said.

After days of public silence on the hurricane, Trump tweeted criticism Monday evening, casting blame on the island's poor infrastructure and economic instability.

"Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble. It's old electrical grid, which was in terrible shape, was devastated. Much of the Island was destroyed, with billions of dollars owed to Wall Street and the banks which, sadly, must be dealt with. Food, water and medical are top priorities - and doing well. #FEMA," he wrote in a series of tweets.

Responding Tuesday, Yulín Cruz said, "These are two different topics. One topic is the massive debt, which we know we have and it's been dealt with. But you don't put debt above people, you put people above debt."

Trump traveled to Texas and Florida in the immediate aftermath of the major storms that struck them earlier this month, but officials said Monday the devastated territory was not yet capable of hosting a presidential visit. In announcing his upcoming visit on Tuesday, Trump said he may also stop in the US Virgin Islands.

Asked about a potential visit from the President, Yulín Cruz defended Trump and emphasized the need for federal funding.

"I am sure that as the United States President, you know, he can come to Puerto Rico if he wants to. He has been not only tweeting, but I know he has been in contact with the governor, and we appreciate that. Let's make sure that this is not a handout, this is a moral imperative, and it is a plea for help and it a plea for us to be done right," she said.

The President is scheduled to receive a briefing on hurricane recovery efforts from homeland security adviser Tom Bossert later Tuesday morning. Bossert traveled to Puerto Rico alongside FEMA Administrator Brock Long on Monday to assess damage and federal needs.

The administration has not yet sent a disaster spending request to Congress, and it's not clear whether Bossert will have a fixed dollar amount to present to the President during his Tuesday briefing.

As of Monday morning, FEMA had $5.03 billion available for disaster spending between now and the end of September, an agency spokesperson told CNN. When the new federal fiscal year begins on October 1, the disaster relief fund will be replenished with an additional $6.7 billion.

Two senior House GOP sources tell CNN they expect to get the official request from the Trump administration in mid-October. A senior administration official says that is the White House's expected timing as well.

Defending the federal response in Puerto Rico as "anything but slow" Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the administration will be able to determine appropriate funds "once we have a greater insight into the full assessment of damage."

As those hurricanes hit the states, Trump often tweeted comments on the size and impact of the storm as well as praising first-responders.

Before his latest messages this week, Trump last tweeted about Maria on Wednesday, the day it made landfall in Puerto Rico. The next day, he mentioned the situation to reporters while taking a photo with the Ukrainian president, saying the island was in "very, very, very tough shape" adding that its electrical grid was "destroyed."

But he didn't make any public comments about the island over the weekend.

Some Democrats worry that Puerto Rico is not getting the same amount of swift attention that Florida and Texas received.

"The fact of the matter is the administration has not been able to comprehend the fact that people in Puerto Rico are dealing with life and death issues," Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-New York, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the House, told CNN's Kate Bolduan Tuesday morning.

"The most fundamental duty of the President of the United States is to protect the homeland," she added.

In response to Democrats' concerns, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, who chairs the House appropriations committee that is working on an aid package, said the island's residents will get the same help as those in the mainland US.

"The people of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands remain in our thoughts as they struggle to recover from successive Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The challenges they face are truly tremendous. But they should be reassured that they are entitled to equal treatment under the law and the Appropriations Committee and House leadership will assure that every step of the way," he said.
Puerto Rican officials request aid from the United States federal government for welfare in the aftermath of the hurricane-induced humanitarian crisis on the island.