EDITORIAL: Puerto Rico: The urgency of now
"Why is this taking so long?" asked Rep.
We share Cicilline's frantic concern for Puerto Ricans devastated by Hurricane Maria. The Category 4 storm whipped sustained winds of 155 mph across the island beginning
The island, located 1,150 miles off the southeastern coast of
So, again, we share Cicilline's urgency.
We also offer some context.
Within days of the storm's landfall, the
So was the response to citizens of
It's never quick enough. Not with a storm of that magnitude on an island 1,150 miles away. It's not possible. Residents of
Trump on Wednesday acknowledged his administration is considering lifting the Jones Act to speed up aid to the island.
If temporarily lifting the act would speed up supplies to
Also complicating clean-up on the island is its precarious economy, damaged by overspending and teetering near bankruptcy -- and some say due in part to the the Jones Act, which makes it more expensive for
Last year,
But now more aid is needed. Reinstalling a power grid, along with housing rehabilitation and basic supplies, on a poor, isolated island that relied on tourism and agriculture, will require direct and consistent attention.
Help is there. More is on the way. More can be done.
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