The Latest: Speaker says $7b in relief will help Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Washington's response to help hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico (all times local):

1:10 p.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says federal disaster relief accounts will get a boost of nearly $7 billion dollars by the end of the week to help hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

Ryan says "huge capital injection will occur in two days" to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief account. That will help Puerto Rico recover after being walloped by Hurricane Maria.

He says President Donald Trump has 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 says he expects the Trump administration to send Congress a request for a long-term recovery package once damage assessments of Puerto Rico are conducted.

Ryan says, "We will quickly act on that request."

He says the priority now is the humanitarian and rescue mission in Puerto Rico.

8:31 a.m.

The Trump administration will waive federal restrictions on foreign ships' transportation of cargo to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Twitter Thursday that President Donald Trump has "authorized the Jones Act be waived for Puerto Rico." She says Trump is responding to a request from the governor, and it "will go into effect immediately."

The Jones Act is a little-known federal law that prohibits foreign-flagged ships from shuttling goods between U.S. ports. Republicans and Democrats have pushed Trump to waive the Jones Act, saying it could help get desperately needed supplies delivered to the island more quickly and at less cost.