This is what it means to be presidential.
On Thursday President Trump announced he would be suspending the Jones Act to allow an easier flow of relief supplies into Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria made landfall on the tiny American territory on September 20th, and many of the citizens there are still without basic supplies.
Here is more on the story from the Chicago Tribune here:
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.
By putting Americans first, Trump has smoothed the path for desperately needed supplies. He can now add Hurricane Maria to his resume of natural disasters handled successfully.
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