President Donald Trump reportedly told Republicans in a meeting that he was opposed to expanding aid to Puerto Rico. The president is allegedly claiming that Puerto Rico aid is “way out of proportion to what Texas and Florida” have gotten.
Now, President Trump and Democrats are on a collision course. Southern Republicans have been pushing for a $13-14 billion dollar disaster aid package that would provide aid to Texas, Florida, and other southern states. Democrats have said no deal unless aid for Puerto Rico is included.
Trump is offering $600 million to deal with a food shortage in Puerto Rico. However, when it comes to rebuilding aging water systems, which were overwhelmed when Hurricane Maria slammed into the island, Trump is taking a hard pass.
Trump already claims that the federal government’s response to the disaster in Puerto Rico was an “incredible, unsung success.” However, Democrats charge that the federal government was too slow to respond and provided too few resources.
Experts claim that thousands of people needlessly died in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria due to poor disaster relief. Nita Lowey, the House Appropriations Committee chairwomen said: “nearly 3,000 American lives were lost in the historic storms that devastated Puerto Rico and destroyed its infrastructure, and the island is still struggling to recover.”
The Trump administration has also been accused of dragging its feet while delivering aid to Puerto Rico that Congress has already approved. Democrats charge that Trump is leaving children and the elderly exposed to unsafe conditions.
So now, southern Republicans and Democrats may be set for another tough political showdown if Trump refuses to provide aid to Puerto Rico. Democrats have made it clear that they will not support aid to Republican states without increased aid to Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans have been pushing hard for an aid package.
