Sen. Marco Rubio said Friday that the military should temporarily take over logistics in Puerto Rico.
“They need a logistical change,” Mr. Rubio, Florida Republican, said on CNN. “The government of Puerto Rico itself is a victim of the hurricane.”
Mr. Rubio said that the supplies are arriving in Puerto Rico, but the local government hasn’t established a system to distribute them or get them to the appropriate towns. He said that reports that there isn’t adequate supplies or that President Trump isn’t responding appropriately are incorrect.
“It’s not that it’s not enough,” he said referring to aid packages. “You got to get it from the port to the people who need it.”
Mr. Rubio visited the island earlier this week to asses the damage for himself and said that if the military generals currently in Puerto Rico should “reestablish basic logistics” then can then they can move back to a “traditional model.”
“I hope that’s what happens today,” he said.
Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico last week with damaging winds and heavy flooding. People on the island have been without power since the storm made landfall and essential supplies are running dangerously low. The Trump administration has been criticized for its response to the crisis with several Democrats saying that Mr. Trump’s team has been far slower in responding to Puerto Rico’s crisis than the other storms that made landfall this year in Texas and Florida.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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