CHICAGO (CBS) — U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez was heading to Puerto Rico on Friday to get a firsthand look at the damage wrought by Hurricane Maria.
Gutierrez has been outspoken in urging the federal government to take action to help Puerto Rico, as more than 3 million American citizens remain without electricity. The island also has sparse food, fuel, clean water, and cellular phone service.
The White House has said 10,000 government workers – including more than 7,000 troops – have been sent to Puerto Rico to help in the recovery effort. A three-star general is directing the federal government’s hurricane response.
Gutierrez has said the government response has been too slow so far to send federal aid. Earlier this week, he chided President Donald Trump for claiming that government has been slow to arrive after the hurricane because Puerto Rico is “an island sitting in the middle of an ocean.”
“Mr. President, you say it’s a small island out there in the ocean. Well, you built a golf course there,” Gutierrez said. “You know where it’s at. Go and deliver the necessary things that the people of Puerto Rico need today.”
For the past week, Gutierrez has helped organize relief efforts in the Chicago area, sending planeloads of supplies to San Juan. He has called on the military to do more to help, and earlier this week spoke on the House floor to call attention to the crisis.
“There is no food in supermarkets. We need an airlift. We need an effort the scale of Dunkirk. We know the U.S. is capable. We need the federal government to go all-in to rescue Puerto Rico from a humanitarian crisis which is developing,” he said.
Gutierrez, the son of Puerto Rican parents, was born and raised in Chicago, but owns a home on the island. He was heading to San Juan on Friday to survey the damage from last week’s massive storm. His flight leaves O’Hare International Airport at 8:50 a.m.
Meantime, American Airlines was sending its first flight from Chicago to San Juan on Friday. The plane is loaded with much-needed supplies; including 10 power generators, batteries, and dozens of cases of water – all donated by the Chicago Cubs.
United Airlines also has sent several flights of food and other supplies to the island.
from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2fE2nuq
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