Quijano: Mr. President, We Need Less Tweets & More Empathy

President tweets that federal aid to Puerto Rico cannot continue forever just three weeks after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island & while majority of island remains without power

(TRENTON) – Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee Chair Annette Quijano issued the following statement Thursday condemning President Trump’s threat to pull FEMA out of Puerto Rico, after he tweeted that federal aid to the island cannot continue forever.

“President Trump, just last month you said your administration would not rest and would be there until the people of Puerto Rico were safe, sound and secure. Vice President Mike Pence repeated the same sentiment just a day ago. What’s changed? The dire situation facing Puerto Rico certainly has not. This is not what American citizens should be hearing from their President at a time of such turmoil.

“Forty percent of the island still lacks running water, and 85 percent of the island is still without power. Hospitals have too many patients and not enough medicine. People are dying. Puerto Rico is approaching a public health crisis. To threaten the island just weeks after the hurricane made landfall, and when the population is starting to really feel the severity of the storm, is egregious. We’ve known for weeks that this recovery effort would take six months at a minimum. So again, what’s changed?

            “I hate to think that this about- face is driven by the criticism your administration has received about its handling of the recovery effort. I would hope that the lives of millions of American citizens are more important than your ego. This is a life & death situation. We need less tweets and more empathy.”