Wow! Yet another big storm heading to Puerto Rico. Will it ever end? Congress approved 92 Billion Dollars for Puerto Rico last year, an all time record of its kind for “anywhere.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2019
I have to admit that I can’t figure out what point he is making here. Does he want Puerto Rico to move? Does he want them to recover without Federal aid? Does he want to trade Puerto Rico for Greenland?
But I do know:
- The $92 billion is wildly inaccurate. The amount allocated was $41 billion. The amount actually spent so far was $11 billion as of April. In comparison, the Congressional Research Service estimated that, in all, “Congress provided roughly $120 billion for Hurricane Katrina.”
- Although this is the beginning of hurricane season, the administration is “pulling millions from FEMA disaster relief to send to the southern border.”
- The answer to his question, “Will it ever end?” is a simple and unqualified “No.” Hurricanes will happen every year. Many will hit Puerto Rico. Scientists say the hurricanes will get stronger and last longer as the ocean temperature increases. The only way to mitigate this trend is to gain some control over climate change, and I think we know Trump’s attitude toward that!
