The island has been coping with shortages of food, drinking water, electricity and various forms of communication after Hurricane Maria struck earlier this month. On Tuesday, McCain said he was urging the Department of Homeland Security to waive the act for Puerto Rico to aid its recovery efforts. , and his vice president's, failure to visit the island thus far (Trump announced Tuesday that he would go next week -- "some people say, I read it this morning, it's literally destroyed") this Taken with hisand his vice president'sfailure to visit the island thus far (Trump announced Tuesday that he would go next week -- "some people say, I read it this morning, it's literally destroyed") this seems to be an attempt to deflect accountability away from his administration's role in the recovery effort. Trump himself has vowed to travel to Puerto Rico, as he did in the immediate aftermath of storms in Texas and Florida, but officials say the devastated territory is not yet capable of hosting a presidential visit. He says Puerto Ricans are “great people and we need to help them.”
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The United States Department of Homeland Security says it will not waive the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (or "Jones Act") in response to the ongoing disaster in Puerto Rico.