New York Gov. Cuomo Returns To Puerto Rico
ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo headed back to Puerto Rico on Thursday for the second time since the U.S. territory was walloped by Hurricane Maria.
Cuomo said he wants to assess the recovery and find out how the state can best help as Puerto Ricans struggle with power outages and shortages more than a month after the destructive storm.
The governor criticized the federal response as well as comments from President Donald Trump, saying rebuilding Puerto Rico will take years and billions of dollars of federal funding.
"When you're talking about the people of Puerto Rico you're talking about Americans,'' Cuomo said. "And we never talk about leaving Americans in a critical situation. --- It's a long road and there's a lot of work to do. New York is going to be there.''
He department from John F. Kennedy International Airport Thursday morning and planned to return in the evening.
The governor traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands and then to Puerto Rico last month to get a first-hand look at the devastation caused by the hurricane.
At the time, he said the damage was "much worse" than expected, calling the devastation "really breathtaking."
On Thursday, he criticized comments by Trump, who two weeks ago Tweeted: "We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!''
"I don't know how the president or anyone else can talk about leaving when it's been over a month and we still haven't made the kind of progress we need to make,'' he said.
He noted the approaching fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, which lashed New York City and Long Island.
"We rebuilt a New York that is better and stronger than it was before Hurricane Sandy,'' he said. "That should be the attitude in Puerto Rico.''
Cuomo launched a statewide collection and contribution effort. Since then the state has sent tons of supplies to the islands along with hundreds of members of the New York National Guard and state police as well as scores of Port Authority employees.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
