Schumer calls on Trump to appoint official to oversee Puerto Rico relief

Senate Minority Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 18, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

WASHINGTON — Charles Schumer, the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, is calling on President Donald Trump to name a single official to oversee and coordinate relief efforts in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

Schumer, along with Representatives Nydia Velàzquez and Jose Serrano, said a “CEO of response and recovery” is needed to manage the complex and ongoing federal response in the territory, where millions of Americans remain without power and supplies.

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In a statement on Sunday, Schumer said the current federal response had been “disorganized, slow-footed and mismanaged.”