Sen. Durbin Criticizes Trump's Response To Hurricane Maria

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- More than 100 days after a hurricane devastated Puerto Rico, roughly half the population still has no electricity. Sen. Dick Durbin toured an intake center for evacuees in Chicago Tuesday, and said the Trump Administration could have done much better.

At the Humboldt Park Field House on Chicago's northwest side, about 1,500 Hurricane Maria evacuees have received help from 20 government agencies.

Still, 26th-Ward Ald. Roberto Maldonado says they face a number of challenges.

"100 percent of the evacuees have no income because they have just arrived unemployed from Puerto Rico."

Durbin says they are trying to do something about waving public housing income requirements. Furthermore, he went on to say that the Trump Administration deserves the criticism it's getting over its handling of the disaster.

"The disaster that hit Puerto Rico was devastating," the senator said. "Their economy was already flat on its back, and then to have this disaster on top of it, it really called for an extraordinary response -- we have not seen that."

Durbin pointed out that the evacuees are Americans.

Mike Krauser