What to Know
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced she will bring San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz as her guest to Tuesday's State of the Union Address
- Cruz has been critical of the Trump administration’s response to the damage Puerto Rico sustained when it was hit by Hurricane Maria in 2017
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will bring San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz as her guest to Tuesday's State of the Union Address.
"I hope Mayor Cruz's presence at #SOTU will remind the president and my colleagues in Congress of our urgent responsibility to help Puerto Rico fully recover and rebuild,” Gillibrand tweeted Monday morning.
Cruz, who Gillibrand described as having “shown extraordinary leadership and fearless advocacy for her city,” has been critical of the Trump administration’s response to the damage Puerto Rico sustained when it was hit by Hurricane Maria last September.
Cruz and Trump feuded publicly over the recovery efforts. During a news conference in the wake of Hurricane Maria, Cruz accused the federal government of “killing us with the inefficiency and the bureaucracy.” President Donald Trump hit back, tweeting that Cruz had “poor leadership ability.”
Gillibrand, a Democrat, has also been a vocal critic of the Trump administration.
Local
Cruz replied to Gillibrand’s announcement, tweeting it was “an honor to represent thousands in San Juan and more in Puerto Rico who still have no electricity and fight everyday for a better today.”
