Setti Warren blasts Charlie Baker for Puerto Rico relief effort
Newton Mayor and Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Setti Warren blasted Gov. Charlie Baker’s decision to send six members of the Massachusetts National Guard to assist the relief effort in Puerto Rico.
In a press release, Warren’s campaign spokesman Kevin Franck issued a four-word statement in response to Baker’s six-person commitment: “Is this a joke?”
For days, Warren has pushed Baker to send members of the national guard to help with the relief effort. Before Baker announced Friday afternoon he would send a team of six, Warren appeared on Boston Herald radio to advocate for action.
“It’s been nine days,” Warren said. “Earlier this week, I called on Charlie Baker to deploy the Massachusetts National Guard, to help the Americans struggling to make it through another day on the island that feel forgotten by the mainland.”
Warren noted that 12 other governors had pledged help, including the governors of New Jersey, New York, Louisiana, and North Carolina, who had committed 1,100, 700, 300, and 200 relief workers, respectively.
“Other governors are finding a way around [a lack of federal response] by pitching in resources to help,” Warren said. “Charlie Baker is still waiting for a federal response from Donald Trump.”
On Saturday morning, Warren tweeted that he spoke with San Juan, Puerto Rico’s mayor, Carmen Cruz, who was criticized by President Trump on Twitter that morning.
The federal response to Puerto Rico has been a mess. Some gov’s have been helpful, some haven’t. Cruz is doing all she can. #StandWithCarmen
— Setti Warren (@settiwarren) September 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/settiwarren/status/914131578267340800
