Puerto Ricans on and off the island are struggling to figure out how to respond to the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Irma and Maria. With Puerto Rico still without electricity, New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez is calling for the federal government to step up and help as it would any state.

"First and foremost, we need to restore the power grid, because that impacts whether or not the hospitals will be able to provide health care services," Velazquez told WNYC's Jami Floyd. "If that is not a humanitarian crisis, what is?"

President Trump has waived federal requirements for Puerto Rico to contribute to disaster relief funding through March 2018, but Velazquez said that's far from enough for the bankrupt territory.