With Puerto Rico desperate for lifesaving aid, GOP rushes to repeal health care, cut taxes

Puerto Rico is literally drowning in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. CNN reports there’s a "humanitarian crisis" in the making, Vox says "hysteria is starting to spread,” and the Washington Post adds that "running out of supplies, parts of Puerto Rico near desperation."

People are literally writing chalk messages in the streets that can be read during flyovers: "S.O.S We need water/food!!"

This heartbreaking message is from our flyover of #PuntaSantiago. #Humacao #PuertoRico needs a bigger response, & it needs it now. pic.twitter.com/8d7UH4vw7Q

— NYU Primatology (@nyuprimatology) September 25, 2017

It's an apocalyptic scenario that demands an emergency response, including the mobilization of U.S. Navy resources to help Puerto Rico's residents weather the fallout, as Hillary Clinton noted.

And how exactly is the GOP-controlled Congress meeting the needs of American citizens in dire need of help in Puerto Rico?

Senior Hill aide says WH expected to send disaster aid request to Congress in 1st/2nd week of Oct for Puerto Rico. That gets ball rolling.

— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) September 25, 2017

Get the ball rolling? Sometime next week or maybe the week after?! Good lord, no wonder that person didn't give their name.

Let's be clear: people will literally die in that two-to-three-week window. As in dead.

In response Republican lawmakers are racing against time ... to revise their ill-conceived health care bill that will leave millions of Americans uninsured and pass tax cuts that will result in "a massive windfall for the wealthiest Americans."

Since the current pr*sident doesn’t have time to prioritize getting aid to Puerto Ricans, at least all five living former U.S. presidents are trying to provide some relief through a joint fundraising effort. But no one has more power to mobilize the necessary resources than Trump and Congressional Republicans.