(Washington, DC) -- Florida's U.S. senators want to give Puerto Ricans impacted by Hurricane Maria more time to apply for disaster unemployment insurance. Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Bill Nelson are urging the Labor Department to extend the deadline, which is today. They point out that more than 40 percent of the island remains without power, and local businesses are permanently closing as a result.
Rubio and Nelson say Puerto Rican workers need support systems in place as they search for and transition to new employment opportunities.