President Trump waived shipping restrictions for Puerto Rico on Thursday at the request of the island's governor and after an outcry from Congress about shortages of fuel, food and emergency supplies in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

The decision temporarily lifts the Jones Act's restrictions prohibiting foreign-flagged vessels from picking up and delivering fuel between U.S. ports.

A one-two punch by Hurricanes Irma and Maria battered the island in recent weeks, leaving residents with shortages of all supplies. Maria wiped out the power supply, destroyed cell towers and led to massive fuel shortages on the island that relies on diesel for much of its power.

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Elaine Duke, acting secretary of Homeland Security, said the waiver followed Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello's request and the Defense Department's determination that lifting the restrictions was in the interest of national defense. The waiver is in effect 10 days and covers all products.

"It is intended to ensure we have enough fuel and commodities to support lifesaving efforts, respond to the storm, and restore critical services and critical infrastructure operations in the wake of these devastating storms," Duke said.

Rossello quickly thanked Trump for the assistance on Twitter.

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But members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Thursday continued to blast the administration for a slow response and said the 10-day waiver isn’t long enough.

“This is Katrina 2017,” said Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. “Think of 3.4 million people who have no escape route from the island of Puerto Rico.”

Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., called on Trump to waive the Jones Act for a year.

The administration waived the act for Southeastern states — and included Puerto Rico for petroleum products — from Sept. 8 through 22, after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. But Defense and Homeland Security officials said there were plenty of ships to supply Puerto Rico — the problem was moving supplies around the island because of roads blocked by trees and landslides.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has tried repeatedly to repeal the Jones Act, which he called archaic and burdensome. He and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, proposed Thursday to permanently exempt Puerto Rico from the Jones Act, as the U.S. Virgin Islands are already exempt.

"It’s time for Congress to take action, end this injustice, and help our fellow citizens in this time of need," McCain said.

“The Jones Act is just another example of a federal regulation that harms American consumers, gives foreign corporations an edge over American businesses, and makes disaster response harder," Lee said. “It is far past time to repeal it.”

But Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., said Puerto Rico’s problem is moving cargo from ports to gas stations, warehouses, supermarkets and relief agencies, rather than shipping cargo to the island. Of 6,000 containers filled with supplies already sitting at the island's port terminals, only about 400 will be moving Thursday, he said.

“The log jam is the freight movement on the island, which is simply not going well,” said Garamendi, who serves on the maritime transportation subcommittee. “It’s picking up a little bit each day, but the problem is on the land side, not the water side.”

About two-thirds of Puerto Rico’s imports typically come from foreign vessels and international ports, including six of the seven petroleum tankers that arrived within the last week, Garamendi said.

The Jones Act is crucial to maintaining the U.S. maritime industry and protecting national security, rather than to allow foreign vessels to move between U.S. ports along inland waterways such as the Mississippi River, he said.

“It would be a major national-security issue to open those waterways in the heart of America to foreign vessels, foreign crews, which would be impossible to maintain any level of security,” Garamendi said.

Trump, who plans to visit the island next week, said Wednesday that he was studying the matter, but the U.S. shipping industry was opposed to waiving the law.

Sarah Sanders, Trump’s spokeswoman, tweeted Thursday the Jones Act would be waived.

“It will go into effect immediately,” Sanders said.

Contributing: Nicole Gaudiano.