Trump says Puerto Rico, U.S. government need to confront island's debt load

[September 30, 2017]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Puerto Rico needs to work with the U.S. government to determine how to fund rebuilding after Hurricane Maria and what to do about the territory's heavy debt load, President Donald Trump said on Friday.

President Donald Trump delivers a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, U.S., September 29, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

"Ultimately, the government of Puerto Rico will have to work with us to determine how this massive rebuilding effort, which will end up being one of the biggest ever, will be funded and organized and what we will do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island," Trump said at a conference sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Tim Ahmann)

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