Staff Reports
During his trip to Florida, US President Joe Biden met with individuals affected by Hurricane Idalia. The powerful hurricane hit the Big Bend region of the state as a Category 3 storm before moving toward the Carolinas and Georgia. In the town of Live Oak, Biden was briefed by local officials.
During a visit to the Southeast and Florida, US President Joe Biden offered his support to the region's residents. He said that the federal government would do whatever it could to help them. He noted that the country was with them until the job was done. The president spoke near a church whose roof had been damaged, and a home that was destroyed by a falling tree.
During his visit to the FEMA facility, President Biden asked for an additional $4 billion to help the agency respond to natural disasters. This brings the total amount requested for the disaster response to $16 billion. The president noted that these types of crises are affecting the entire country, and everyone is expecting the agency to show up promptly.
The only thing FEMA does is set up a table. #HurricaneIdalia https://t.co/ypKVAdjtaX
— Paula the Wallflower (@Paula_Jedi) September 3, 2023
A spokesperson for Governor Ron DeSantis said that there were no plans for a meeting between the two. Biden had earlier stated that he would meet with the governor. However, he noted that DeSantis had declined to join him due to the ongoing recovery efforts. Despite this, the president praised Senator Rick Scott for his quick response to the disaster.
Although Governor Ron DeSantis was not able to join the president's visit due to his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, both parties claimed that they worked together to make the trip. In 2022, Biden and DeSantis had met following Hurricane Ian and the collapse of the Surfside condominium in Miami Beach in 2021. But, the dynamics have changed due to the presidential races of both parties.
The president's visit to Florida showed his commitment to helping the state recover from the disaster. He also worked with both Republicans and Democrats to secure the necessary funding for the recovery efforts.
