President Biden on Sunday announced $600 million in aid for areas affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene as he toured Florida’s St. Pete Beach region that was damaged by the storm.
“This is all a team effort, folks. it made a big difference,” Mr. Biden said. “And it saved lives. But there’s much more to do, and we’re going to do everything we can to get power back in your homes, not only helping you recover, but to help you build back stronger.”
Mr. Biden thanked local officials, first responders and healthcare workers for their help, and emphasized that “in moments like this, we come together, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. … We are one United States.”
He also said he knew “how devastating it is to lose your home,” as years ago his Delaware home was struck by lightning and was damaged. News reports from that time said the strike resulted in a small fire in the kitchen that was contained within 20 minutes.
Energy Secretary Granholm also spoke, along with a few local officials.
Earlier, Mr. Biden toured the devastation inflicted on Florida’s Gulf Coast by Hurricane Milton and spoke with first responders and local residents.
Mr. Biden’s visit to Florida offers him another opportunity to press Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to get lawmakers to provide more funding before the Nov. 5 election. Johnson has said the issue will be dealt with after the election.
Mr. Biden departed early Sunday morning, with FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell among those traveling aboard Air Force One.
Biden announces more than $600 million in aid
“I think Speaker Johnson is going to get the message that he’s got to step up, particularly for small businesses,” Mr. Biden told reporters on Friday as he and Harris met with aides to discuss the federal response to hurricanes Milton and Helene. Biden and Johnson have yet to discuss the matter directly.
In Florida, Mr. Biden announced $612 million for six Department of Energy projects in areas affected by the hurricanes to improve the resilience of the region’s electric grid, the White House said. The funding includes $94 million for two projects in Florida: $47 million for Gainesville Regional Utilities and $47 million for Switched Source to partner with Florida Power and Light.
“We are one United States”
Mr. Biden spoke of government relief efforts “from state and local to FEMA to us, Coast Guard Army Corps of Engineers, the Energy Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, just to name a few.
“FEMA has delivered 1.2 million meals over 300,000 liters of water, 2 million gallons of fuel, and so far, we’ve installed 100 satellite terminals to restore communications in impacted areas, so families can talk to contact their loved ones to be sure everything’s okay, and be able to reach out for help as well.
“Speaking of help, so far, we opened 10 disaster recovery centers in Florida with more to come. So people can have one stop to meet with officials, get the federal help they’re entitled to.” He said direct, immediate financial aid was available including no-interest loans, mortgage relief and more.
For a fuller list of disaster relief programs, residents can go online to disaster assistance.gov, or call 1-800-621-FEMA.
Recent hurricanes and the government response have added another layer to the presidential race
With less than four weeks to go before Election Day, the hurricanes have added another dimension to the closely contested presidential race.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said the Biden administration’s storm response had been lacking, particularly in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. And Mr. Biden and Harris have hammered Trump for promoting falsehoods about the federal response.
Trump made a series of false claims after Helene struck in late September, including incorrectly saying that the federal government is intentionally withholding aid to Republican disaster victims. He also falsely claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency had run out of money because all of it had gone to programs for immigrants in the country illegally.
Mr. Biden has said Trump was “not singularly” to blame for the spread of false claims in recent weeks but that he has the “biggest mouth.”
Homeland Security chief warns FEMA is running out of relief funds
The president is pressing for swift action by Congress to make sure the Small Business Administration and FEMA have the money they need to get through hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30 in the Atlantic. He said Friday that Milton alone had caused an estimated $50 billion in damages.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last week that FEMA will be able to meet “immediate needs” caused by the two storms. But he warned in the aftermath of Helene that the agency does not have enough funding to make it through the hurricane season.
But Johnson has pushed back, saying the agencies have enough money for the time being and that lawmakers will address the funding issue during the lame-duck session after the election.
Harris, DeSantis trade accusations about storm response
Also percolating in the background are tensions between Harris and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. As Helene barreled toward Florida last week, the Democratic vice president and Republican governor traded accusations that the other was trying to politicize the federal storm response.
Harris’ office last week suggested that DeSantis was dodging her phone calls. DeSantis responded that he was unaware she had called and grumbled that she hadn’t been involved in the federal government’s response before she became the Democratic presidential nominee.
Mr. Biden, for his part, said he hoped to see DeSantis on Sunday, if the governor’s schedule permitted.
“He’s been very cooperative,” Mr. Biden said about DeSantis. He added, “We got on very, very well.”
DeSantis said Saturday that he had no details about the president’s visit.
During Sunday’s visit, Biden called the storm recovery “a team effort, folks. It made a big difference and it saved lives. But there’s much more to do. And we’re going to do everything we can to get power back in your homes, not only helping you recover, but to help you build back stronger.”
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday evening. At least 10 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of residents remain without power.
“Earlier this morning, I did an aerial tour of St. Petersburg and the battered coastline,” said Biden. “I flew over Tropicana Field and … the roof is almost completely off. But, thank God, not many people were injured. I spoke to first responders were working around the clock. I also met with small business owners here and homeowners who have taken a real beating [with] back-to-back storms. And they’re heartbroken and exhausted, and their expenses are piling up.”
Officials say the toll could have been worse if not for widespread evacuations. The still-fresh devastation wrought by Helene just two weeks earlier probably helped compel many people to flee.
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
