US president visits Florida, reviews situation in storm-ravaged areas

Florida: American President Joe Biden visited storm-ravaged Florida on Saturday in the wake of Hurricane Idalia, reviewed the present situation in affected areas, met residents and thanked emergency responders, CNN reported on Saturday.

During his visit, the US President sympathised with the people and said, “Your nation has your back and we’ll be with you until the job is done”.

The post-disaster trip, though otherwise by the book, was partly overshadowed by a lead-up featuring contradictory statements from the White House’s team and representatives for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential contender, over whether the two men would meet during Biden’s visit.

The back-and-forth – and the fact that they ultimately did not meet – was a stark departure from Biden’s previous visits after major emergencies in the Sunshine State, and represents one of the first times the two have shown signs of their political rivalry while responding to a disaster.

As per CNN, upon reaching Florida, the president and first lady Dr. Jill Biden met with GOP Sen. Rick Scott, federal personnel, local officials and first responders in Florida’s Live Oak for a response and recovery briefing.

The US President and the first lady also took an aerial tour of impacted areas before delivering their statements.

When the reporter asked President Biden if he was disappointed that DeSantis didn’t join Saturday’s tour, Biden said he was not and said, “The governor may have had other reasons.”

Biden formally approved a major disaster declaration for Florida on Thursday, making federal funding available to those in affected counties.

Approximately 1,500 federal responders are on the ground in Florida, including search and rescue personnel and members of the Army Corps of Engineers.

In the wake of Hurricane Idalia and other recent disasters, the Biden administration on Friday asked Congress for USD4 billion for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund in addition to a request for USD12 billion last month.

US-based publication reported, as the White House pushes Congress to pass a short-term spending bill to avoid a shutdown and ensure the continuity of government services, the president has signalled that he’s ready to blame Republicans if there isn’t enough funding to respond to disasters.

For his part, DeSantis has lobbied unapologetically for the kind of disaster aid that as a congressman he voted against as wasteful spending.