The president emphasized the need to unite as Americans during disaster recovery.
President Joe Biden continued his tour of areas impacted by Hurricane Helene on Oct. 3, visiting Florida and Georgia to survey the damage from the deadly storm.
Biden delivered remarks after surveying the damage in Ray City, Georgia, and defended the federal government’s response efforts.
“In moments like this, it’s time to put politics aside,” he said.
The president emphasized the need to unite as Americans during disaster recovery. He said that his administration’s major spending initiatives have benefited red states more than blue states over the past 3 1/2 years.
Biden defended rescue efforts, stating that he deployed “extensive resources” before Helene made landfall and approved emergency declarations.
Before heading to Georgia, Biden took an aerial tour of Florida’s coast, surveying the flooded areas near the small town of Perry, which is about an hour’s drive from Tallahassee.
Later, he took a driving tour of the Keaton Beach community, where the wreckage was severe, including collapsed power lines and demolished homes.
The day before, Biden traveled to North Carolina and South Carolina, while Vice President Kamala Harris toured Georgia to survey the damage there.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on the way to Florida that both Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp had been invited but opted not to join Biden’s tour.
“I want to thank Gov. Kemp, who I spoke with again this morning,” Biden said during his remarks. He made no mention of DeSantis.
During Biden’s visit, DeSantis was holding a news conference at Anna Maria Island, which was among the areas hit hard by Hurricane Helene.
Since the recovery efforts began, DeSantis has tried to draw a contrast between the state’s response and the federal government’s, saying that the state was able to move much faster.
“If you look at how this response went—the prep and the immediate response—this was overwhelmingly state and local, and that’s how we view it,” the Florida governor said during a news conference on Oct. 2. “We don’t want to be waiting on the feds. We want to be able to lean in.”
Biden was accompanied on his Florida tour by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
While there, the president spoke with first responders and local officials. He received an operational update on response efforts and went on a walking tour. According to the White House, he spoke with a couple who had lost their home in the hurricane and are currently living in their recreational vehicle, parked in their driveway.
In Georgia, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) accompanied Biden.When asked about comments made by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Biden warned about the urgent funding need. Johnson said a supplemental funding package can wait until after the election.
“We can’t wait. People need help now,” Biden said in response.
Johnson also said Congress had already authorized the disaster relief funds needed for the immediate response.
In comments made before prepared remarks at the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 1, Johnson said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) relief fund was replenished with the three-month stopgap spending bill that Biden signed into law last week.
“Congress has previously provided FEMA with the funds it needs to respond, so we will make sure that those resources are appropriately allocated,” Johnson said.
Several lawmakers in states hit by Hurricane Helene are pushing for Congress to return from its October recess to pass additional disaster relief. Congress is not slated to return to Washington until after the November presidential election.
More than 50 counties across Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, including land owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, have been designated as major disaster areas by Biden.
Recovery efforts at the federal, state, and local levels have been underway for nearly one week. More than $10 million has been provided directly to those affected by Hurricane Helene, the White House said on Oct. 2.
During his speech in Georgia, Biden criticized the partisanship.
“Our job is to help as many people as we can. And by the way, when we do that, I hope to break down this rabid partisanship that exists. I mean that sincerely. There’s no rationale for it,” he said.