On Sunday, October 13, President Joe Biden will travel to the state of Florida for the second time in ten days.
The Sunshine State has been devastate by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene in recent weeks. Combined, both storms have left more than 200 dead and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. In response, the President has approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Florida that will provide federal funding for 34 counties statewide. More broadly, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved$441 million in assistance for Hurricane Helene relief and $349 million in public assistance funding to help rebuild communities.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other officials met with the President to discuss the federal response to the string of natural disasters. Moving forward, Biden is calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to be more vocal about passing additional disaster aid funding.
“I’ve spoken to Republicans who want to speak with Speaker Johnson, and I think Speaker Johnson is going to get the message that he’s got to step up, particularly for small businesses,” Biden said.
The President’s trip to Florida following a pair of natural disasters will postpone his travel plans to Europe and Africa. Biden was previously scheduled to visit Germany and Angola later this month.
“Given the projected trajectory and strength of Hurricane Milton, President Biden is postponing his upcoming trip to Germany and Angola in order to oversee preparations for and the response to Hurricane Milton, in addition to the ongoing response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene across the Southeast,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
