Sen. Rick Scott in Meeting with Biden: Federal Gov. Must Fully Support Florida’s Recovery from Hurricane Helene

KEATON BEACH, Fla. - Today, Senator Rick Scott joined President Joe Biden, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local officials in Taylor County to meet with families, tour impacts of Hurricane Helene in the area and receive an update on response and recovery efforts. Senator Scott urged President Biden to fully and immediately support the requests of the State of Florida, Florida's congressional delegation and local leaders as the state recovers from Hurricane Helene. Senator Scott has been fighting to ensure the State of Florida and communities across the nation impacted by Hurricane Helene have the full support needed from the federal government as they recover. Senator Scott has been sounding the alarm on potential funding shortfalls within FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund for months. Now, as Florida and several states recover from Hurricane Helene, he is calling on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to immediately reconvene the Senate and vote on a clean Hurricane Helene supplemental aid package once FEMA, local and state officials determine the funding needs, as well as his Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, to bring relief to families.

Senator Rick Scott said, "While I appreciate President Biden, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and officials from FEMA coming to Florida to see the damage here firsthand, there is so much work to be done. During my meeting with President Biden, I stressed that the federal government's response to hurricanes over the last two years has left too many Floridians, especially our farmers, hurting and with unmet needs - and this must be fixed NOW. It is going to take local, state and federal efforts to help communities recover along the Gulf Coast. That's why I've demanded that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer immediately reconvene the Senate once FEMA and the SBA finalize damage assessments so we can fully fund these agencies, the USDA, and others responding to this disaster with a clean disaster supplemental appropriations bill. I'll be fighting like hell to deliver disaster aid to our state, and ensure seamless debris removal guidance for our local communities, and I urged the federal officials there today to put Floridians and all Americans first by doing the same. Since Hurricane Ian, Washington has played games with disaster relief funds and delayed the delivery of urgently needed FEMA assistance, and other aid like USDA block grants for Florida's farmers and my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act. This aid has been routinely provided to victims of hurricanes in the past but that has not been the case since Hurricanes Ian, Debby and Idalia and that must change so we can deliver this aid NOW.

"Hurricane Helene devastated communities along hundreds of miles of Florida's Gulf Coast and caused unimaginable damage and loss in Taylor County and across the Big Bend. Since the days before the storm, I've visited impacted communities in 11 counties to meet with local and state officials and hear what they need from the federal government, and been in constant contact with state and federal officials to coordinate resources. Floridians are resilient, but recovery doesn't fall just on these families - it's an all hands on deck operation that requires the federal government to show up today, tomorrow and every day until the job is done and I won't stop fighting to make sure that happens."

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This week, Senator Scott led a bipartisan group of his Florida delegation colleagues in a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack supporting the state's request to issue a Disaster Declaration for Florida's counties that were impacted by Hurricane Helene and make support available in the form of state block grants. Senator Scott also sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell requesting that the agency coordinate closely with the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) on housing recovery as thousands of Floridians are still without power, and many are returning to uninhabitable or destroyed homes. Today, Senators Scott and Marco Rubio also sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell urging expedited reimbursements for local governments facing looming budget shortfalls following the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Debby, which could disrupt disaster recovery efforts. Yesterday, Senator Scott released a Hurricane Resource Guide for Floridians and continues to urge Floridians in need of assistance with a federal agency, like the FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), or any other federal issue while recovering from Hurricane Helene, to contact his office HERE.

Over the past week, Senator Scott has visited 11 Florida counties as they prepared for, responded to and recovered from Hurricane Helene. Ahead of Helene's landfall, Senator Scott received briefings from law enforcement and emergency management officials in Bay, Franklin, Taylor and Levy Counties and urged Floridians to heed warnings, evacuate and prepare. Since Helene's landfall, Senator Scott has visited Pasco, Pinellas, Hernando, Levy, Manatee, Lee, Sarasota, and Charlotte Counties to receive a briefing from the sheriff and emergency management officials in each county on local response and recovery efforts.

Senator Scott has been in constant contact with state and local leaders, law enforcement, military base leaders, emergency management officials and energy companies in communities throughout the state that are impacted by Hurricane Helene to ensure they have the needed resources as they respond to the storm and help Floridians recover. Senator Scott has also spoken and written to federal officials, including FEMA Region 4 Administrator Robert Samaan, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas, SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. To ensure Florida has much-needed access to federal resources, Senator Scott has been in constant contact with FEMA Region 4 Administrator Robert Samaan and written letters to the Biden administration in support of Florida's request for pre-landfall emergency declaration ahead of Hurricane Helene and Major Disaster Declaration following the storm. Both requests were approved by President Biden following his receipt of Senators Scott and Rubio's letters.

Senator Scott encourages any Floridians in need of assistance with a federal agency, including FEMA and the SBA, or any other federal issue while recovering from Hurricane Helene to contact his office at www.rickscott.senate.gov/contact/casework. Find additional resources and information on Hurricane Helene response and recovery at www.rickscott.senate.gov/hurricane-season-resources or from the Florida Division of Emergency Management at floridadisaster.org or @FLSERT.

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