Florida Republicans demand federal aid as Hurricane Milton arrives

Hurricane Milton: As Florida gets ready for Hurricane Milton, a Republican congressman from Florida who voted against a temporary budget package that just refilled the government Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund has asked for government assistance.

“We have a category 5 hurricane headed right to Pinellas, and @KamalaHarris is taking this time to attack @GovRonDeSantis?” On Monday night, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna posted on X, which was once Twitter. “Take off the c***. We need the release of FEMA funds. EVERYTHING. DON’T ATTACK RON; JUST DO YOUR JOB! @VP.

Among the one hundred Republican legislators who voted against a temporary budget package that just refilled FEMA’s disaster relief fund was Luna, a supporter of the outgoing president and Republican candidate Donald Trump.

On September 25, Congress enacted a bill preventing a government shutdown by funding agencies until December and delaying final budget decisions until after November’s election. Republicans accounted for every vote against the proposal.

The measure handed FEMA $20 billion, the same amount it received the previous year, and the authority to borrow money as required. Billions of dollars, nevertheless, that had been asked for in additional disaster relief were not included. The voting took place the day before Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 hurricane that devastated numerous other Southeastern states, made landfall in Florida.

FEMA’s administrator, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, said last week that although the organization can handle emergency situations, it lacks the resources to continue through hurricane season, which runs until the end of November.

Referencing the $20 billion that was approved for FEMA the day before Helene hit, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on Sunday that he does not intend to call Congress back into session before the November election. Some lawmakers from the states hardest hit by Helene have called for Congress to come out of recess to vote on emergency funding.

In reaction to Luna’s article on X, many cited her vote against the proposal.

“Have you already apologized for voting against FEMA funding?” the Republicans Against Trump account said.

“You voted against FEMA funding the day before the hurricane hit,” posted user Art Candee on X. Take a full seat.”

“You mean the FEMA assets you voted against?” someone else commented.

Supporters of Luna’s remarks included someone who said that Harris “is just trying to politicize this storm because her Helene response was so bad.”

Luna’s statement came after Democratic presidential contender Kamala Harris and Republican governor of Florida Ron DeSantis accused one another of playing politics as Florida prepared for Milton to make landfall while still grieving from Hurricane Helene’s destruction.

On Monday, NBC News revealed that DeSantis was not returning calls from Harris on the state’s recuperation after Hurricane Helene.

DeSantis refuted claims made by Harris at a news conference on Monday. “I didn’t know that she had called,” he said. “I’m not sure who they called.”

When asked about the report, Harris responded that “people are in desperate need of support right now, and playing political games at this moment, in these crisis situations… is just utterly irresponsible, and it is selfish, and it is about political gamesmanship, instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first.”

During a Monday night interview on Fox News, DeSantis retaliated, labeling Harris as “delusional.”

“We’ve been laser-focused on leveraging all resources available, including from the federal government,” he said. “I’ve coordinated with all of our state agencies, spoken with FEMA and the President, and worked to assist our local communities. Therefore, it is ludicrous for Kamala Harris to suggest that my attention is just focused on the people of Florida. In this, she plays no part.”

“I’ve had storms under both President Trump and President Biden,” DeSantis said. And I got along well with both of them at work. She is the one attempting to politicize the storm for the first time. I have no time to play political games.”

Milton’s arrival coincides with the political hot potato that is the reaction to Helene in the run-up to November’s election. The Biden administration’s reaction has been challenged by Donald Trump and his Republican supporters, who have also propagated the myth that FEMA is unable to adequately respond because it has redirected funds intended for disaster assistance to aid migrants.