Marco Rubio, Rick Scott urge Senate leaders for more funds to recover, rebuild Florida after Hurricane Ian
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Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott sent a joint letter on Friday to the Senate Appropriations Committee chairs to secure funding “provide much needed assistance to Florida.”
“Hurricane Ian will be remembered and studied as one of the most devastating hurricanes to hit the United States,” wrote the Republican senators. “Communities across Florida have been completely destroyed, and lives have been forever changed.
“A robust and timely federal response, including through supplemental programs and funding, will be required to ensure that sufficient resources are provided to rebuild critical infrastructure and public services capacity, and to assist our fellow Floridians in rebuilding their lives.”
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The Senate passed a short-term spending bill on Thursday that includes an additional $18.8 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond to Hurricane Ian and future disasters. The vote was 72-25. Scott, however, voted against it, while Rubio was not present for the vote, according to the U.S. Senate roll call.
The Democratic-led House followed up Friday with its approval, 230-201. The measure next goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Republicans overwhelmingly opposed the measure.
Democrats said passing the bill was important to helping victims of recent natural disasters in the U.S., including Hurricane Ian, as it provides a Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster fund with a year’s worth of money up front rather than for two-and-a-half months.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz blasted Florida Republican House members — all of whom voted against the stopgap spending measure to help storm victims — for not supporting Floridians.
“The same week that Hurricane Ian brought so much chaos and destruction to Florida, not a single Florida Republican cared enough to vote in favor of Hurricane relief for the people in their own state hit hardest by the storm," he said. "That is a level of callous indifference and political opportunism that boggles the mind."
"Thankfully, President Biden and Florida Democrats are doing the right thing when it counts, and we appreciate their efforts to help Florida rebuild once again,” he added.
More is certain to be needed from Congress because Hurricane Ian alone devastated southwest Florida and flooding caused damages throughout much of the state. One estimates the insurance losses to be $25 billion to $40 billion.
Hurricane Ian, Category 4 storm, roared ashore Wednesday in Cayo Costa in southwest Florida and swept across the state, bringing torrential rain, high winds and unprecedented flooding.
Rubio and Scott also urged the Senate appropriations leaders to help Puerto Rico. Hurricane Fiona pummeled Puerto Rico’s southwest region as a Category 1 storm on Sept. 18.
Florida is home to nearly 1.2 million Puerto Ricans and represents the second-largest Hispanic group behind Cubans.
Sergio Bustos is Enterprise/Politics Editor for Florida's Gannett/USA Today Network. He's based in South Florida. Email: floridapolitics@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Marco Rubio, Rick Scott urge Senate leaders for money to rebuild state
