With the looming threat of Tropical Storm Idalia – which is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane – Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) have sent a letter to President Joe Biden (D) in hopes that they approve Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration. The storm will make landfall in the Sunshine State on Wednesday.
The Florida governor has declared a state of emergency for 46 counties as Idalia barrels toward the Gulf Coast.
The senators wrote, “In addition to strong winds and heavy rain, this approaching storm is expected to bring severe storm surge and flooding. While Florida is no stranger to hurricanes, this storm approaches less than a year after Hurricane Ian brought widespread damage, and from which the state is still recovering.”
They would go on to mention that the pre-landfall emergency declaration is “imperative to protecting Floridians.”
“Ensuring that the state has access to the federal resources it needs is imperative to protecting Floridians, property, and our communities. As such, we request that you promptly approve Governor DeSantis’ request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration,” Rubio and Scott penned.
Update: President Biden has approved the request.
This morning, I spoke with Governor DeSantis to inform him that we've approved the Emergency Declaration for Florida as they prepare for Hurricane Idalia, and FEMA has pre-deployed personnel and assets.
Florida has my full support as they prepare for Idalia and its aftermath.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 28, 2023
Earlier this month, the Florida senators pressured the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to prevent a lack of monetary reserves for the department’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF).
Senators Rubio and Scott had previously introduced the Disaster Relief Fund Replenishment Act to provide $11.5 billion in DRF re-funding.
Rubio explicitly blamed President Joe Biden for the decrease in available funds. According to Rubio, President Biden is harnessing fund scarcity to coerce Republicans in natural disaster-prone states to concede on separate political issues.
“Congress cannot allow the Biden Administration to use disaster funding as a bargaining chip, doing so puts countless vulnerable communities at risk. Our communities deserve better than this. It’s time for Congress to act and provide FEMA with the funding they need for disaster relief,” stated Sen. Rubio.
Sen. Scott echoed a similar sentiment.
“Floridians demand action. Why would anyone delay disaster aid in the middle of hurricane season & as Hawaii burns? Stop playing political games,” said Scott.
The last action taken on the Disaster Relief Fund Replenishment Act occurred on June 16.
