Hurricane Milton has left its mark on Florida’s Gulf Coast, with President Joe Biden planning to visit the devastated areas on Sunday. This visit presents him with another chance to urge Congress for additional emergency disaster funding as the region struggles to recover. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is dedicati...-up to Election Day, as the hurricane's destruction intertwines with the urgency of their political campaign.
Biden's itinerary includes announcing substantial funding aimed at bolstering the local energy grid—a promise of $612 million for six Department of Energy projects across the hurricane-affected regions. Among these, Florida is set to receive $94 million earmarked for improvements to the electric grid, with $47 million destined for Gainesville Regional Utilities and another $47 million for Switched Source, partnering with Florida Power and Light.
During his Friday discussions with aides, Biden expressed hope for Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to be more responsive to the needs of small businesses impacted by these storms. "I think Speaker Johnson is going to get the message he’s got to step up, particularly for small businesses," Biden remarked. The urgency of these conversations escalates with the upcoming November 5 election, with Johnson previously indicating funding decisions would wait until after.
While Biden surveys the damage, Harris is focusing her attention on North Carolina, which has also faced severe hardship following Hurricane Helene. Harris was engaged with local communities, meeting with Black elected and faith leaders. On Saturday, she helped pack personal care items for victims of Helene and planned to attend church services Sunday as part of her campaign's outreach efforts.
The vice president's activities reflect her broader strategy to galvanize Black voters during the election season. Her upcoming rallies and public appearances aim to remind constituents of the Democratic Party's commitment to recovery and support initiatives, priming them for early voting activities set to begin this week.
With Election Day looming mere weeks away, the hurricanes’ aftermath provides Biden and Harris with opportunities to shift the narrative amid political dialogues surrounding emergency aid. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has criticized the Biden administration’s response as inadequate, especially following Helene's impact on North Carolina. Both Biden and Harris have not hesitated to confront Trump over his misleading claims and accusations about how the federal response is managed.
After Hurricane Helene struck, Trump made several false statements insinuations about the federal government withholding aid from Republican areas affected by the storm, claiming FEMA had exhausted its resources on immigrant programs rather than disaster relief. Biden countered this narrative, stating, "Trump is not singularly to blame for the spread of misinformation but certainly has the biggest mouth."
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently announced FEMA's commitment to assist with the current and upcoming responses required during the hurricane season, which persists until November 30. He underscored the importance of having sufficient funding for the Small Business Administration and FEMA to enact effective recovery efforts, following estimates indicating Hurricane Milton alone could cause upwards of $50 billion in damages.
This multifaceted scenario paves the way for Biden and Harris to frame their narratives amid intensifying scrutiny from their opponents, as they navigate through recovery efforts and the political stakes of funding decisions, mirroring the growing disruptions from climate events like hurricanes.
