WASHINGTON — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was in Washington Monday, pushing for more federal dollars to help with disaster recovery.

  • Visit comes days before scheduled Trump campaign rally in Panama City
  • Fight to unlock $17 billion in assistance going on for months
  • More Politics stories

DeSantis appealed to President Trump face-to-face, asking for an increase in federal assistance for Hurricane Michael recovery days ahead of the President’s scheduled campaign rally to the region, where residents are still desperately awaiting help from Washington.

It’s been 208 days since Hurricane Michael devastated several Florida communities in the Panhandle region, a reality the President will see firsthand when he returns for the first time since he was a candidate in 2016.

“I was there last week and you drive through and see how many people had to move and the schools are still being impacted, the jobs are being impacted,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) said, speaking with reporters in Tampa Bay on Monday.

Fight over funding

Lawmakers have been fighting to unlock more than $17 billion in assistance for months, with aid to Puerto Rico at the center of the debate. 

Rep. Matt Gaetz joined DeSantis in the meeting with the President, during which they discussed their “strong state-federal partnership between Florida and the Trump Administration.”

They also discussed critical disaster recovery funding and healthcare. During the meeting the President asked DeSantis to work with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to reduce drug prices.

 

 

DeSantis and members of the state's Congressional delegation are personally appealing to the President to increase federal assistance for the recovery, asking that a federal share of costs be bumped from 75 percent to 90 percent. 

“Hopefully this will be the impetus to get something done in the next few days,” Scott said. 

Questioning timing for rally

Critics said the President’s move to hold a political rally in a region still recovering from the now Category 5 storm is insensitive, but the Republican National Committee is pushing back.

“The American people are looking for leadership. They are looking for someone that’s strong and is going to show up," said Liz Harrington with the Republican National Committee. "After every disaster we’ve had, he’s been the first one to do everything he can to just show up, be there, talk with the local officials on the ground.” 

The President’s trip to Panama City Beach this week is part of his tour of critical swing states ahead of the 2020 race. Seventy-one percent of Bay County voters supported him in 2016, which is a trend the RNC seeks to replicate. 

“We have a great ground game in Florida and I think the President will certainly be back before his re-election,” Harrington said.

Top Senators negotiating a deal on disaster relief said they have been nearing an agreement after a proposal was unveiled that would increase Puerto Rico’s access to federal recovery cash. Democrats in the House are also expected to take up a new disaster aid bill this week in an attempt break the stalemate.