Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
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Wednesday, President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, among the top voices in their respective political parties and potentially 2024 electoral adversaries, set aside their differences as Biden toured hurricane-ravaged parts of the Sunshine State.
With both sides pledging to stow their political angling, at least temporarily, DeSantis and Biden exchanged compliments about each other’s handling of Hurricane Ian recovery.
“I’m just thankful everyone has banded together,” DeSantis said during a joint appearance. “Mr. President, welcome to Florida. We appreciate working together across various levels of government.”
Biden later said that DeSantis has “done a good job” in handling recovery at the state level.
“We’re gonna get you all through this because of the grit of all of you, but when you get it done, when you hear it happens somewhere else, remember this the United States of America,” Biden said. “We’re all in this together.”
Later, Biden added, “We have very different political philosophies, but we’ve worked hand in glove. In dealing with this crisis, we’ve been in complete lockstep.”
In addition to DeSantis, Biden had a rhetorical armistice with the other top Florida Republicans, among them Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and Congressman Byron Donalds.
To call the interaction between Biden and any of the Republicans warm would be an overstatement.
They remain as divided as ever in the online sphere. Biden’s Twitter on Wednesday was awash with pro-abortion, anti-gun, anti-MAGA Republican comments, and neither DeSantis, Scott, or Donalds made any mention of the president’s visit on their respective Twitter accounts.
Rubio, who has a reputation as a reasonable and generally collegial senator, did offer a word of thanks in both English and Spanish.
“The strength and resilience of Floridians are inspiring, and I am glad President Biden and First Lady Biden could be here to witness it firsthand,” Rubio said in a statement. “Florida has a long road to recovery ahead. I plan to make sure our state receives the emergency relief it needs to fully rebuild.”
Sen. Rubio, along with @GovRonDeSantis, #Florida’s First Lady @CaseyDeSantis, @SenRickScott, and @FEMA_Deanne, joined @POTUS and @FLOTUS for a briefing with local officials in #LeeCounty to discuss the damage following #HurricaneIan. https://t.co/8tVcruwUAC
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) October 5, 2022
Whatever their past and future interactions might be, the sudden cooling of political tension between Biden and Republicans has objectively helped Floridians.
Biden approved DeSantis’ request for more disaster funding and an extension to the time period during which Florida’s disaster relief is 100 percent federally funded. Under normal circumstances, this period would have ended after 30 days. The new expiration will be 60 days.
The president’s tour of Florida began in Fort Myers, a city of 86,000 in hard-hit Lee County, and Biden saw numerous of the worst areas in a region still reeling from Ian.
News from Florida has grown bleaker by the day in terms of the loss of life. Wednesday night, ABC News reported the death toll had climbed to 120 in the state, where rescue workers are now going door-to-door in search of survivors.
According to a release from DeSantis’ office, about 298,000 customers remained without power as of Wednesday, a major improvement given the millions who lost power during the storm but one more indicator of how slow recovery will be.
Repairs to bridges and roadways have been ongoing. Some bridges were completely wiped out leaving areas cut off from the mainland. DeSantis took to Twitter on Wednesday to praise the efforts of those who constructed a bridge in three days that allowed relief workers to better assist those on Pine Island and reconnect citizens to the mainland.
Construction on the Pine Island bridge has been completed today – just three days after construction began.
Happy to have the state step in and help get our Pine Island residents back on their feet. pic.twitter.com/a8GqPoHtP1
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 6, 2022
According to DeSantis, the state has set up locations for residents to get food and water. Additionally, the state has set up a loan program for small businesses.
Meanwhile, volunteers from across the nation have continued to contribute in impactful ways.
Sen. Scott on Wednesday singled out the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Cajun Navy for their efforts.
“The devastation and destruction in Fort Myers is unimaginable,” Scott said in a statement. “People have lost their homes, their businesses and their loved ones. We’re struggling, but the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Cajun Navy have stepped up to provide hundreds of thousands of meals and shelter to thousands of Floridians who have lost their homes. These amazing volunteers are sacrificing time away from their own families to provide meals, shelter, relief supplies, internet and above all, hope. Because of them, we are making it through.”