Florida Democrats attacked Republican Senator Rick Scott’s hurricane hypocrisy.
After Senator Rick Scott toured damage from Hurricane Helene, Florida Democrats pointed out that Congress passed a government funding bill without critically needed supplemental disaster relief funding, and said Republican Scott was nowhere to be found.
Instead of doing his job and fighting for disaster funds he knew the state would need, the Florida Democratic Party said Rick Scott skipped town and did not vote to replenish FEMA’s disaster fund and keep the government open. The FDP said that because of Senator Scott’s inaction, FEMA will not have enough resources to make it through the rest of hurricane season.
“Floridians desperately need disaster relief funding to rebuild from Helene, but Rick Scott wasn’t in Washington to fight for it when it mattered most,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. “Scott wants to be the hero but he can’t change the facts: he’s voted against disaster relief time and time again. Floridians are sick of Scott’s performances and will hold him accountable in November.”
The FDP also said Senator Rick Scott’s hurricane hypocrisy is nothing new: adding that the Republican has repeatedly voted against disaster relief funding and opposed renewing the National Flood Insurance Program that protects 1.7 million Florida homes. They said the Senator also voted against $1.5 billion in federal funding to make Florida’s infrastructure more resilient to climate change and extreme weather.
Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, along with Florida colleagues sent a letter to Democratic President Joe Biden urging the direction of federal agencies to expedite requested resources for disaster relief and implement emergency policy flexibilities to help the people of Florida.
