(The Center Square) – Florida’s multi-year hurricane thumping means unique struggles for farmers and ranchers that federal support has been slow to fix.
That’s why Florida Republican U.S. Senator Rick Scott sent a letter on Oct. 17 to President Joe Biden urging him to direct immediate distribution of relief funds through block grants to address agricultural losses across the state after the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Scott wants the Office of Management and Budget to assess Florida’s cost for hurricane recovery so Congress can issue a fixed block grant amount. This type of grant gives the state greater discretion over how to spend aid as compared to more targeted forms of support.
Ahead of the letter, Scott was in Polk and Hillsborough counties, where he met with local growers, ranchers and agricultural leaders to discuss the aftermath of the hurricanes and the response efforts that have followed.
“Our farmers, ranchers, and growers are the backbone of Florida — they work around the clock every single day to ensure families in the Sunshine State and around the country have what they need,” Scott said. “It’s clear that the federal government’s response to hurricanes over the last two years has left too many Floridians, especially our farmers, hurting and with unmet needs.”
He praised the industry’s “miraculous work of getting by with less” since Hurricane Ian swept through the state in 2022.
Scott has continued to pressure U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to vote on a Hurricane Helene supplemental aid package.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, along with local and state officials, determines the amount of funding needed for recovery. Scott says he’s been in constant contact with the agency, as well as Biden administration officials.
“I’ve spoken to President Biden and USDA Secretary Vilsack multiple times about this and why the administration needs to take action now to approve USDA block grants for our farmers and tell Senate Democrats to stop blocking this aid,” he said.
The senator said legislation he introduced last week would replenish FEMA disaster relief funds and provide $20 billion to help states recover, confirming previous conversations with the president.
Scott isn’t the only one concerned about the agency’s funding for disaster relief.
“It is alarming that FEMA has spent almost half of its disaster fund, and there are still weeks left in hurricane season,” said U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. “Congress must take action to ensure critical agencies have sufficient resources to help those impacted by natural disasters recover while also maintaining long-term rebuilding projects.”
The bill would allow immediate funding for Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and other states impacted by disasters.
