President Biden is scheduled to visit Florida and Georgia on Thursday to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Helen, with the president devoting two full days to expressing his administration's concern about the loss of life and physical destruction caused by the hurricane. It turns out.
Biden will tour affected areas after the Category 4 storm hit the west coast of Florida and then moved north across the eastern United States, killing at least 183 people, White House officials said. They will also hear from local and federal emergency officials who are facing widespread power outages, water shortages and communications disruptions.
“In times like these, we put politics aside,” Biden said Wednesday during a visit to the Carolinas, where storms wreaked havoc in many communities. He added: “Our job is to help as many people as possible as quickly as possible.”
Officials said the president plans to deliver a similar message to residents of Florida and Georgia on Thursday, reassuring them that the federal government will support their short-term recovery and long-term rebuilding efforts. said.
With just 34 days left in his campaign against former President Donald J. Trump, Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have virtually canceled all scheduled visits with storm victims. Harris was in Augusta, Georgia, on Wednesday after receiving a briefing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency earlier in the week.
The reason is obvious. It is part of the president's job to rebuild the country from major disasters, and candidates who are seen as flouting recovery are angry at politicians who expect them to do everything in their power to help disaster-stricken areas. This is because they are often reprimanded by voters.
When President George W. Bush was photographed looking out the window of Air Force One flying over New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, many Americans saw the image as suffering far below. They saw it as evidence of the president's lack of compassion for people.
Since then, presidents and candidates of both parties have tried to avoid being labeled as indifferent. That typically involves traveling to disaster-stricken areas, and Trump did something similar during his visit to Georgia on Monday.
The White House often seeks to minimize disruption to rescue and recovery efforts when presidential visits involve long motorcades.
With that in mind, Biden flew low in a Marine One helicopter Wednesday to survey the affected areas from the air. He is expected to do the same in Florida and Georgia on Thursday.
In remarks after flying over Asheville, North Carolina, where flooding has destroyed many buildings, Mr. He said he was shocked by “Tanaka.”
The president also ordered the Pentagon on Wednesday to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty troops to support relief efforts, and the federal government will do whatever it takes to assist people in affected states. He called on Congress to ensure resources are available. He used his visit to North Carolina to criticize Republicans who deny the impact climate change is having on global weather patterns.
“No one can deny the effects of the climate crisis any longer. At least I hope not. If they do, they must be brain dead,” he said, adding, “Storms like Helen It's getting stronger and stronger,” he added.
