Florida Republicans warn Trump not to arrive in storm-torn Panhandle empty-handed – By Arek Sarkissian (Politico) / May 7 2019
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Republicans have warned the White House that a planned campaign rally in Panama City on Wednesday needs to include an announcement of aid for the storm-torn region, but as of late Tuesday the Trump administration had made no guarantees, according to three people with knowledge of the president’s plans.
Party officials have told President Donald Trump to arrive in the Panhandle with something more than rhetoric for residents, who are still still living among piles of destruction left by Hurricane Michael seven months ago. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and Gov. Ron DeSantis met with Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss the campaign rally. After the meeting, Gaetz said Monday night that no decisions about an announcement had been made.
A person in Washington with knowledge of Trump’s visit said the president was hesitant to commit while Republicans and Democrats in Congress continue to feud over a disaster relief package that would send hundreds of millions of dollars to the Panhandle. A sticking point in those talks has been Trump’s reluctance to provide more money to Puerto Rico, which is a top priority for House Democrats.
DeSantis in April had asked Trump to increase Federal Emergency Management Agency funding after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined that Hurricane Michael was more damaging than originally thought and upgraded it to a Category 5 storm.
The Florida Legislature set aside $1.8 billion toward recovery funding as part of a $91 billion spending package lawmakers sent to DeSantis last week. The federal funding would reimburse those state dollars, but Triumph Gulf Coast Consortium Chairman Don Gaetz — Matt Gaetz’s father — said what matters more to Panhandle residents is an explanation.
“I think what the president owes everyone an explanation,” Don Gaetz said Tuesday. “The people in the Panhandle want to know why the funding is being held up and what he’s going to do about it.”
Triumph is a nonprofit board that was created to distribute settlement money from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The board agreed to provide $15 million toward storm recovery costs.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, a Republican, said he expects Trump to make FEMA responsible for 90 percent of Michael’s recovery costs, an increase from the current 75 percent.
“That’s a lot of money and it would bring a lot of relief to communities that have been hurting,” Patronis told POLITICO on Tuesday. “If I were a betting man I’d say he’d approve the 90-10 [percent] funding.“
Patronis said Trump’s campaign team had originally planned a 7 p.m. campaign event, but have agreed to add a Wednesday morning tour of Tyndall Air Force Base, which was hit hard by the storm.
Hurricane Michael rivals Hurricane Andrew as one of the worst to hit the state.
“These people deserve something,” said Patronis, who lost the hospital where he was born to the storm. “Why would he come out to one of the most devastated parts of the state without good news?”
Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump will arrive at Tyndall on Air Force One with Republican U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, whose district includes Panama City. Dunn said his office helped the White House make plans for the rally.
“I think one of the reasons he’s going there is because of our constant nagging,” Dunn said. “We’ve been doing that since day one.”
