Jacob Ogles
Following the landfall of Hurricane Debby, Florida lawmakers are calling on President Joe Biden to expand a state of emergency declaration.
U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack, a Gainesville Republican, and Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat, led a letter to the President seeking the change. The lawmakers asked Biden to activate a higher public assistance level, Category A, to ensure reimbursement for debris removal.
“Hurricane Debby continues to bring severe weather conditions, including high winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding, posing a significant threat to public safety and infrastructure,” the letter reads.
“By granting approval for Category A Public Assistance, we can efficiently mobilize resources, coordinate debris removal efforts, and mitigate the risks associated with post-storm debris.”
The request follows Biden declaring an emergency in Florida on Sunday before the storm made landfall.
The message follows up a request from Gov. Ron DeSantis
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio co-signed the letter, along with 24 House members. Republican U.S. Reps. Aaron Bean; Gus Bilirakis; Vern Buchanan; Mario Díaz-Balart; Byron Donalds; Neal Dunn; Scott Franklin; Matt Gaetz; Carlos Giménez; Anna Paulina Luna; Brian Mast; Cory Mills; Bill Posey; John Rutherford; Greg Steube; Michael Waltz; and Daniel Webster signed on. So too did Democratic U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor; Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick; Lois Frankel; Maxwell Frost; Darren Soto; Debbie Wasserman Schultz; and Frederica Wilson.
A Category A designation would expedite debris removal, allowing roadways to be cleared more quickly for emergency services and those using evacuation routes, the letter said. It would also minimize environmental hazards and allow for a streamlined deployment of resources in the aftermath of the storm.
Cammack notably serves Florida’s 3rd Congressional District, which bore the brunt of much of the storm as it made landfall in Steinhatchee, then slowly courses across the Big Bend.
Moskowitz, before his 2022 election to Congress, served as Florida’s Director of Emergency Management, overseeing state government response to multiple storms.
Ahead of the storm reaching Florida, U.S. Sens. Rubio and Rick Scott sent a letter supporting an emergency declaration for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, something requested by DeSantis.
