Casey DeSantis defends Hope Florida before Senate committee vote

Casey DeSantis and Gov. Ron DeSantis speak at April 1 press conference. (Florida Channel)

Standing alongside her husband, First Lady Casey DeSantis defended her Hope Florida initiative as lawmakers will debate the program’s fate later Tuesday.

“When somebody is in need of help, do you get a check for government assistance, and that’s where the story ends? Or can we help you on a pathway to economic self-sufficiency? Can we provide you with a lifeline of hope at the end of the day?” Casey DeSantis said at a press conference in Tallahassee.

She spoke less than three hours before the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee is scheduled to debate a bill related to Hope Florida.

SB 1144, by Sen. Danny Burgess, codifies the Office of Hope Florida within the Governor’s Office.

The bill comes amid speculation about whether Casey DeSantis is running to replace her term-limited husband. Gov. Ron DeSantis is also feuding with Republican legislative leaders who have pushed back on his initiatives since this year’s Special Session on immigration reform.

The First Lady started Hope Florida in 2021 as to serve as “a connection point for community collaboration between the public and private sector, faith-based communities, and nonprofits,” the group’s website said.

The Miami Herald recently reported that “details surrounding its performance, personnel and separate fundraising arm have been vague.”

Both Ron DeSantis and Casey DeSantis were defiant in support of Hope Florida Tuesday.

“The possibilities are not even limited to other states copying,” the Governor said. “Both the First Lady and I have briefed both the President and Elon Musk about this as a way to produce better outcomes, but you could save a lot of money too when you’re looking at how some of these federal programs operate.”

Casey DeSantis said Hope Florida taps into church and faith groups.

“We have 16.5 million people of faith across this state, 20,000 institutions,” she said. “You think if they knew that mom was struggling and needed some help, how cool would it be if they could show up at her front doorstep with a plate of lasagna to say, ‘I heard you were going through some tough times. We got you.’ We can do that in the state of Florida.”