Biden walks the storm-ravaged streets of Florida as Milton’s debris piles up

Biden, a Democrat, reiterated his call for lawmakers — in recess until after the Nov. 5 election — to return to Washington to approve more FEMA money, telling reporters as Congress left the state he must move quickly: “It is important.”

The mayor of St. Pete Beach, Adrian Petrila, speaking alongside Biden, echoed the call for help: “We are concerned about the future of our city … We need continued federal resources and we need a path forward to ensure that our community and all other communities, all other cities that were devastated like this city, can emerge stronger than ever.”

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But Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson resisted appeals from the White House and state lawmakers to approve more disaster assistance, telling NBC News’ “Meet the Press” program: “The states have to go and calculate and assess the need and then present it to Congress. and that takes a little time.”

Relief efforts have also been hampered by a trail of misinformation, including conspiracy theories about climate-monitoring officials. Politics has also seeped into the recovery with just three weeks to go before the presidential election.

Several local officials greeted or accompanied Biden on his tour, including Florida Republican U.S. Representative Anna Luna. The state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, declined the White House’s invitation, and Biden told reporters he had not spoken to DeSantis. DeSantis’ office was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Doug Gillison; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Lisa Shumaker)

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