AS OF THIS MORNING, OVER 217,000
FLORIDIANS ARE WITHOUT POWER.
JOINING ME NOW IS FLORIDA
CONGRESSMAN BYRON DONNELS.
HE’S A MEMBER OF THE SELECT
COMMITTEE ON THE ECONOMY AND
REPRESENTS FORT MYERS AND
NAPLES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE THIS MORNING.
WE’VE BEEN WATCHING YOUR
LEADERSHIP IN THIS TERRIBLE
SITUATION.
FIRST OFF, HOW ARE YOU DOING?
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING TODAY?
WE’RE THINKING OF YOU AND YOUR
CONSTITUENTS AND ALL FLORIDIANS.
>> GOOD MORNING, MARIA.
IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK WITH YOU.
I WAS ACTUALLY WITH -- I’M GOOD.
I’M GOOD.
OUR AREA IS DEVASTATED.
I KNOW PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS IN
HERE YESTERDAY.
WE WERE DOING KIND OF THE
OVERVIEW OF EVERYTHING WITH HIS
-- HIM, GOVERNOR DE SANTIS,
MYSELF, SENATOR SCOTT, SENATOR
RUBIO.
WE’RE GOING TO REBUILD.
THE RESOLVE OF MY COMMUNITY IS
FANTASTIC.
DESPITE THE DEVASTATION,
EVERYBODY HAS ONE GOAL IN MIND,
THAT IS REBUILDING THE AREA AND
GETTING BACK TO LIFE AS NORMAL.
WE TOOK A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY
TOUGH STORM.
BUT IT’S BEEN ALL A HANDS ON
DECK.
THE COORDINATION, FEDERAL,
STATE, LOCAL, HAS BEEN
TREMENDOUS, THE BEST I’VE EVER
SEEN AND THE BIGGEST THING WE’RE
TRYING TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE
ADVOCATE FOR THE PEOPLE OF
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.
MARIA: CONGRESSMAN, IT’S
INTERESTING TO SEE YOU AND
GOVERNOR DE SANTIS WITH
PRESIDENT BIDEN.
HOW WAS THAT MEETING?
I MEAN, THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
YOU ATTACKING REPUBLICANS,
ATACKING DE SANTIS FOR SENDING
MIGRANTS TO MARTHA’S VINEYARD
AND THEN HE IS WITH HIM, LOOKING
AT THE DAMAGE.
HOW IS THE MEETING?
WHETHER WHAT CAN YOU TELL US?
>> LOOK, I’LL TELL YOU THIS.
EVERYBODY KNOWS MY STANCE ON
PRESIDENT BIDEN, I’VE BEEN
PRETTY HE VOCAL ABOUT HOW I
THINK HIS JOB PERFORMANCE HAS
GONE BUT WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF
A DISASTER RECOVERY SO I THINK
EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS TO PUT
THAT STUFF TO THE SIDE AND JUST
BE FOCUSED ON THE JOB AT HAND.
I MEAN, EVEN PRESIDENT BIDEN
YESTERDAY SAID THAT GOVERNOR DE
SANTIS WAS DOING A GREAT JOB.
HE SAID THAT YESTERDAY.
SHOCKED ME THAT HE SAID IT BUT
IT’S THE TRUTH.
I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS
IT’S NOT TIME FOR POLITICS, IT’S
TIME TO GET THE JOB DONE ON
BEHALF OF PEOPLE HERE IN
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND FRANKLY
THROUGHOUT THE REST OF FLORIDA
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE HAS
BEEN FLOODING DAMAGE IN
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, IN ORANGE
COUNTY, IN SEMINOLE COUNTY,
GOING AS FAR NORTH AS YOU DUVALL
AND ST. JOHNS COUNTY.
HE THE POLITICS, WE -- THE
POLITICS, WE CAN DEAL WITH IT
LATER.
MARIA: THE OTHER DAY, KAMALA
HARRIS SAID AID WILL BE DOLED
OUT BASED ON EQUITY AND THE
PRESIDENT YESTERDAY WHILE
TOURING THE HE DESTRUCTION, HE
BLAMED THE NATURAL DISASTER ON
CLIMATE CHANGE.
LISTEN TO THIS.
>> THE RESERVOIRS OUT WEST ARE
DOWN TO ALMOST ZERO.
WE’RE IN A SITUATION WHERE THE
COLORADO RIVER LOOKS MORE LIKE A
STREAM.
THERE’S A LOT GOING ON.
AND I THINK THE ONE THING THIS
IS FINALLY ENDING IS A
DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
THERE’S CLIMATE CHANGE AND WE
SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
MARIA: DID HE BRING THAT UP TO
YOU?
>> NO, HE DIDN’T BRING THAT UP
TO ME.
I THINK THATS WAS JUST IN HIS
PREPARED REMARKS.
I MEAN, LOOK, I’M NOT GOING TO
GET INTO CRY PAT A CHANGE STUFF
-- CRY M MATT CHANGE STUFF --
CLIMATE CHANGE STUFF.
THE ONE THING TO MAKE SURE, IS
FEMA GOING TO BE HERE FOR MY
PEOPLE AND MY DISTRICT.
THEY’RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE
COMMITMENT, THAT’S WHAT I CARE
ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE AND EQUITY STUFF, THAT’S
POLITICAL STUFF.
WE HAVE NOT HAD HAD THOSE
DISCUSSIONS, IT’S NOT BEEN A
THING WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
NO.
WE’RE ABOUT RECOVERY HERE IN
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND SO I THINK
YOU’LL HAVE PEOPLE HE THROW HE T
THEIR -- THROW OUT THEIR
POLITICAL TALKING POINTS HERE
AND THERE.
WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT NEEDS TO
HAPPEN, THAT’S NOT PART OF THE
CONVERSATION.
MARIA: YOU TALKED ABOUT THE
RECOVERY TAKING TWO YEARS
PERHAPS IN SOME AREAS.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE COST
OF AT LEAST $5 BILLION.
CONGRESSMAN, DO YOU HAVE A
BETTER ASSESS MMENT NOW AFTER
ALL THAT YOU’VE DONE IN THE LAST
FEW DAYS IN TERMS OF THE COST OF
THIS DISASTER AND WHAT IT WILL
MEAN IN TERMS OF RECOVERY TIMING
TIMING?
>> NO, WE’RE STILL EVEN TRYING
TO COMPILE THAT.
THE GOOD -- THE GREAT NEWS
THAT’S OCCURRED HERE IS THAT ALL
THE RESOURCES HAVE COME
TOGETHER.
I MEAN, LISTEN, THE GOVERNOR WAS
AT ONE OF MY BRIDGES YESTERDAY,
WHICH WAS REBUILT IN THREE DAYS.
THE INITIAL ESTIMATES WERE THAT
IT WAS GOING TO TAKE MONTHS.
IT WAS HE REBUILT IN THREE DAYS.
IT’S A TEMPORARY BRIDGE.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE
THE ENGINEERING BUT THAT’S SO
SUPPLIES CAN GET ON AND OFF.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE SEMINOLE
CAUSEWAY HAVING A SIMILAR
TEMPORARY SOLUTION THAT SHOULD
BE DONE BY THE END OF OCTOBER SO
WE CAN GET RESOURCES ONTO
SANIBEL ISLAND AND OFF THE
ISLAND.
TOTAL COST, IT’S TOO SOON TO
TELL.
MY ESTIMATE’S PROBABLY A
$5 BILLION OR PROBABLY YOU A
LITTLE LIGHT.
THE NUMBER ONE THING WE WANT TO
DO IS HAVE A TRUE ACCOUNTING OF
THE DAMAGE SO THAT WAY WE’RE NOT
WASTING TAXPAYER MONEY WHEN IT
COMES TO RESTORING THINGS HERE
IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
MARIA: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE
LOOKING FOR THEN FROM THE
FEDERAL RESPONSE?
I KNOW THAT AT THE END OF THE
YEAR WHEN THE GOVERNMENT RUNS
OUT OF MOPE, DECEMBER 16th,
THE DEMOCRATS ARE EXPECTED TO
COME UP WITH MORE SPENDING IN
THEY THAT FINAL SPENDING PACKAGE
IN THIS CURRENT CONGRESS.
ARE YOU GOING TO BE ASKING FOR A
SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE?
HOW DO YOU SEE THIS PLAYING OUT
IN TERMS OF MONEY NEEDED IN
FLORIDA?
>> WELL, SENATOR SCOTT AND
SENATOR RUBIO SAID THE SAME
THING.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR A CLEAN
SUPPLEMENTAL FOR FLORIDA.
WE DON’T WANT IT TIED TO
CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS OR
WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE
BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY WHAT
HAPPENS IN THESE CRs, THERE’S
A TON OF BAD POLICY, A TON OF
WASTEFUL SPENDING THAT’S BEEN
CONSISTENT FOR THE PAST 20 OF
MONTHS OF.
WE DON’T WANT SIGN ONTO THAT
STUFF.
WHAT NEEDS HAPPEN FOR FLORIDA
SHOULD BE FOR FLORIDA.
IF THERE’S A DISASTER IN ANOTHER
PART OF THE COUNTRY, THAT NEEDS
TO HAVE ITS OWN SUPPLEMENTEDAL
SO MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS AND
SENATE CAN LOOK AT THE DISASTER
ITSELF AND AAGREE OR DISAGREE
AND SUPPORT.
THAT’S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FOR
FLORIDA IS A CLEAN SUPPLEMENTAL
FOR FLORIDA AND LEAVE THE OTHER
FUNDING TO THE SIDE.
LOOK, UNFORTUNATELY IN THE
UNITED STATES THE CURRENT
MAJORITY PARTY THEY SPECIALIZE
IN SPENDING ALL KINDS OF MONEY
AND ALL KINDS OF AREAS.
THE LAST THING WE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO DO IS JUST HAVE A HE FOCUS ON
FLORIDA AND FRANKLY ALSO ON
SOUTH CAROLINA BECAUSE THEY’VE
BEEN DEALING WITH DAMAGE FROM
HURRICANE IAN AS WELL AND MAKE
SURE THAT THE SUPPLEMENTAL FOR
THOSE TWO DAMAGED AREAS IS
ACTUALLY HANDLED IN A CLEAN AND
APPROPRIATE WAY AND YOU CAN GET
BACK TO THE WAYS OF WASHINGTON.
MARIA: YOU THINK YOU’LL GET
THAT?
>> THAT’S MY HOPE.
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO BE
PUSHING FOR.
MARIA: IT’S LARGELY WATER
DAMAGE, RIGHT?
I MEAN, THIS YOU WAS OBVIOUSLY
THE WINDS WERE ANOTHER FACTOR
BUT THAT’S -- IS THAT LARGELY
THE COST, THE WATER?
IT WAS A WATER EVENT.
>> IT WAS BOTH.
I MEAN, LOOK, THE WIND DAMAGE IS
WHAT IT IS.
YOU HAVE POWER LINES THAT WERE
KNOCKED OUT THROUGH AT LEAST 10
COUNTIES IN FLORIDA BECAUSE THIS
WAS A VERY STRONG STORM.
OBVIOUSLY, DEBRIS REMOVAL FROM
ROOFS BEING AFFECTED SO ON, SO
FORTH BUT THE FLOODING, THE
STORM SURGE IS WHAT CAUSED THE
HEAVY DAMAGE.
INLAND, THERE WAS A LEVY BREACH
THAT AFFECTED CHARLOTTE COUNTY,
DESOTO COUNTY.
YOU’RE GOING HAVE A LOT OF THESE
DISASTER POINTS CAUSED BY
FLOODING, CAUSED BY THE WIND.
MARIA: CONGRESSMAN, WE’RE
PRAYING FOR YOU.
THANKS VERY MUCH AND FOR