We don’t care whether DeSantis and Biden talk, as long as they cooperate on Hurricane Ian | Editorial
When Hurricane Ian began menacing the West Coast of Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency. President Joe Biden then quickly approved an emergency declaration. That cleared the way for federal emergency assistance to the state.
They may not like each other, but at least DeSantis and Biden are cooperating for the good of the people of Florida. The bar for bipartisanship is pretty low these days.
At a press conference Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said DeSantis and Biden hadn’t actually spoken. “We don’t have any calls to preview or that’s locked into there, at this time,” Jean-Pierre said, according to ABC News.
Get the job done
Maybe they’ll talk later, maybe not. But, honestly, we don’t care if they’re actually speaking directly to each other. All we care about is cooperation in the face of a storm and putting Floridians ahead of politics. And that’s what they’re doing, so far.
Sure, they’ll capitalize on the hurricane later, as governors and presidents do. Look for DeSantis striding among debris in the obligatory windbreaker and polo shirt as soon as the wind dies down. And watch for Biden to fly in to play his role as consoler-in-chief.
Fine. Get the photo op. It’s the Federal Emergency Management Agency, though, that we want to see on the ground. And power trucks, lots and lots of power trucks. We want to see the full force of the state and federal governments coming to bear on the needs of those affected by this storm, during and after.
We want coordination, not infighting — a rare thing between Republicans and Democrats in this era. We saw it briefly after the Surfside condo collapse, another devastating and deadly Florida event. And we are seeing it now, at least in the ways that matter.
The presidential declaration authorizes FEMA to support the state’s response efforts ahead of Ian. More than 4,000 Florida National Guard members have been activated. The feds have sent supplies and personnel to strategic spots in Georgia, Florida and Alabama, ready to get help where it needs to be as soon as possible, according to a FEMA news release.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has activated its National Disaster Medical System. Dozens of extra ambulances and medical air transport have been contracted to deploy. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers power restoration team has been called into action. Generators and fuel are at the ready. And we’re all thinking of those in the direct path of the storm.
A test for DeSantis
It remains to be seen how disaster recovery goes after the storm passes. One big question: How badly will this damage Florida’s home-insurance market, which already is barely functional and deeply dependent on state-subsidized Citizens Insurance Corp.? Governing after a Category 3 hurricane will certainly be a test for DeSantis, who has alienated so many Floridians with his extremist policies. We hope he can remember that he’s governor for all of us.
Tempers tend to fray after extended periods without power, especially in the Florida heat. The spirit of cooperation is hard to maintain in the aftermath of such a difficult and life-threatening event. But even if this cooperation between DeSantis and Biden is perfunctory, we’ll take it. Floridians are going to need all the help we can get.
