Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday during a press conference in Kissimmee that Florida could handle emergencies without federal funds but still believes the federal government will grant states money to deal with disasters without oversight.
The governor has advocated for states to receive block grants to operate all aspects of emergency preparation and response over getting assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We’ve got a big surplus. We would have to make adjustments to how we approach things, but I can do that, you know,” DeSantis said of the possibility of the Trump administration cutting disaster assistance. “Just let me know what’s in the best interest of the United States and, if it is, then Florida will respond very, very appropriately, but that would obviously require us to change a little bit about what we’re doing.”
However, he emphasized that he doesn’t anticipate Trump would eliminate FEMA without the federal government giving grants to the states. The governor’s comments came after the Trump administration cut nearly $300 million for flooding and hurricane relief projects across the state, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa called out the funding cuts during a press conference Monday morning.
“It really breaks my heart that these funds are being cut, because our area was completely devastated by the hurricanes that we saw last fall,” she said. “I know there are other areas of the state that were impacted, and in a time where we are experiencing stronger and stronger hurricanes and stronger natural disasters, it’s not the time to cut FEMA funding, not when our state needs it the most.”
FEMA last year approved more than $1 billion in individual assistance to Floridians following the destruction from Hurricanes Milton, Helene, and Debby. The next hurricane season starts on June 1.
–Jackie Llanos, Florida Phoenix
