With the Federal Emergency Management Agency reeling from major staffing and funding shortages amid the impact of Hurricane Helene, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) refused on Sunday to commit to reconvening the House before Election Day to aid recovery efforts. In response to a letter from President Biden urging congressional leaders back to replenish federal disaster loan funding, Johnson said during a Fox News Sunday interview that he’d only do so after the election—all but ensuring the funds will run out.

  • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
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    1 month ago

    This is insane. They already got hit by a hurricane and an even bigger one, the biggest we have seen until now, is about to hit the same area. Speaker Mike Johnson is refusing to send help. Even when Kamala wants to ask Desantis if they need more help, he refuses to speak to her.

    People will die over this political bs. I really hope they will realize how the republicans don’t give two shits about them and their well being.

    • fuckingkangaroos@lemm.ee
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      1 month ago

      I think Desantis and the phone call thing is mostly political theatre. She wants to look presidential. It’s understandable she wants to pursue this “opportunity,” but she’s just VP. Not a key role in this kind of thing.

      But Johnson refusing to fund disaster response is intended to prevent the Biden-Harris admin from doing it’s job and helping people in desperate situations. That’s fucked.

      • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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        1 month ago

        These sorts of phone calls are common, though. Desantis isn’t picking up Biden’s phone call either, and he isn’t running.

          • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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            1 month ago

            Apparently this call happened Monday evening per the Miami Herald, after a lot of the criticism had been made.

      • madjo@feddit.nl
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        1 month ago

        Had trump called, desantis would have wet himself in supplication.

      • frezik@midwest.social
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        1 month ago

        Having direct continuity with the next President is useful. There’s some plausible arguments (though by no means a slam dunk) that the delay in transition after the 2000 election left the Bush Admin unprepared and led to 9/11.