Hurricane Helene Update: A Major Threat To Florida's Big Bend In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm and cause
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm and caused catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL), alongside a bipartisan group of Florida lawmakers, are pushing for immediate assistance to help Florida’s farmers recover.
The group sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, urging him to approve a Disaster Declaration and provide state block grants to expedite support for Florida’s agricultural sector, which has been severely impacted by the storm.
Read: Hurricane Helene Insured Losses Soar Past $500 Million In Florida
“Your support for the State of Florida’s request would make a difference for our growers and will assist in their recovery to ensure they can continue to contribute to our food security and national security,” the letter stated.
Joining Senators Rubio and Scott in the appeal were U.S. Representatives Mike Waltz (R-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Cory Mills (R-FL), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Bill Posey (R-FL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Scott Franklin (R-FL), John Rutherford (R-FL), and Greg Steube (R-FL).
Read: Double Trouble? Two Potential Storms Brewing In The Atlantic
The lawmakers emphasized Florida’s critical role in the U.S. food economy, particularly during the winter and spring months, when the state’s farms supply fresh, domestically grown food to over 100 million Americans along the eastern seaboard. Immediate aid, they argue, is necessary to ensure that Florida’s farmers can recover in time for the upcoming harvest season.
“Expeditious approval of a Disaster Declaration is necessary for a successful winter and spring harvest season,” the letter noted, highlighting the importance of this support for the nation’s food security.
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