Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott has urged President Joe Biden to direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to quickly assess and submit a supplemental appropriations request for disaster relief funds. The request includes provisions for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue block grants for agricultural losses. This comes after Senator Scott visited Polk County and Hillsborough County, engaging with Florida's agricultural community in response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

In his letter to President Biden, Senator Scott emphasized the importance of distributing disaster relief funds through block grants if requested by the state. "I have been advocating for this proposal since Hurricane Ian caused significant damage to Florida’s agricultural industry in 2022," he wrote.

Scott recounted conversations with President Biden and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack earlier this month about the urgent need for such relief measures. He stated that farmers and ranchers in Florida, affected by recent hurricanes, support block grants as a means to expedite recovery efforts.

The senator called on OMB to swiftly determine recovery costs from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and submit an appropriations request that includes USDA block grant flexibility.

Since Hurricane Ian in 2022, Senator Scott has been advocating for USDA block grants to assist Florida's agriculture sector. Following Hurricane Helene, he led a bipartisan effort urging USDA Secretary Vilsack to issue a Disaster Declaration for impacted counties in Florida.

Additionally, Senator Scott is pressing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for disaster relief funding. Last week, he announced legislation with Senator Rubio proposing $20 billion for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund.