On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Co.,” Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) argued that President Joe Biden should push Democrats in Congress to avoid putting “progressive priorities” in a future disaster relief bill, and that Congress should repurpose coronavirus relief spending “in the short-to-medium-term” for Hurricane Ian recovery instead of spending more money.
Waltz stated, “The short-term recovery is ongoing. The food, the water, the ice, getting power turned back on. I’ve been traveling around my district, and the flooding is actually still happening. All of that water is running off into our lakes and our rivers, and new areas are still being flooded as that water rises. So, I think what the President’s going to see is we have a long way to go. The Department of Transportation will have a piece of this, even the Department of Agriculture for our crop damage, and on and so forth. This is going to be a long-term effort. What I hope the President will do is show leadership and encourage Pelosi and Schumer to not load up some future disaster relief bill with progressive priorities. And what I’d really like the Congress to do is look at some of this COVID aid and repurpose that in the short-to-medium-term, rather than spending new money.”
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