According to an administration official, President Joe Biden will address Friday the building collapsing in Florida. He issued an emergency declaration overnight to authorize federal aid.
After a Surfside, Florida residential building collapsed on Thursday, at least four people were killed and 159 others are still missing. Rescue teams and search teams are working together to rescue survivors.
A White House official said that Biden received regular updates on Friday morning regarding the increasing number of unaccounted-for persons.
After a day of talks between the White House, the Florida Republican Governor’s office, and other stakeholders, the President declared a state emergency in Florida. Ron DeSantis.
Official requests for assistance must be made to the governor’s office. The White House was surprised that this did not happen on Thursday.
CNN reported that Biden said Thursday night that he hadn’t spoken to DeSantis.
“I am waiting for a call from him if he requires assistance. We assured him that it was available. My team has reached out to him. Biden stated that he has not spoken with him personally yet.
The governor’s office requested the change late Thursday, according to a senior administration official. The White House announced the declaration on Friday morning.
According to an official, the President and Governor had not yet spoken. However, DeSantis was in touch with top White House officials including Ron Klain, chief of staff.
Biden has had a lot of criticism from the Republican governor. He is widely considered by the GOP to be a top contender in the 2024 presidential election.
CNN was informed by a Florida official that DeSantis agreed to seek assistance from the White House at the request of officials in Miami-Dade County. Federal assistance is now possible through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies thanks to the emergency declaration.
The President is not currently scheduled to travel to Florida. A White House official stated, “We will keep in touch with officials on the ground to determine when it would be appropriate — the current focus should be on rescue and recovery.”
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