DeSantis gives fiery response after VP Harris says hurricane relief should be ‘equitable’

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has snapped back at Vice President Kamala Harris after the VP said at a conference this weekend that disaster relief in Florida following last week’s devastating Hurricane Ian should be equitable.

Speaking at the  Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum, Harris was discussing how disaster relief funds would be distributed after the storm.

“I know we are all thinking about the families in Florida and Puerto Rico with [Hurricane] Fiona and what we need to do to help them in terms of an immediate response and aid,” the vice president said.

She continued, “We have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality, but we also need to fight for equity. Understanding not everyone starts out at the same place, and if we want people to be in an equal place, sometimes we have to take into account those disparities.”

The same afternoon, after Harris’ comments reached DeSantis’ office, a spokesperson for the governor, Christina Pushaw, Tweeted a fiery response.

“This is false. @VP’s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background,” Pushaw wrote.

In an additional Tweet, Pushaw added, “The @VP needs to correct what she said as well. A real journalist would simply ask her to clarify what she meant by those comments and why she misrepresented the relief effort.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, however, has placed a sharp focus on equity in its disbursement of disaster relief efforts and funds in the last few years. Last year, FEMA announced its new definition of equity, formally defining it within the agency as “The consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals.”