• Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock
Editor's Pick

‘Did not expect that’: GOP Rep Luna speaks out after meeting with Biden on hurricane response

by October 14, 2024
written by October 14, 2024

It’s not every day that a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus sits down to meet with the Democratic commander in chief, but national crises have a way of creating strange bedfellows.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital she was not expecting a call late last week when her phone screen flashed with an unknown Washington, D.C.-based government number. When she answered, it was President Biden’s voice on the line.

‘Well, I did not expect that. So I talked to him on the phone for about 10 minutes. First thing that he asked me was, what did I need for my constituents, and how did I fare with the storm. And then [we] moved forward into talking about the issues that we’re having with FEMA,’ Luna said.

The first-term Republican, whose district was hit hard by Hurricane Milton last week, said she also met with Biden when he surveyed storm damage in Florida over the weekend.

The pair met for an ‘extensive’ discussion on a number of disaster aid reforms, Luna said. 

It’s not uncommon to see political foes work together after a natural disaster, but the congresswoman’s praise for Biden is a stark contrast from her fierce criticism of his administration – which she herself noted to Fox News Digital – including spearheading efforts to hold members of his Cabinet in inherent contempt of Congress.

‘I have obviously been very critical of President Biden in the past, but I will say that him stepping in and taking control of the situation to assist for the right reasons was very honestly kind of shocking for me,’ Luna said.

‘Obviously, you know, we’re still going to be holding FEMA accountable… But as far as I am seeing, FEMA has been very helpful, and I’ve been in direct communication with them. And they’re absolutely going to assist, because President Biden has told them to do so.’

Asked about their in-person conversation, Luna said they talked about the situation in Georgia and North Carolina after Helene battered the American Southeast, as well as Florida’s recovery after both storms.

‘The one thing that I really wanted to hammer home was obviously, you know, FEMA getting debris cleared and really not holding the cities accountable for not being able to move debris in time,’ Luna said. ‘So we sorted that out.’

She also advocated for reforming the National Flood Insurance Program, which Luna said has been largely unchanged since its inception in the 1960s.

In both of their conversations, Luna said Biden agreed with her that FEMA’s $750 upfront payment to disaster survivors was inadequate.

‘He said it was a ‘bunch of malarkey,’ which is 100% true, and that $750 was not enough,’ Luna said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment.

Her measured response to federal relief efforts is notable, given the torrent of GOP-led criticism of the administration’s response efforts.

It’s worth noting that Biden also saw praise from the Republican governors of South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia after the storms.

On the federal level, Luna is among the bipartisan chorus of lawmakers calling for Congress to return for an early emergency session to deal with disaster relief – something Biden has also voiced.

But Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has signaled on multiple occasions that he’s unlikely to convene the House before their scheduled return the week after Election Day.

Johnson, who has criticized the Biden administration’s response, argued that the $20 billion that Congress freed up for FEMA last month would be enough to meet immediate needs, and that lawmakers could do little until a formal damage assessment and cost estimate was provided.

Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., whose district was among the hardest hit by Helene, echoed Johnson in an interview Friday.

‘I believe that what we’re seeing right now with the calls to come back into session to pass funds is more of a distraction from the administration for their inept reaction to getting folks here to help western North Carolina,’ Edwards said.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
Why Honeywell CEO Vimal Kapur doesn’t think the AI payoff will come from productivity
next post
‘Dumb thing for her to do’: Rift between Harris and Biden camps causing internal disruptions, sources say

related articles

Federal judge to sentence Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s attempted...

October 3, 2025

Hawley blasts FDA approval of new abortion drug,...

October 2, 2025

The agency staff Vought might recommend cutting and...

October 2, 2025

Trump’s DOGE savings dwarfed by Medicare, Social Security...

October 2, 2025

FLASHBACK: James Comey urged officials to always prosecute...

October 2, 2025

Reagan-appointed judge, once rebuked by Supreme Court, continues...

October 2, 2025

‘Real consequences’: Food aid, flood insurance, FEMA funds...

October 2, 2025

Trump must triple severely outdated nuke arsenal to...

October 2, 2025

White House says federal layoffs could hit ‘thousands’...

October 2, 2025

Johnson shuts door on negotiating shutdown deal as...

October 2, 2025
Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News, And Articles.


Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

Latest News

  • Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ faces setback as Senate rules knock out key Medicaid provisions

    June 26, 2025
  • Ethereum price dropped to a new lower low this morning

    August 28, 2024
  • Lawmakers demand Bondi’s DOJ investigate Biden’s post-Election Day dismissal of green energy fraud lawsuit

    February 7, 2025
  • Trump lashes out at Israel and Iran with profanity for breaking ceasefire

    June 24, 2025
  • House Democrat moves to force Trump impeachment vote

    May 13, 2025

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Secret Service admits leaning on ‘state and local partners’ after claim it ignored Trump team’s past requests

    July 21, 2024
  • 2

    Five more House Democrats call on Biden to drop out, third US senator

    July 19, 2024
  • 3

    Elon and Vivek should tackle US funding for this boondoogle organization and score a multimillion dollar win

    December 4, 2024
  • 4

    Forex Profit Calculator: Maximize Your Trading Potential

    July 10, 2024
  • 5

    Biden calls to ‘lower the temperature’ then bashes Trump in NAACP speech

    July 17, 2024

Categories

  • Economy (829)
  • Editor's Pick (6,248)
  • Investing (634)
  • Stock (935)

Latest Posts

  • Trump outperforming 2020 support among Hispanics, who prefer him on immigration, poll shows

    September 3, 2024
  • 5 biggest FBI scandals during Christopher Wray’s tenure as director

    December 12, 2024
  • President Trump reveals what he told Zelenskyy during viral meeting at the Vatican

    May 1, 2025

Recent Posts

  • On air, ’60 Minutes’ reporter says ‘none of us is happy’ about changes that led top producer to quit

    April 28, 2025
  • Russian leader claims multiple countries prepped to provide Iran nuclear weapons following US strikes

    June 22, 2025
  • Secretary of State Rubio confirms becoming acting USAID chief

    February 3, 2025

Editor’s Pick

  • First Solar stock outlook: How a Trump presidency and Inflation Reduction Act will shape its future

    July 24, 2024
  • Climate lawfare is running into a powerful force liberals didn’t expect

    February 10, 2025
  • President Biden pardons his siblings just minutes before leaving office

    January 20, 2025
  • About us
  • Contacts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Disclaimer: moneyrisetoday.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

Copyright © 2025 moneyrisetoday.com | All Rights Reserved

Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock