Being asked about comparisons being made between this large-scale flood and Hurricane Katrina, which flooded New Orleans and tanked President George W. Bush’s poll numbers because of a sluggish federal government response, Earnest said the response this time has been ‘more effective and much more impactful than the initial FEMA response to Hurricane Katrina’.
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Obama is speaking in East Baton Rouge Parish as he tours flood damage in Louisiana.
“The President is mindful of the impact that his travel has on first responders and wants to ensure that his presence does not interfere with ongoing recovery efforts”, the release states.
So far, the number of people affected by the floods pales in comparison with the almost 74,000 families forced out of homes after Katrina and the 11,000 displaced after Hurricane Rita, a storm that came a few weeks later in 2005. “It’s one thing to suffer, it’s another thing to suffer in virtual silence”.
That’s exactly what Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, did late last week as part of a visit meant to fill what they saw as a leadership vacuum.
President Barack Obama will visit some of the hardest hit communities of Louisiana’s widespread flooding during an official visit on Tuesday.
Timing of a presidential visit can be “tricky”, particularly so it’s not disruptive to the recovery operation, said Kieserman.
“The President has been focused on the response and not, frankly, as concerned with the optics, as all of you appear to be.”
He said Obama’s visit comes as relief workers have been working for days and need to feel appreciated and survivors need to know “there’s a road ahead”. “I think there would be more volunteers signing up”.
An editorial headline in the Baton Rouge Advocate last week read: “Our Views: Vacation or not, a hurting Louisiana needs you now, President Obama”.
During his vacation, Obama declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, spoke by phone with local officials and dispatched Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to visit the area. Both briefed Obama on the recovery efforts.
Visit www.crowdrise.com/britneyforlouisiana/ for more information. He says the government will keep helping until people are back in their homes and their lives are rebuilt. “I think all of the elected officials in this disaster have done that at every level in a very non-partisan way”. He also said residents could apply for low-priced loans from the Small Business Administration. He said the trip gave Trump a chance to show him responding to a disaster.
“I lost everything, and I just called my homeowners’ insurance and they told me that they don’t cover anything because the insurance that I’m paying for doesn’t cover flood”, Galindo said Monday, waiting with dozens of others in the FEMA assistance center.
“The best way to help Louisianans affected by these bad floods is to make sure they have the resources they need today”, she said.
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“What’s more important is that various administrations involve to help people”.
