White House silent on Kamala Harris' 'equity' hurricane relief remark, won't say if official admin policy

The Biden administration should take "equity" into account when divvying up federal disaster aid, according to Vice President Harris.

Despite the comments causing a stir as Hurricane Ian battered the East Coast this weekend, the White House wouldn't say if President Biden stood by Harris' comments or if they represented official administration policy.

The vice president's comments have not been addressed by other administration officials. The White House is committed to supporting all communities affected by natural disasters and climate change according to some people.

During an appearance on "Face the Nation" on Sunday, the administrator of the FEMA said that the agency would support all communities.

VP KAMALA HARRIS DODGES is asking about the impact of hurricanes on the island.

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The FEMA chief said there were often barriers that communities of color faced when applying for federal aid.

She said that there are barriers to accessing her program and that she has responded to other disasters. Since I've been in office, we've focused on making sure that we remove those barriers.

Videos show Florida being destroyed in Sanibel Island.

During a Democratic National Committee event on Friday, Harris was asked about the White House's efforts to respond to natural disasters in the U.S. Harris argued that the disasters were often caused by climate change and had a disproportionate impact on low-income and minority communities.

The vice president said that it was the lowest-income communities and the communities of color that were most impacted by the extreme conditions. We need to give resources based on equity.

Harris was rebuked by Republicans for suggesting that the federal government should prioritize race when helping communities impacted by disasters.

Harris was accused of fomenting panic at a time when the state's residents were still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

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Christina Pushaw is the campaign's rapid response director. FEMA Individual Assistance is available to everyone regardless of race or background.