More than 70 people were killed in the latest death toll from Hurricane Ian, which ravaged entire communities, and prompted a massive ongoing search and rescue effort.
During the visit, the two political opponents shook hands and pledged to help the people of Florida recover from the damage, which Biden said would take years.
Biden told reporters at a Wednesday press conference that they have worked together. We have been in complete lockstep with this crisis.
Their rivalry was visible at times during the visit. Biden said the governor did something "remarkable" by acknowledging climate change is real, contrary to some of the GOP's lack of support to address the climate crisis.
Biden said that the biggest thing the governor has done is recognize the issue of global warming. The world is evolving.
—The Recount (@therecount) October 5, 2022
It's not clear when the Florida governor attributed Hurricane Ian to climate change, but he said it's often a pretext to do left-wing things.
He wasn't sure which comment Biden was referring to. He pointed to a statement from the governor that referred to a state program that allowed residents to improve their infrastructure and how it may have protected communities from extensive damage from the Hurricane, but the spokesman said it was not about global warming.
After praising the Biden administration in the beginning of his speech, he made a political jab by pointing out the limitations of government assistance.
"As much as we appreciate all the state agencies that are offering assistance, FEMA that can offer assistance, those are based on regulation and law, and there's some people that may not fit into those."
"Well, we now have mobilized private charities with a lot of money to be able to help people in really tough circumstances, thanks to local and state agencies, as well as the Biden administration," he said.
A request for comment was not responded to by Biden's spokesman.
More than 3,800 people have been saved by search-and-rescue teams. Thousands of structures have been examined in Lee County.
More than 300,000 homes and businesses are still without power a week after Hurricane Ian hit the west coast of Florida.
The White House granted Florida's request to extend federal assistance for debris removal.
"Today, we have one job and only one job, and that's to make sure that people in Florida get everything they need to fully recover," Biden said.
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