Sen. Scott to Congress: pass disaster relief bill

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE — Over two hundred days after Hurricane Michael tore through Tyndall Air Force Base and surrounding areas, Sen. Rick Scott pleaded for a federal supplemental disaster relief bill to be passed by Congress.

“We’re not where we need to be,” said Scott. “We are sitting at (over 200) days without solving these problems. It’s been frustrating. I’ve been in the Senate now for about 100 days and this is all politics. It’s not about, ‘What do I need to do?’ The Democrats are playing politics with this disaster relief.”

In the months since the Category 5 storm decimated the area, attempts to pass supplemental disaster relief in Congress have all sputtered out. The stalemate effects not only Hurricane Michael survivors, but also communities impacted by the other major disasters of 2018, such as Hurricane Florence and the California wildfires, and now the 2019 flooding.

Scott was Governor at the time Hurricane Michael landed, spending his time both before the storm and after in the impacted area. On Monday, the Republican was visibly frustrated with the state of affairs, pointing the finger at Democrats.

“There is one person standing in the way of getting the support that we need to rebuild Bay County, all of Florida and rebuild Tyndall. His name is Chuck Schumer. I’m going to go back up to D.C. today and I’m going to say the same thing. Why doesn’t Chuck Schumer care about Florida? Why doesn’t he care about Georgia? Why doesn’t he care about Tyndall Air Force Base?” said Scott. “This is not about politics. Every citizen in this country is important. Puerto Rico is important. Every place that has a disaster is important. Let’s treat everyone the same.”

Tyndall Air Force Base represents one third of Bay County's economy, pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the area annually. Positioned right where the eye came through, the base suffered severe damage and has the most to gain from the supplemental funding. It's progress or lack of progress, depending on how one looks at it, is directly tied to the morale of the community as a whole.

“It is such a vital piece of Bay County. That’s part of the reason we are such a strong defense-minded community,” said Bay County Commissioner Philip 'Griff' Griffitts. “We support our airmen. We support our Navy facility. They are part of our family here in Bay County.”

Griffitts said he is “not sure the reason we are being held hostage” and encouraged Schumer to visit the area to see financial hardships and people suffering—even saying he would buy Schumer’s plane ticket.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, a Bay County native, said he has sent letters to congressional leadership outlining the area’s needs and inviting them to visit Northwest Florida to see how Tyndall constantly has important missions.

“It’s maddening that six months after the storm we have yet to see a relief bill out of Congress,” said Patronis. “We’re at Tyndall Air Force Base. National security issues are in debate here and we have not seen a single action on behalf of Washington. Sen. Scott has been amazing, advocating, pushing, continuing the argument. ... Congress needs to desperately step up and pass a package immediately.”

Tom Neubauer, president of the Bay Defense Alliance, which advocates for the military in Bay County, noted Vice President Mike Pence and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson have committed to Tyndall’s future.

“This great American defense community is committed to the military, its members, their families and the installations in Bay County,” said Neubauer. “In good faith, the Air Force has spent over $450 million on Tyndall’s operations, recovery and redesign program with reasonable expectations for it. ... Now it’s time for Congress to deliver to U.S. citizens what we have to come to expect, is support from our Congress.”