Governor Ron DeSantis‘ (R-FL) campaign blasted Vice President Kamala Harris Friday afternoon over remarks that she made suggesting that the administration has a policy that designates funds for “climate resilience” in part based in part on race.
Harris made the remarks during a discussion with leftist Priyanka Chopra at the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C.
“It is our lowest income communities and our communities of color that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues that are not of their own making,” Harris claimed. “And so we have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality, but we also need to fight for equity, understanding not everyone starts out at the same place.”
She added, “And if we want people to be in an equal place, sometimes we have to take into account those disparities and do that work.”
White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates later said the vice president’s comments related to a general Biden administration policy of distributing “climate resilience” resources around the country.
DeSantis Rapid Response Director Christina Pushaw responded directly to Harris’ remarks by saying that it was false.
“This is false. @VP ‘s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified,” Pushaw said. “FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background. If you need assistance visit http://disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.”
This is false. @VP's rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background. If you need assistance visit https://t.co/x9X8AstnzL or call 1-800-621-3362. https://t.co/idsw1PX86x
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) September 30, 2022
RELATED: Kamala Harris Slammed Over ‘Embarrassing’ Trip To South Korea: ‘What An Absolute Disaster’
This article has been updated to clarify the Biden administration policy regarding aid related to natural disasters.