1:02 p.m. ET, December 15, 2021
Biden pledges to support Kentucky's rebuilding and recovery efforts: "Don't hesitate to ask for anything"
From CNN's Betsy Klein
(Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)
President Biden addressed state and local officials in Mayfield, Kentucky,
during a briefing on last week’s severe weather and tornadoes, expressing his shock at some of the images he saw during his aerial tour of the area as he pledged the full force of the federal government to help rebuilding and recovery efforts.
Biden said he was “amazed” at the way the community has come together in the wake of the storm.
“People just come out of nowhere to help as a community, and that’s what it’s supposed to be, that’s what America’s supposed to be. There’s no red tornadoes or blue tornadoes, there’s no red states or blue states when this stuff starts to happen. And I think, at least it my experience, it either brings people together or really knocks them apart, and moving together here,” he said.
He pressed to the local leaders that the federal government was there to help in the immediate aftermath, but would also be there further into rebuilding efforts.
“I just want you to know – I’m driving the governor crazy calling him all the time – but there may be things available that would be helpful six weeks, six months from now that you’re unaware of. And so we’re – I’ve instructed my team to make you all aware of everything that is available from a federal level,” he said, later telling them, “Don’t hesitate to ask for anything.”
Biden said he was “here to listen.”
“I think the vast majority of Americans know what you’ve been through just looking on television. It has been incredible. Your colleagues talk about it – they’ve seen it, they say, ‘holy gosh, what’s going on?’” Biden said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell also addressed the group.