It’s becoming increasingly clear that, when Congress returns after the election, it will be dealing with both a multi-billion dollar disaster in the Southeast and a potential major war in the Middle East.
With just weeks before the next Congress starts, and with a new president taking office on Jan. 20, this will make for a very full plate for the House and Senate.
Latest on Milton: Milton is currently a Category 5 mega-storm — the most serious for this part of the Gulf Coast in decades — although it’s expected to weaken slightly as it churns toward landfall tonight. A storm surge of up to 12 feet is expected, as well as six to 18 inches of rain and winds in excess of 160 mph. Milton could also spawn tornadoes in the area.
Hundreds of thousands of Floridians are fleeing the Tampa area, with 11 counties under a mandatory evacuation. Orlando is also in the storm’s path. Milton has led to one of the largest evacuations in state history. Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents Tuesday to “use today as your day to finalize and execute the plan that is going to protect you and your family.” Lots of Florida gas stations are already running out of gas as residents hit the road.
DeSantis has activated thousands of National Guard troops to respond to the looming disaster, probably the largest in the state’s history. FEMA — which has already sent hundreds of personnel to Florida to deal with Hurricane Helene two weeks ago — is sending even more. President Joe Biden has declared Florida a disaster area before Milton’s landfall.
Biden — who canceled an overseas trip in response to Milton — praised DeSantis’ handling of the situation so far. Of course, former President Donald Trump and his allies have slammed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the federal response to Helene, helping lead to a wave of online disinformation and misinformation about what’s happening in North Carolina and elsewhere. That spurred a huge pushback from the White House. Things have gotten so bad that GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards (N.C.) — who represents the Asheville area — released an extraordinary statement Tuesday night in a bid to knock down some of the online rumors, many of which come from members of his own party.
We’ll have lots more on Milton today and in the coming days.
In the Middle East. Biden is set to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. By some accounts, it’s the first time they’ve spoken since Aug. 21. Biden and Netanyahu are slated to discuss a potential Israeli attack on Iran.
Israeli Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant was scheduled to fly to Washington today to discuss what the Pentagon described as “ongoing Middle East security developments.” But Netanyahu put a hold on Gallant’s travel until he spoke to Biden and until the Israeli security cabinet approved any military moves against Iran. Axios’ Barak Ravid scooped much of this storyline.
There are a number of dynamics to review here about the U.S. stance on Israel’s security posture right now. These are all dynamics that will be hotly debated on Capitol Hill when Congress returns.
The State Department turned a lot of heads when on Tuesday spokesman Matt Miller said that the United States supports Israel’s incursions into southern Lebanon. We wrote about this in the PM edition. Here’s what Miller said:
United Nations Resolution 1701 effectively calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah and establishes a demilitarized zone in Lebanon 18 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel has sent four divisions into Lebanon. Each division has between 10,000 and 15,000 troops, according to the New York Times. There are also thousands of troops that support ground combat units.
Ravid also reported in Axios that Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, told Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer that the United States expects “clarity and transparency” about Israel’s possible strike on Iran. Biden has suggested that he does not believe Israel should strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in the wake of Iran launching more than 180 ballistic missiles at the Jewish State.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the call between Netanyahu and Biden today could go a long way in setting the future parameters of this conflict.
Also, for your situational awareness: If you are a Premium subscriber, this won’t be news to you. But check out the Midday edition Tuesday for a rundown on what went on behind closed doors at the House Republican staff director retreat. They talked about legislative priorities for the upcoming lame-duck session.
