Joe Biden: Biden calls the secretary his “boss” and refers to Vice President Harris as “president” during the hurricane briefing.

US President Joe Biden briefed the press on Friday about the federal response to recent hurricanes and made some light-hearted jokes about his Cabinet members. He stressed that the administration was focused on restoring power and clearing the rubble in affected states, jokingly calling Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm his “boss” and referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as “the president.”
During the briefing, Biden acknowledged the heavy toll the hurricanes have taken on states like… North Carolina And Florida“Our thoughts are with all the people who have lost not only personal property but also their homes and some their lives and are grieving the consequences of the tornadoes, brutal winds, record rainfall and historic flooding,” he said as quoted by Fox News.
Hurricane Milton caused an estimated $50 billion in damage, while North Carolina officials confirmed at least 92 deaths Hurricane Helene. In Florida, eight people were reported dead after Milton sparked four tornadoes in St. Lucie County, leaving millions of residents still without power.
Biden praised the Florida governor's efforts Ron DeSantiswhich enabled 50,000 power line workers to restore power to 1 million customers. The president assured that the federal government would come through FEMAthe Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and National Guard are fully involved in the rescue and recovery efforts.
During his speech, Biden paused briefly before Granholm reminded him to pass the microphone to the vice president. He grabbed Granholm's hand and said, “She's my boss here,” before jokingly correcting himself when he referred to Harris as “the president.”
Before giving Harris the floor, Biden confirmed that his administration would seek additional funding from Congress Hurricane recovery. “We're going to need a lot of help. We need a lot more money,” he said.
Vice President Harris outlined federal efforts to deliver food, water, medical supplies and generators to affected areas in a conference call. She also mentioned her discussions with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about preventing price gouging in disaster areas.
“We continue to coordinate resources with local and state authorities, including food, water, medical supplies and generators,” Harris said, assuring that the administration will “work with teams on the ground to restore water and power as quickly as possible going forward.” “Days and weeks.
Harris added: “President Biden and I will ensure that affected local communities have the resources they need not only to respond to the storm, but also to recover.”
Harris' comments come amid tensions with Gov. DeSantis, who declined her call about the crisis Hurricane responseShe said she played “no role” in the process.
“We are in this for the long haul,” she said, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to recovery efforts in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.