总统乔·拜登星期五前往新奥尔良，调查飓风“艾达”造成的损失，会见当地领导人，并展示联邦政府对风暴的反应。风暴在路易斯安那州登陆，随后摧毁了美国东北部的大部分地区。
“我们来是因为我们想直接从你们那里听到，你们一直在处理什么具体问题，”拜登在路易斯安那州遭受重创的拉普拉斯告诉当地官员，就在新奥尔良郊外。
总统参观了剑桥拉普拉斯附近受损的房屋，与居民打招呼、拥抱和交谈，接受了总统作为首席安慰者的传统角色。
一个家被一个大的蓝色油布覆盖着，而被连根拔起的树木包围着房子。
在拉普拉斯，当地官员与总统谈论了该地区的破坏以及风暴对该地区的长期影响。
拜登说:“这场风暴令人难以置信，不仅在这里，而且一直到东海岸。
拜登告诉官员们，包括州长约翰·贝尔·爱德华兹(John Bel Edwards)、当地医院和能源公司Entgy的首席执行官、国会议员和当地教区主席，他认为以更具弹性的方式重建受损的基础设施很重要，无论这意味着将电线埋在地下还是让屋顶更坚固。
将最近的破坏与气候变化的影响联系起来，拜登提出了一项1万亿美元的基础设施法案，该法案最近在参议院获得了两党的支持，以及一项由民主党支持的3.5万亿美元的社会支出法案，称后者“呼吁进行大量投资，以应对即将到来的情况。”
“就环境而言，情况正在发生巨大变化，”总统说。“我们已经越过了某些门槛。我们不能把一条路、一条公路、一座桥或任何东西恢复到以前的样子。我的意思是，你必须回到现在的样子，回到现在需要的样子。”
他站在一棵被连根拔起的大树前，在拉普拉斯街头发表言论时，也提出了同样的论点。
“我们不仅要重建，我们还必须重建得比以前更好，”拜登用他的基础设施项目的口号说。“比以前更好，所以当(有)另一个超级风暴时，不会造成损害。”
拜登在讲话中谈到，需要恢复手机服务，以便居民能够与亲人联系，并了解他们可以利用的资源。
他还说，据报道，一些保险公司可能会拒绝承保，除非房主处于强制疏散令之下;拜登说，路易斯安那州的一些教区没有及时发布强制性命令来帮助居民获得资格。
“没有人逃离这场致命的风暴，因为他们在寻找假期或公路旅行，”总统说。“所以，乡亲们，他们离开了他们的家，因为他们离开了，他们觉得他们必须逃离死亡的风险。这不是自愿的。因此，我呼吁私人保险公司:不要躲在细则和技术细节后面。”
空军一号于周五下午早些时候在新奥尔良着陆，拜登在那里受到了来自路易斯安那州的联邦、州和地方官员的迎接:爱德华兹、美国参议员比尔·卡西迪和约翰·肯尼迪、美国众议员史蒂夫·斯卡利斯、新奥尔良市长拉托娅·坎特雷尔和杰斐逊教区主席辛西娅·李升。
据白宫称，在访问拉普拉斯后，拜登计划对该地区特别受打击的社区进行空中旅行，包括拉菲特、格兰德岛、福琼港和拉福什教区。
后来，他计划前往新奥尔良南部的路易斯安那州加利亚诺，与当地领导人会面。
在总统因公众不赞成他对最近另一场危机——美国从阿富汗撤军——的处理方式而遭受痛苦之际，白宫寻求对这场风暴做出强有力的联邦回应。
在周四的讲话中，拜登告诉海湾地区的人，“我们都在一起。”
“国家在这里提供帮助，”他说。
Ida及其残余势力已经在八个州造成至少63人死亡，其中包括东北地区的至少49人。
President Biden surveys Hurricane Ida damage in New Orleans
PresidentJoe Bidentraveled to New Orleans Friday to survey damage caused by Hurricane Ida, meet with local leaders and demonstrate the federal response to the storm that made landfall in Louisiana before devastating much of the northeastern United States.
"We came because we want to hear directly from you all, what specific problems you’ve been dealing with," Biden told local officials in hard-hit LaPlace, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans.
The president toured damaged homes in the Cambridge neighborhood of LaPlace, greeting, hugging and speaking with residents -- embracing the president's traditional role of consoler-in-chief.
One home was covered in a large, blue tarp, while uprooted and downed trees surrounded the houses.
In LaPlace, local officials spoke with the president about the destruction in the region and the long-term impact the storm would have in the area.
"This storm has been incredible, not only here but all the way up the East Coast," Biden said.
Biden told the officials -- including Gov. John Bel Edwards, the CEOs of local hospitals and the energy company Entergy, members of Congress and local parish presidents -- that he thought it was important to rebuild damaged infrastructure in a more resilient manner, whether it meant placing power lines underground or making roofs stronger.
Connecting the recent devastation to the impact of climate change, Biden pitched the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that recently passed the Senate with bipartisan support, as well as a $3.5 trillion social spending bill backed by Democrats, saying the latter "calls for significant investment in being able to deal with what is about to come."
"Things are changing so drastically in terms of the environment," the president said. "We've already crossed certain thresholds. We can't build back a road, a highway, a bridge or anything to what it was before. I mean, you got to build back to what it is now, what’s needed now."
He made the same argument during remarks on the street in LaPlace, standing before a large, uprooted tree.
"We not only have to build back, we have to build back better than it was before," Biden said, using the slogan for his infrastructure program. "Better than it was before, so when [there's] another superstorm, there's not the damage done."
In his remarks, Biden spoke of the need to restore cellphone service so that residents could get in touch with loved ones, and so that they could learn about resources available to them.
He also said that, reportedly, some insurance companies may deny coverage unless the homeowner was under a mandatory evacuation order; some parishes in Louisiana did not issue mandatory orders in time to help residents qualify, Biden said.
"No one fled this killer storm because they were looking for a vacation or a road trip," the president said. "So, folks, they left their home because they left and they felt they had to flee the risk of death. There’s nothing voluntary about that. And so, I'm calling on private insurance companies: Don't hide behind the fine print and a technicality."
Air Force One touched down in New Orleans early Friday afternoon, where Biden was greeted by federal, state and local officials from Louisiana: Edwards, U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng.
After visiting LaPlace, Biden was scheduled to take an aerial tour of particularly battered communities in the area, including Lafitte, Grand Isle, Port Fourchon and Lafourche Parish, according to the White House.
Later, he planned to travel to Galliano, Louisiana, south of New Orleans, to meet with local leaders there.
The White House has sought to project a strong federal response to the storm as the president suffers from public disapproval of his handling of another recent crisis, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
During remarks Thursday, Biden told those in the Gulf region that "we're all in this together."
"The nation is here to help," he said.
Ida and its remnants have left more than at least 63 people dead in eight states, including at least 49 in the Northeast.
