By , Liz Torrey
Published June 22, 2016
Florida Gov. Rick Scott plans to appeal the Obama administration's decision not to declare a state of emergency for his state following the Orlando terror attack, a spokeswoman told FoxNews.com on Wednesday.
“We are very disappointed in the response from federal government and we will be appealing the decision,” said Lauren Schenone, press secretary for the Republican governor.
Declaring a state of emergency would potentially free up millions in additional federal funding, but the administration denied Scott's request on Monday.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest defended that decision on Tuesday, telling reporters, “This particular incident took place within a defined period of time, unlike other major incidents that were ongoing and required additional emergency federal support.”
Earnest added, “There may be additional federal assistance that can be provided to the state of Florida as they are dealing with what is admittedly a very difficult situation.”
He cited the FBI investigation and resources from the Department of Health and Human Services as examples.
Still, emergency declarations have been made in the past for events in a defined time period, including the Boston marathon bombing and even pre-emptively for President Obama’s inauguration in 2009.
Scott had earlier criticized the administration for denying his request.
“It is unthinkable that POTUS does not define the Orlando terror attack, the deadliest shooting in U.S. history, as an emergency,” he wrote on Twitter.
It is unthinkable that @POTUS does not define the Orlando terror attack, the deadliest shooting in U.S. history, as an emergency.
— Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) June 20, 2016
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/florida-gov-scott-to-appeal-feds-denial-of-emergency-declaration