President Obama will not tour Louisa County during his upcoming visit to Virginia, spurning Gov. Bob McDonnell’s invitiation to survey damage caused by an August earthquake.
McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said he received word from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Friday that Obama had rejected his offer. The president is expected in Emporia, Va., on Tuesday before spending the night in Hampton as part of a bus tour to rally support for his jobs plan.
McDonnell, a Republican, was hoping to leverage the president’s visit to reverse FEMA’s decision to deny financial aid to the state for earthquake victims. His administration estimates the damage at $15 million and he is appealing the decision.
The 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit the small town of Marion in August and was felt throughout the East Coast. Because of the rarity of the disaster, few residents had insurance to cover it and volunteers were ill equipped to assist in the cleanup.
“The governor believes the president would have gained a valuable perspective on the matter by personally witnessing the damage, and hearing directly from residents,” Martin said. “Gov. McDonnell continues to believe that federal assistance should be provided to Louisa County in order to help residents recover from the historic and damaging August earthquake.”
Martin also announced Friday that McDonnell is donating $5,000 from his PAC, Opportunity Virginia, to assist the relief efforts.
