Biden to declare major disaster for Texas amid crippling freeze

 

WHITE HOUSE

Biden to declare major disaster for Texas amid crippling freeze

 

The president said he intends to travel to the state in the coming days.

 

President Joe Biden told reporters Friday that he will travel to Texas as the state remains locked in the throes of a dayslong freeze that’s brought power and water systems to their knees and endangered millions.

 

By NICK NIEDZWIADEK

02/19/2021 12:39 PM EST

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/19/biden-declare-texas-major-disaster-470173

 

President Joe Biden told reporters Friday that he will travel to Texas as the state remains locked in the throes of a days-long freeze that’s brought power and water systems to their knees and endangered millions.

 

“I plan on going,” the president said after delivering a virtual address to the Munich Security Conference. Biden added that he plans to visit Texas next week in order to minimize the logistical burden that accompanies any presidential visit on already strained resources in the state.

 

"I don't want to be a burden," Biden said. "When the president lands in a city in America, it has a long tail."

 

The president also said he would sign a major disaster declaration for Texas as early as Friday afternoon and that he spoke to Gov. Greg Abbott Thursday night about the situation in the state. Abbott had previously said he requested the declaration during his conversation with the president.

 

Biden, in a phone call with acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton, said he was ready to mobilize other federal agencies to address the situation in Texas, according to a White House readout of the call released later Friday. He told Fenton he would sign the major disaster declaration as soon as FEMA sent over the request.

 

Biden signed a separate emergency declaration earlier this week as the crisis was unfolding, though that one had a monetary cap on the amount of assistance the federal government can provide. Declaring a major disaster frees up the government to provide additional aid.

 

Much of Texas has been gripped by rolling blackouts and water outages as the state’s utilities were unable to accommodate the surge in demand that resulted from a devastating winter storm that brought snow and sub-freezing temperatures to a state unaccustomed to such weather.

 

A number of people have died due to hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning and other causes related to the extreme weather.

 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has faced a firestorm of criticism for jetting off to Mexico with his family this week while millions of Texas are in crisis, a decision which he apologized for upon cutting short his trip once it publicly surfaced.