President Joe Biden says he is making a major disaster declaration for Texas, which will pave the way for more federal resources, and plans to visit the state at a time when it will not interfere with the response to the disaster.
The disaster declaration will unlock more Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resources for Texas. The president said he would sign the declaration on Friday, after signing an emergency declaration for the state five days ago.
The president also said that he plans to visit Texas, but wants to wait until his presence is not a burden or disrupts the disaster response.
“I am thinking of going,” Biden said of a possible trip to Texas, adding that he will wait for the right moment and does not want to be a “burden” during ongoing relief efforts.
Texas is in a state of emergency after a winter storm cut power and created water problems for millions of Texans. Conditions continue to freeze and the storm-related death count continues to rise. Hospitals have treated hundreds of Texans for exposure to cold and carbon monoxide poisoning use generators and cars in a desperate attempt to stay warm.
About 12 million people are under warnings to boil their water, according to the state.
Meanwhile, Texas senator Ted Cruz is dealing with the consequences of leaving his state and going to Mexico in the midst of the crisis. Cruz returned from his brief trip to Cancún on Thursday, interrupting a trip that CBS News said was scheduled for Saturday. He has called the trip “error”.