The president also said that he would sign a major disaster declaration for Texas on Friday afternoon and that he spoke with Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday night about the situation in the state. Abbott had previously said that he had asked for the statement during his conversation with the president.
Biden signed a separate emergency statement earlier this week as the crisis unfolded, although it had a monetary cap on the amount of assistance the federal government can provide. Declaring a major disaster frees the government to provide additional assistance.
Much of Texas was hit by blackouts and water cuts, as state utilities were unable to accommodate the surge in demand resulting from a devastating winter storm that brought snow and sub-zero temperatures to a state not used to it. climate.
Several people died from hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning and other causes related to extreme weather.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) faced a storm of criticism for flying to Mexico with his family this week, while millions of Texas are in crisis, a decision he apologized for interrupting his trip as soon as it was made public.