Texas Republican state deputy Jeff Leach called on Senator Ted Cruz to fly to Cancun, Mexico, amid the ongoing winter storm that left millions of people without power and heating at low temperatures. Meanwhile, a second Texas Republican is facing a negative reaction for leaving the state on Wednesday, while his voters faced the crisis.
In a Friday appearance on CNN, Leach said he “was not happy with” Cruz’s trip and asked state elected officials to “show up and be present”.
“I was not happy with that and it was a mistake on his part. I am happy to know that he admitted last night that it was a mistake when he returned,” he said. “I will tell you something, in this country now, we have many challenges. But I believe that the biggest problem in this country to be solved is the lack of confidence that people have in their elected officials and in their manufacturing policies at all levels. . “
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He added: “It is important for us to show up, to be present, a large part of the leadership is to be present and, as a state representative for more than 200,000 people here north of Dallas, I am here, I am present, I am on site, I am available. I work for people, not the other way around. They are the bosses, not the other way around. It is important for us, as legislators, to go to work and do our jobs. “
Newsweek contacted Cruz’s office for comment.
When Cruz returned to his home in Houston on Thursday, he was met by angry protesters, assembled in the cold clamor for his resignation.
“Look, it was obviously a mistake,” said the Texas senator. “Looking back, I wouldn’t have done that. I was trying to be a father. And we all make decisions, when you have two girls who have been cold for two days and have no heat or energy and they’re saying, ‘Hey, look , we don’t have a school, why don’t we go, let’s get out of here. ‘ I think a lot of parents would say, ‘If I can do this, great.’ That’s what I wanted to do. “
Meanwhile, Texas Republican Party representative Gary Gates was also criticized for swapping his District 28 House voters for Orlando. Gates flew to Florida on his private jet on Wednesday.
Gates defended the trip amid growing criticism, noting that the pipes in his house had burst before the trip. He insisted that he was prioritizing the needs of his immediate family during a time when his home had flooded.
“My wife is still recovering from an illness she has been fighting for two weeks, and my adult daughter’s room, which is mentally handicapped and still lives with us, has flooded,” he said, according to Houston Chronicle.
Brian Walz, who lives in District 28, responded to the news about Gates. “It really would have been nice to have a state representative helping out on the spot, working at a heating center, packing food, etc., instead of immediately (flying) on a private plane when things got worse,” Walz said. Chronicle. “My neighbors were unable to do that when the pipe burst.”