Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) is certain a visit from President Joe Biden would not be a “distraction” after water shortages and power outages crippled Texas due to winter storms.
“We certainly would welcome him and he would not be a distraction, neither a burden,” Turner said during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
He continued, “With so many homes across the city having pipes that burst because of the frigid weather, and major leaks, major water damage, we need a lot of plumbing materials and supplies right now. We have a number of licensed plumbers but could use even more… We are needing water as well for people across the board.”
Watch his remarks below:
"He would not be a distraction," Houston's @SylvesterTurner says of a potential @potus visit to Texas.
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 21, 2021
Says his area needs plumbing supplies and materials more than anything pic.twitter.com/HX8mJE1g7L
On Friday, the president announced he will approve a disaster declaration for Texas, as IJR reported.
“As I said when I ran, I’m going to be a president for all Americans,” Biden said.
Of his Texas visit he explained, “If I can do it without creating a burden for folks, I plan on going.”
Power has been restored to most homes, but there is still concern surrounding the water supply as millions of residents are being advised to boil water before they use it, as IJR reported.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) received backlash for taking a trip to Cancun as winter storms crippled the state.
He said his daughters “asked to take a trip with friends” and “wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon.”
He later claimed he “initially planned to stay through the weekend and to work remotely there.”
Cruz added, “But, as I was heading down there, you know, I started to have second thoughts almost immediately because the crisis here in Texas, you need to be here on the ground. And as much as you can do by phone and Zoom, it’s not the same as being here.”
