Senator Ted Cruz Flees Texas Before Arctic Blast, Spotted Boarding Flight to Southern California

TEXAS — As forecasters warn Texans to prepare for dangerous cold, ice, and potential power outages, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was photographed Tuesday boarding a flight to Southern California, leaving the state just as communities brace for another climate-fueled extreme weather event.

Texas has endured repeated extreme weather emergencies in recent years — including deadly floods and winter storms — exposing the vulnerability of an electric grid and emergency response system that are unprepared for a changing climate. Rather than working to strengthen grid reliability or support climate solutions that protect families from extreme heat and cold, Senator Cruz has consistently opposed measures to modernize Texas’s energy infrastructure and consistently, conveniently left when “once in a lifetime storms” hit the state.

“When Texans are facing life-threatening conditions, they deserve leaders who show up, take responsibility, and fight for solutions that make our communities safer. Instead, Senator Cruz keeps leaving,” said Texas State Senator Sarah Eckhardt (District 14), a member of the state advisory board for Climate Power.

Cruz’s departure comes amid years of Washington Republicans’ efforts to weaken disaster preparedness, including moves to shrink FEMA’s capacity and slash funding that helps communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather. Texans have seen firsthand what happens when leaders treat disaster readiness like an optional expense, and Texas has experienced more weather-related power outages than any other state over the past two decades.

Texans deserve elected officials who confront the climate crisis head-on, invest in resilient infrastructure, and stand with their constituents when it matters most.

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