Absentee GOP: While Texans Reel In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Beryl, Gov. Abbott and Sen. Cruz Leave The State

Houston, TX – One week after Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas, thousands of Texans are reeling in the storm’s aftermath. Nearly 250,000 Houston residents are still without power, leaving residents facing extreme heat and under threat of carbon monoxide poisoning. At least two people in Harris County have already died from carbon monoxide poisoning. All of this comes less than two months after May’s severe storm left extensive damage and debris, resulting in a million homes and businesses without power, and six people dead. 

Meanwhile, Gov. Abbott left the country the Friday before Beryl was expected to hit, and Sen. Ted Cruz is now on his way to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. In contrast to Texas’ hurricane response in 2008, 2017, and 2020, the state was slow to request federal aid for Beryl, yet Gov. Abbott expressed no regret for being absent. After seeing the destruction caused by Beryl, and three years removed from his trip to Cancun as he left Texans suffering after severe weather that killed 246 people, Sen. Cruz continues with plans to address the RNC. Reps. Ronny Jackson of Amarillo, Monica de la Cruz of Edinburg, and Wesley Hunt of Houston have also left residents to fend for themselves while they attend the Republican Convention. 

“As Texans face our second severe storm in less than two months, the Texas absentee GOP is doing more of the same: putting its own interests over the wellbeing of the people of Texas,” said André Crombie, Climate Power’s States Interim Managing Director. “While Ted Cruz can easily leave the state to avoid extreme heat and power outages, millions of Texans do not have this option. They’re in desperate need of relief, yet Ted Cruz is focused on boosting his profile and currying favor with Trump. We call on Ted Cruz to cancel his plans to attend the RNC, and instead to turn his focus to providing much-needed assistance in Houston.” 

Within the GOP, Abbott and Cruz’s disregard for Texans in light of disaster stands out. The Houston Chronicle reported that in the face of Hurricane Gustav in 2008, former Gov. Rick Perry and former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist canceled plans to attend the Republican Convention. When Hurricane Beryl hit, Gov. Abbott shared a travel update from South Korea, and Ted Cruz recorded a podcast.

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