Elizabeth Conley/AP
Within the aftermath of the historic winter storm that knocked out Texas’ energy grid and hobbled its water provide, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) flew to Texas to hitch her home colleagues Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvia Garcia (D-Tex.) in volunteering at a meals financial institution in Houston.
We hit $3.2 MILLION in Texas aid help final evening!
One of many locations it’s going is the Houston Meals Financial institution. I’m visiting Reps. @JacksonLeeTX18 & @LaCongresista with volunteers to pack meals.
The financial institution REALLY wants serving to arms.
Are you able to be part of a shift? https://t.co/93wBfD4YdI pic.twitter.com/62AvCb4CL7
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 20, 2021
Not solely have been hundreds of thousands of Texans left in the dead of night and with out operating water, the catastrophe has additionally spurred a disaster with strains at meals banks wrapping round metropolis blocks throughout the state.
With the absence of state and native politicians, mutual assist networks and organizations stepped as much as carry badly-needed provides to these affected. And now Democrats in Congress are becoming a member of in—even those that are struggling as nicely. “Like lots of you, I nonetheless don’t have operating water and am utilizing rain water to flush my bathroom,” Rep. Garcia mentioned on Twitter.
Like lots of you, I nonetheless don’t have operating water and am utilizing rain water to flush my bathroom.
I’ll proceed combating laborious in Washington to make sure that now we have energy again in our houses, meals on the desk, and heat locations to sleep.
We are going to get via this collectively. pic.twitter.com/xVlHWHTw1W
— Rep. Sylvia Garcia (@RepSylviaGarcia) February 18, 2021
The Democratic representatives lending a hand on the meals financial institution stands in stark distinction to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) The senator, who lives in Houston together with his spouse and daughters, has confronted a storm of criticism this week after getting caught flying together with his household to Cancun, Mexico for a bit of relaxation and rest whereas on a regular basis Texans froze of their houses.
Nobody expects any single politician, whether or not they symbolize Texas or not, to single-handedly repair all of state’s issues on their very own, particularly members of Congress who should not concerned in state-level politics. Nevertheless it creates an fascinating cut up display screen. Democratic representatives are elevating cash and handing out meals to determined individuals. When Cruz was compelled to chop his trip brief, he flew house and did what any seasoned politician does in time of disaster—he went on Fox Information.
