Bidens heading to Houston on Friday
President to discuss relief with local leaders during his first trip to Texas while in office
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are heading to Houston on Friday as Texas recovers from winter storms that left millions without power and water.
The White House announced the trip Tuesday. It is the president’s first trip to the state since he took office last month.
“The president will meet with local leaders to discuss the winter storm, relief efforts, progress toward recovery and the incredible resilience shown by the people of Houston and Texas,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
She said Biden will also visit a COVID health center where vaccines are being distributed, but did not specify which.
The trip comes as the president has declared a major disaster for 108 of the state’s 254 counties, with Gov. Greg Abbott and members of the Texas delegation urging him to expand it to cover the entire state.
“Although the initial effects of this unprecedented winter storm are beginning to dissipate, the entire state continues to reel from the aftermath that has left millions without power, potable water, and dwindling food supplies,” more than two dozen members of Congress from Texas wrote in a letter to Biden on Monday.
Psaki did not say Tuesday whether the president planned to expand the declaration further.
“In Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, sheltering operations continue to decrease, power and transportation are back to normal and water restoration continues,” Psaki said. “However, 9.8 million people are affected by water system outages and remain under boil water notices.”
She said 9 million liters of water have been delivered or are on the way to more than 200 locally managed water distribution sites.
Biden said last week he planned to visit Texas, but wanted to wait until his trip wouldn’t be a disruption.
“I had planned on visiting Texas in the middle of next week, but I don’t want to be a burden,” Biden said at the time. “When the president lands in a city in America, it has a long tail.”
The trip was getting some criticism from conservatives Tuesday. Rob Henneke, general counsel at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, tweeted: “Biden will find it 62 degrees & everything back to normal. Don’t see the point of the trip.”