Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: Federal response to Harvey “A-plus” effort,
WASHINGTON — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott loaded heavy praise Sunday on President Donald Trump and the federal government for its response to Hurricane Harvey, describing an “A-plus” effort with the storm only just beginning to take its catastrophic toll.
Trump agreed his administration was handling its responsibilities well, approving of the effort in a series of weekend tweets that showcased his personal involvement. He marveled over the size of the storm and, in a tangential aside, hawked a book on race and crime in America written by a supporter.
Trump, who spent most of the weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David, plans to travel to the area on Tuesday, the White House announced.
He convened a Cabinet meeting by telephone Sunday with Vice President Mike Pence.
The devastating storm has dumped more than 2 feet of rain, sending thousands of people in Houston to rooftops for rescue and prompting a warning from Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, of a “landmark event” that could require years to get damaged areas back on track.
“I've got to tell you, I give FEMA a grade of A-plus, all the way from the president down,” Abbott said. “I've spoken to the president several times, to his Cabinet members, such as secretary of homeland security, such as the administrator of FEMA, such as Tom Price, the secretary of health and human services.”
“All across the board, from the White House to the federal administration to FEMA, they've been very helpful,” Abbott said.
Harvey made landfall along the Gulf Coast on Friday night as a Category 4 storm near Corpus Christi and moved northeast along the Texas coast over Houston. Abbott said he expected heavy rain “for days to come.”
In his tweets, Trump praised Long for “doing a great job” and touted the “great coordination between agencies at all levels of government.” He also tweeted Sunday morning about his Cabinet meeting to address Harvey.
“Major rescue operations underway!” he wrote.