Biden says feds will help for ‘long haul’ in Texas recovery
President visits Houston, assessing storm devastation
President Joe Biden looked straight into the eyes of Marvin Lovick and listened to him explain how he and others have been doing everything they can since the deadly winter freeze to get food to those in need.
As Biden toured the Houston Food Bank on Friday, he said the nation already had so many children who go to bed hungry each night and praised Lovick, who is a retiree, and other volunteers for working around the clock since the storms, when the need is even greater.
“Thank you man,” Biden told Lovick. It wasn’t just Lovick. Biden, wearing a protective mask, walked up and down lines of volunteers assembling food distribution boxes and gave them hugs, fist bumps and elbow bumps.
For Biden, Friday was the first time he’d been able to get on the ground in Texas to assess the devastation after millions of people were left without power and water for days following frigid temperatures that blasted the entire state.
Biden and first lady Jill Biden toured the Harris County Emergency Operations Center just before meeting with volunteers at the food bank. He wrapped up his visit by going to NRG Stadium, where the Federal Emergency Management Agency has helped set up a mass vaccination site that can provide 6,000 COVID-19 shots a day.
“Jill and I wanted to visit Texas today, first and foremost, to let the people of Texas know our prayers are with you,” said Biden, now in his sixth week in office.
But the Democrat also said the federal government sees the dire need and will be a partner “for the long haul” to help recover and rebuild.
“We will be true partners to help you cover the bill for the storm and this pandemic,” Biden said.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a fellow Democrat, said there’s a symbolic message in Biden coming to Texas and showing support. But she stressed that the state and the nation’s third most populous county are also getting real commitments from the federal government to be on the ground and help in the long term.
FEMA has already delivered millions of gallons of water and food and is providing direct assistance to help homeowners who lack insurance repair damage from the storm, said Biden, who was accompanied by Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton.
“Them coming gives hope,” Hidalgo said. “It’s a community that needs hope. It’s a community that’s been, just been torn down so many times now. It’s just disaster after disaster.”
The region experienced major flooding in 2015 and 2016 and was affected by severe tropical storms or hurricanes in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, both Republicans, were with Biden for parts of the day. At the Harris County Emergency Operations Center, Biden said that when Abbott called him as the disaster was unfolding, he committed to helping with anything he needed.
“He said ‘Yes’ before I even asked the question,” Abbott said as Biden patted him on the back.
Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told Biden that the damage from the winter storms is going to take much longer to fully determine. He said there are hundreds of school districts that are still assessing damaged buildings.
“We have a lot of families and businesses and importantly schools that have not yet been able to submit their damage assessments to us,” Kidd said. “We’ve got a long way to go. Mr. President, I know we can get through this together and we’ve just got to keep going.”
For Biden, the presence of conservative Republicans such as Abbott and Cornyn helped him make a point that was a key component to his campaign for the White House last year.
“We’re not here today as Democrats or Republicans,” Biden said. “We’re here today as Americans.”
He stressed that while he differs on many issues with the state’s Republican leaders, there are many matters on which they can work together. Biden said he was struck by all the people who are volunteering their time to help their neighbors, and he pointed to the people at the food bank as evidence.
“An incredible operation,” Biden said.
While every president is expected to serve as a comforter in chief during times of tragedy, advisers said Biden particularly craves the one-on-one experiences on the ground to understand the magnitude of problems.
“It’s important to him to hear directly from people on what their needs are,” said Jen Psaki, the White House communications director.
Biden is no stranger to Houston. During his final stop of the day, at the vaccination site at NRG Stadium, he recalled coming to the city when his eldest son, Beau, was being treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center for brain cancer. Beau Biden died in 2015. The president spoke of his determination to end cancer.
He also spoke of the deadly pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 500,000 people in the United States, including more than 43,000 Texans.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that about 47.2 million Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the New York Times reported. Biden stressed that mobile vaccination centers are allowing many more to get vaccinated.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Biden said.
But Biden warned that cases and hospitalizations are still at danger of spiking again with new variants of the coronavirus emerging.
Said Biden: “The worst thing we can do right now is let our guard down.”