The devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl in Texas has ignited a clash between the White House and Texas’s GOP leaders. The storm, which battered the coast and left millions around Houston without power, has led to a disagreement over federal aid.
Biden’s Efforts to Reach Texas Leaders
President Joe Biden stated he attempted to contact Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who has been on a trade mission in Asia since last week, to request a major disaster declaration, which would unlock federal aid. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Biden mentioned he also tried reaching Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has been acting governor since Beryl’s landfall on Monday. They eventually connected the next day.
Texas Leaders Respond
Both Abbott and Patrick have challenged Biden’s account amid the hurricane recovery efforts. Biden told the newspaper, “I’ve been trying to track down the governor to see — I don’t have any authority to do that without a specific request from the governor.”
Governor Abbott, speaking from Japan to Austin’s KTBC, asserted that Biden never called the phone number he has used in previous disasters. “I know for an absolute 100% certainty, the only person to drop the ball is Joe Biden by making up some bizarre lie,” Abbott stated.
Lt. Gov. Patrick confirmed he spoke with Biden on Tuesday and that the president granted Texas’s request for a disaster declaration. Patrick explained that the state needed to assess its needs before making a formal request. Historically, Texas has sought federal aid before hurricanes make landfall, such as before Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Expert Opinions on Disaster Declarations
Rafael Lemaitre, FEMA’s former national director of public affairs, emphasized that major disaster declarations can be requested without a complete on-the-ground assessment. Governors can amend their requests as more information surfaces.
Public policy professor Beverly Cigler from Penn State noted that FEMA usually positions responders and aid before hurricanes hit. An initial damage assessment is conducted once the disaster occurs, and if it meets the emergency declaration threshold, the governor sends the assessment to the White House for review.
“Everything is done well ahead of time,” Cigler explained. “But a president has to wait to have a disaster request from the state to really get aid going in a big way.”
Current Situation in Houston
As of Wednesday evening, over 1.4 million customers and businesses in the Houston area remain without power, according to Poweroutage.us. The recovery process continues, with both state and federal officials working to restore normalcy to the affected regions.