“Yes, that’s the current plan with federal aid – to help the homeowners recover, because we have a lot of water leaks, a lot of water damage, burst pipes, but also their electricity bills,” Texas Rep. Michael McCaul told CNN’s Dana Bash about ‘State of the Union’ when asked if some of the disaster funds would be used to help residents pay the bills.
“It is unacceptable that Texans who have suffered through the days in the freezing cold without electricity or heat are now being hit by rising energy costs,” Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement Saturday.
Biden’s statement makes help available to individuals in 77 counties in Texas, although Abbott requested a major disaster statement for all 254 counties. The White House said it was working closely with Abbott, and more counties could be included after further assessment of the damage.
“While this partial approval is an important first step, Texas will continue to work with our federal partners to ensure that all eligible Texans have access to the relief they need,” the governor said in the statement. .
“While I’re trying to get gas and groceries and making sure my pipes don’t explode, the last thing I think about is a $ 7,000 bill from my utility company,” Upshaw told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield.
However, state officials in the state are proposing that Texas pay for the high bills, with the Democratic mayor of Houston and the Republican mayor of Fort Worth urging the state to lift the burden on affected residents.
“For these exorbitant costs, it’s not the consumers who have to accept the costs … the bill has to go to the state of Texas,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told CBS on Sunday.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price echoed Turner, saying, “We expect the state to act to pay for it.” The two said the biggest problem facing their cities after electricity has been repaired is problems with plumbing due to broken pipes, limited repair resources and constant lack of water access.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg has bluntly said that “hell must be paid” if residents of the state are expected to pay the bill for increased electricity costs.
“It would be unscrupulous that bills go up and that bills are put on the backs of state residents who have suffered and frozen their homes over the past week, without their own guilt,” Nirenberg told CNN on Sunday. . “It was a total failure by the state’s energy management, and they must be held accountable.”
The mayor added: “Hell will have to pay if there is an idea that the people of this state have to pay for this disaster.”
“I know that Mr. “Cruz called it a mistake and that he was in possession of it, but I think it was a big mistake,” McCaul told Bash. “As for me, I was on the ground helping my people and my voters, and that’s what we would have to do in a time of crisis, just like during the hurricane season.”
This story was updated on Sunday with additional details.