The Republican senator traveled to Mexico as voters in the state he represents freeze to death and suffer one of the worst energy crises in its history.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was photographed before boarding the plane to Cancun on Wednesday as voters in his state are without electricity, heat and clean water due to the damage left by a powerful winter storm.
“The photos speak for themselves,” said a Republican Party source.
Just confirmed @SenTedCruz and his family flew to Cancun for a few days tonight at a resort they previously visited. Cruz seems to believe he doesn’t have much to do in Texas for the millions of fellow Texans who are left without electricity / water and are literally freezing cold. pic.twitter.com/6nPiVWtdxe
– David Shuster (@DavidShuster) February 18, 2021
Cruz, who traveled with his wife Heidi and their two daughters, completely ignored the recommendations he made to Texans. “We saw 100 people lose their lives in Texas this week. So don’t take any chances. Protect your family, ”the senator said.
The senator’s trip was immediately criticized from representatives of the Democratic Party. Minneapolis representative Ilhan Omar noted that after George Floyd’s death riots, his office organized food drives and donated more than 20 tons of food to his community. Meanwhile, when millions of Texans lack electricity, heat and food, Ted Cruz heads to Cancun, ”he blamed.
The political cost to Cruz and Republicans can be enormous. While the senator went on vacation, Beto O’Rourke, who ran for Cruz’s seat in 2018 and lost by less than 200,000 votes, held a major event on Wednesday to raise money to help seniors during the Texas crisis. While no Senate seats will be played in the 2022 elections, Republicans must defend the position of Governor Greg Abbott, who is running for a third term. Cruz’s current crisis and actions, plus O’Rourke’s ongoing activism, could lead Democrats to gain the upper hand in this historic Republican stronghold.
It may interest you: Republicans made a deal with the devil
Cruz’s communications agency has not responded to the controversy over the senator’s photos on the way to Cancun. NBC journalist Jake Sherman suggests that after learning of the controversy over his trip, Cruz could be back in Texas by afternoon.
Texas is facing one of the worst energy crises in its history after a powerful winter storm. Energy companies had to make partial cuts since last weekend to prevent overheating of the system due to peaks in demand.
According to the site Poweroutage.us, which accounts for power outages in the United States, more than 674,000 subscribers in Texas were without power on Thursday morning. The power shortage was exacerbated by the closure of some gas-fired power plants and wind turbines due to weather conditions.
In addition, millions of Houstonians suffered a serious loss of water pressure, forcing authorities to boil it before drinking or using it for cooking.
The fear was evident at Lakewood Church in Houston, where many took refuge to escape the cold. 38-year-old David Hernández spent the night there after his car broke down. “I tried to sleep in the car, but it was too cold. All the liquids froze, so it was like sleeping in a freezer, ”he said. “I had to come here, I had no choice.”
We advise: Impeachment: The Secret Meeting Between Republicans and Republicans