Credits: APNews
The aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in Texas has sparked a contentious exchange between the White House and the state’s GOP leaders. The storm, which struck the Gulf Coast and left millions of residents without power, has led to disagreements over requests for federal assistance.
President Joe Biden revealed efforts to contact Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who has been on a trade mission in Asia since last week, to formally request a major disaster declaration to unlock federal aid. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Biden mentioned attempts to reach Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has been acting governor since Beryl made landfall on Monday. They eventually connected the following day.
However, Texas leaders have challenged Biden’s account of the events during the hurricane recovery, which has left many coastal residents potentially facing days or weeks without electricity.
“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,” Biden told the newspaper on Tuesday. Abbott, in an interview from Japan on Wednesday with Austin television station KTBC, countered by stating that Biden has previously contacted him on the same number during past disasters in Texas, but did not call this time during Beryl.
“I know for an absolute 100% certainty, the only person to drop the ball is Joe Biden by making up some bizarre lie,” Abbott said. “And why he would do that? I have no idea.”
Patrick stated that he spoke with Biden on Tuesday and that the president granted Texas’ request for a disaster declaration. Patrick explained that the state needed to assess its needs before making a formal request. Texas has previously sought federal help before hurricanes made landfall, including before Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Rafael Lemaitre, FEMA’s former national director of public affairs, told the Houston Chronicle that major disaster declarations do not require a complete on-the-ground assessment beforehand. Governors can request aid and update their requests as more information becomes available.
Beverly Cigler, a professor emerita at Penn State University specializing in emergency management, noted that FEMA typically positions responders and aid before a hurricane hits. An initial damage assessment is completed post-disaster, 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 said. “But a president has to wait to have a disaster request from the state to really get aid going in a big way.”
As of Thursday, about half a million Houston-area homes and businesses remain without electricity, exacerbating the frustration of residents enduring the summer heat.
