Texas Congressman Says Emergency Aid Will Help Texans Pay High Energy Bills After Deep Freeze

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“Yes, that’s the current plan with federal help – to be able to help homeowners fix it, because we have a lot of water leaks, a lot of water damage, pipes bursting, but also their electricity bills, “Texas Rep. Michael McCaul told CNN’s Dana Bash on” the State of the Union “when asked if a portion of the disaster funds would be used to help residents pay the bills.

Residents of the state reported unusually high energy bills after the freeze, which state officials said they were investigating, with Governor Greg Abbott calling an emergency meeting to review the situation.

“It is unacceptable that Texans who suffered for days in the freezing cold without electricity or heat are now hit by skyrocketing energy costs,” Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement Saturday.

President Joe Biden last week approved a major disaster declaration for Texas, freeing up more federal resources to help the state struggling to recover from deadly winter storms. The statement states that “assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover losses of uninsured property, and other programs to help individuals and business owners to recover from the effects of the disaster. ”

Biden’s declaration makes aid available to individuals in 77 counties in Texas, although Abbott has requested a declaration of major disaster for all 254 counties. The White House said it was working closely with Abbott and that more counties could be included after further damage assessment.

“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.

Dallas resident DeAndre Upshaw said he received a “very shocking” bill for $ 7,000 from his utility company.
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“While I try to fill up with gas and groceries and make sure my pipes don’t explode, the last thing I think of is a $ 7,000 bill from my utility company.” Upshaw told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Saturday.

Local state officials, meanwhile, suggest Texas should pay the high bills, with the Democratic mayor of Houston and the Republican mayor of Fort Worth urging the state to ease the burden on affected residents.

“For these exorbitant costs, it is not the consumers who should bear these costs … the bill should 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 step in to pay him.” The two said the biggest problem facing their cities now that power has been restored are plumbing issues due to broken pipes, limited repair resources and a continued lack of access to water.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg has said bluntly that there would be “hell to pay” if residents of the state were to face the bill for high electricity costs.

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“It would be unacceptable for the bills to go up and for the bills to be blamed on residents of the state who have been suffering and freezing their homes since last week through no fault of their own,” Nirenberg told CNN on Sunday. . “It was a total failure of the state’s energy management, and they must be held accountable.”

The mayor added: “There will be hell to pay if there is any idea that the people of this state should pay for this disaster.”

On Sunday, McCaul also slammed Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas who faces a backlash for flying to Cancun, Mexico, as the state suffered from the freeze, a move Cruz later regretted.

“I know Mr. Cruz called it a mistake and he admitted it, but I think it was a big mistake,” McCaul told Bash. “As for me, I was on the ground trying to help my people and my constituents and that is what we should be doing in times of crisis, just like we did in hurricane season.”

This story was updated with additional details on Sunday.

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