TREUPBTOR VICTORIA DEFRANCES CO
SOTO.
AND ANNA PALMER JOINS US THIS
MORNING.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS APPROVED
A MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION FOR
MUCH OF TEXAS FOLLOWING THE
WINTER STORM THAT LEFT MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER WITH
FREEZING TEMPERATURES.
GROCERY STORES WILL BE RESTOCKED
NOW THAT ROAD CONDITIONS ARE
SAFE FOR DELIVERIES.
BUT THIS MORNING MILLIONS OF
TEXANS STILL DON’T HAVE ACCESS
TO SAFE OR DRINKABLE WATER.
3.5 MILLION BOTTLES OF WATER
HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE
STATE.
LAST WEEK’S MAJOR WINTER STORM
COST DOZENS OF DEATH IN TEXAS.
A 69-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS FOUND DEAD
INSIDE HIS HOME.
HE DIDN’T HAVE ELECTRICITY.
HIS BEDROOM WAS 35 DEGREES WHEN
THEY FOUND HIM.
IN ABILENE, AUTHORITIES SAY A
60-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS FOUND DEAD
IN HIS HOME, AS WELL AS AN
86-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHOSE DAUGHTER
FOUND HER FROZEN IN THE
BACKYARD.
AND THE FAMILY OF 11-YEAR-OLD
CRISTIAN PAVAN IS SUING THE
POWER COMPANY AFTER HIS MOTHER
FOUND HIM DEAD IN THEIR FREEZING MOBILE HOME.
MOBILE HOME.
HE DECIDE DUE TO HYPOTHERMIA
AFTER THEY LOST POWER.
WHAT COUNTRY IS THIS?
.
>> THESE ARE HEADLINES FROM
THIRD-WORLD COUNTRIES.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH TEXAS?
THREE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE
DON’T HAVE DRINKING WATER RIGHT
NOW IN TEXAS?
11-YEAR-OLDS FREEZING TO DEATH
INSIDE THEIR OWN HOMES?
WHAT IS WRONG WITH TEXAS?
-- WHAT HAVE THE LEADERS OF THE
STATE OF TEXAS DONE OR NOT DONE
THE PAST 20 YEARS TO ALLOW
TEXANS TO SUFFER LIKE THIS?
>> JOE, IT’S EXACTLY THAT.
WHAT THEY HAVE NOT DONE.
BACK IN 1999 UNDER GEORGE W.
BUSH WHEN HE WAS GOVERNOR OF THE
STATE, THE STATE OF TEXAS
DEREGULATED ITS ENERGY MARKET.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE
FREE MARKET HAD COMPLETE REIGN
OVER THE ELECTRIC COMPANIES, THE
PROCESSING OF THE DELIVERY OF
ENERGY.
THAT’S ALL FINE AND WELL.
IT MAKES FOR CHEAPER PRICES.
IT WORKS UNTIL IT DOESN’T WORK.
IT FALTERED IN 2013 WHEN WE HAD
MASSIVE BLACKOUTS.
AND THEN WE SAW THE TRAGEDY OF
LAST WEEK.
THIS TIME LAST WEEK, THIS HOUSE
WAS DARK.
I WOKE UP TO A FREEZING HOUSE
WITH MILLIONS OF OTHER TEXANS.
WHAT IS SO FRUSTRATING, WHAT
ANGERS ME SO MUCH IS THIS COULD
HAVE BEEN AVERTED.
IT WAS A PERFECT STORM.
WE HAD DEREGULATED.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAD GONE
AT IT ALONE IN DECIDING TO BE
OUR OWN GRID AND SHUNNING HAVING
ANY BACKUP TO THE TWO OTHER
MAJOR GRIDS OF THIS COUNTRY.
YOU HAVE BOTH OF THESE THINGS WORKING AGAINST US AND OUR STATE
WORKING AGAINST US AND OUR STATE
LEADERS IGNORING ALL THE WARNING
WARNING.
OF THE CHRISTIAN, OF THE ELDERLY
FOLKS.
SOME FOLKS STILL WITHOUT
ELECTRICITY.
IT’S BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF
LEADERSHIP.
>> WELL, SPEAKING OF LEADERSHIP,
TED CRUZ, WHEN HIS HOUSE WAS
FREEZING, JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE
WHO DIED, A WOMAN WHO WAS FOUND
IN HER BACKYARD, THE MAN FOUND
IN HIS HOUSE, THE LITTLE BOY WHO
DIED IN HIS HOME, TED KRUSZ LEFT
HIS FREEZING HOUSE AND WENT TO
CANCUN.
NOW THE SENATOR SEEMINGLY IN
DAMAGE CONTROL MODE AFTER
RUSHING BACK AND POSTING PHOTOS
OVER THE WEEKEND OF HIMSELF
LOADING WATER INTO TEXANS’ CARS
WITH THE HASHTAG TEXAS STRONG.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
MANY ONLINE CRITICIZED THE MOVE
AS SIMPLY A PHOTO-OP.
OBVIOUSLY IT IS.
HE WASN’T PLANNING ON BEING
THERE.
HE WAS GOING TO BE ON THE BEACH
WITH HIS FAMILY.
SOME POINTING OUT HE BROKE
QUARANTINE PROTOCOL AFTER
TRAVELING INTERNATIONAL.
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ AND
BETO O’ROURKE, WHO CURRENTLY
DOES NOT EVEN HOLD PUBLIC OFFICE