Posted on 02/21/2021 12:24:12 PM PST by USA Conservative
President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for only 77 of Texas’ 254 counties in order to focus on the “hardest hit” parts of the state, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday.
Biden’s disaster declaration, issued last Friday, offers much less than what Texas officials had requested.
Gov. Greg Abbott had asked for a declaration that covered the entire state, as Texans reel from a winter storm that knocked out power and heat across the state, and left millions without safe drinking water.
The declaration Biden signed late Friday covers much of the Texas population, including Dallas and neighboring counties, and the counties that include Houston, San Antonio and Austin. But it falls far short of what Texas officials sought. The assistance can include grants for temporary housing, home repairs, and low-cost loans.
“This partial approval is an important first step,” Abbott said on Saturday.
Biden signed it late Friday, after telling reporters earlier that he would do so as soon as the Federal Emergency Management Agency put the request on his desk. The White House and FEMA offered no explanation for withholding the major disaster declaration from the rest of Texas.
“I thank President Biden for his assistance as we respond to impacts of winter weather across our state,” Abbott said in a statement. “Texas will continue to work with our federal partners to ensure all eligible Texans have access to the relief they need. The funds provided under the Major Disaster Declaration may provide crucial assistance to Texans as they begin to repair their homes and address property damage.”
If President Trump had refused to provide disaster relief for 177 counties the Texas Tribune would be in each county sharing the stories of average Texans struggling to stay warm, feed their families, and pay their bills. Since Biden refused to provide relief: silence.
This news comes after Biden’s administration didn’t allow Texas power plants to operate at 100% capacity during the polar vortex resulting in massive power outages.
Biden’s DOE refused Governor Abbott’s request and instead offered to allow certain power generation facilities a waiver if they raised the prices they charged to Texans to more than $1,500/MWh resulting in massive statewide power outages and a failure of the grid.
Images below:
The truth is that the federal government controls how Texas generates electricity – the mix of sources and the capacity of each. The DOE requires that Texas’ fossil fuel power generators operate far below their maximum output.
Gov. Abbott knew that if the EPA would allow our natural gas and coal power plants to operate at peak efficiency they could meet 110% of the demand the state faced last week. The EPA refused.
Sadly, Biden’s acting EPA chief, David Huizenga, is not an expert at power generation but instead an expert with nuclear waste management. When Gov. Abbott received the EPA’s refusal he knew Texas was in trouble and there was nothing he could do about it.
To put the DOE’s actions in context their demand that generators sell their additional capacity at $1500/MWh is like telling gas stations they can sell gas to consumers at $1500/gallon – it was a price so high it was basically saying, “no, you can’t increase capacity”
While Texas lost much of our renewable supply (wind and solar) Texas natural gas and coal are required to operate at 60% capacity to reduce emissions. They CAN operate at 100% if they get a waiver from the federal government as Abbott requested but Biden refused.
The Green New Deal at work. He’s throttling our energy independence with his actions.
Republicans have to obey the Laws and regs ‘Rats write.
‘Rats don’t.
It would be interesting who told Biden to do this, as he’s not up to figuring something like that out himself. It would be interesting to know the Who and the Why, but journalist quit writing serious investigative pieces when they turned to hit pieces and smear tactics.
What the hell is wrong with him other than his flipping demented brain. ?
Obama did the same thing she Texas got in trouble. red state.
Agree!
Republicans should expect Biden to try to undermine Texas and plan accordingly. They still don’t get what we’re up against with this Democrat party.
First of all Biden did not order ERCOT to initiate rolling blackouts. Secondly governor Abbet could not have stopped the electric grid here in Texas from operating at peak efficiency. Thirdly even if he had it would’ve overloaded the entire grid and created complete blackouts for all of Texas lasting weeks perhaps months.
It might seem like a good idea to blame Joe Biden for what happened. But it wouldn’t be true.
I would put nothing past this illegitimate president.
Obama’s fingerprints are all over this catastrophe just like when he denied Texas federal help for the terrible drought and wildfires while he was the official president.
Just who is really calling the shots in the White House?
Thanks for your comment because it wasn’t making sense to me that Biden could just decree this disaster and the governor would obey.
See-How-Much-Politicians-Care-About-You BUMP
Agree.
Very good question!
I would have told Bidget to stuff it.
It would also be a good idea to figure out
the loyalties of the National guard, so you
can disarm all Federal police on Texas soil.
Then escort all active duty military personnel off Texas territory. Our military is disarmed on base.
Order confiscation of all federal taxes generated in Texas.
Control all access to Texas, roads, air, water, and however
else they will cross.
These are things he can do without firing a shot.
There you go trollin’ again/still.
Your left lib odors are not welcome here.
Abbott should have worried about asking for forgiveness, not permission.
The substance of the article correctly describes the EPA order that was given -did you not read it or as others suggest are you just a liberal troll. The 4 page EPA order does exactly what was described, let them operate to meet the needs but only if they were to charge exorbitant prices. This egregious act by the Biden administration needs to be clearly examined and investigated for the effect it had in causing the catastrophic damage to Texas.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.