President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to storm-ravaged Texas on Friday to review the damage from last week’s winter blast that brought bitter-cold temperatures and caused widespread power and water outages in the Lone Star State, the White House announced on Tuesday.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during the daily news briefing that the president will meet with local leaders “to discuss the winter storm relief efforts” and the “incredible resilience shown by the people of Houston and Texas.”
While there, Biden will visit a coronavirus health center where the vaccine is being distributed.
In an interview on Sunday, Psaki suggested Biden could travel to Texas to show his support for Texans.
But she said, Biden was very mindful of the fact that it’s not a light footprint for a president to travel to a disaster area. He does not want to take away resources or attention.”
The president on Saturday signed a major disaster declaration for Texas that freed up federal funds to help the state recover and rebuild from the storm.