US President Joe Biden on Friday along with First Lady Jill Biden went to Texas, marking his first trip to the state that was hit by a winter storm since he assumed office.

Speaking to storm victims, he pledged to stick with them “for the long haul.” Biden has promised that the federal government will be there for Texas for the recovery from the deadly storm and the COVID-19 pandemic. He was briefed by the emergency officials about the relief work and thanked the workers.  

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He said, “When a crisis hits our states, like the one that hit Texas, it’s not a Republican or Democrat that’s hurting. It’s our fellow Americans that are hurting and it’s our job to help everyone in need.”

The President first went to the Harris County Emergency Operations Center where he was briefed by Bob Fenton, acting FEMA Administrator along with state and local emergency management officials, reported AP. 

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Texas has been severely hit by the storm and many locals are struggling without clean safe water to drink. The Valentine’s week storm made conditions worse and resulted in multiple power outages and burst frozen pipes flooding homes. Atleast 40 people died due to a the storm. 

A million residents have been instructed to boil water before consuming it.  

Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall said, “The President has made very clear to us that in crisis like this, it is our duty to organise prompt and competent federal support to American citizens, and we have to ensure that bureaucracy and politics do not stand in the way.” 

President Biden later stopped at a mass coronavirus vaccination centre at NRG Stadium, run by the federal government. Democrat Biden suggested that he and Republicans Abbott and Cornyn could find a common cause in getting Americans vaccinated as quickly as possible.

Texas saw more than 1.4 million people without power and 3.5 million people with given boil-water notices at the peak of the deadly storm. 

The post-storm recovery debate in Texas is centred around making the state maintain its own electrical grid and be better prepared for storms with stronger infrastructure. 

Biden’s climate adviser has said the deadly winter storm is a “wake-up call” for the US and that they must build energy infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather conditions linked with climate change.