Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) stated that the large energy outages brought on by snowstorms in Texas this week highlight skewed priorities throughout the Lone Star state that inept GOP leaders have targeted on.
“We are nearing a failed state in Texas,” O’Rouke advised MSNBC host Chris Hayes on Tuesday. “And it has nothing to do with God, or natural disasters. It has everything to do with the leadership and those in the positions of public trust who have failed us.”
O’Rouke argued that the blackouts hitting Texas have been avoidable, saying that the deregulation of the state’s electrical grid had resulted in many vitality corporations being unprepared for excessive climate occasions.
As of Wednesday morning, about 2.7 million households in Texans have been nonetheless left with out energy, in keeping with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
He additionally blamed Gov. Greg Abbott and different high Texas Republicans for specializing in “stupid culture battles.”
Among these battles, O’Rouke highlighted Abbott’s efforts to show Texas into a sanctuary state for the National Rifle Association, in addition to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s legislative precedence to require the Dallas Mavericks play the nationwide anthem throughout their basketball video games, dubbed the “Star-Spangled Banner Act.”
Instead of specializing in such issues, the Texas leaders ought to concentrate on extra vital issues comparable to COVID-19 vaccine distribution, the intense financial issues brought on by the pandemic and making certain that the state’s electrical grid is improved.
“The energy capitol of North America cannot provide the energy needed to warm and power people’s homes in this great state,” stated O’Rouke, who briefly sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Emphasizing that local weather change was positive to convey extra unpredictable climate disasters within the close to future, he added, “We know this stuff is coming. What we don’t know is whether or not leaders are prepared to make the tough political decisions to prepare us for that.”
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