Sen. Cruz: ‘Texas Will Come Back Stronger Than Ever With the Help of the Men and Women of the U.S. Coast Guard’
Surveys hurricane damage along the Gulf Coast; tours U.S. Coast Guard Emergency Operations Center
HOUSTON, Texas - On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) visited with members of the U.S. Coast Guard at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base. There, Sen. Cruz met with Captain Kevin Oditt, commander of Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston, and joined a helicopter crew in flight where he surveyed the impact of the storm on the Houston-Galveston region.
Later, Sen. Cruz greeted returning rescue swimmers, pilots, and maintenance crews from units across the country and thanked them for saving countless lives across the Texas coast. Sen. Cruz then met with Master Chief Stillet before touring the U.S. Coast Guard Emergency Operations Center with Vice Admiral Karl Schultz.
Still photos and video of Sen. Cruz's visit may be viewed here.
"It is an honor to stand among these incredible heroes," Sen. Cruz said. "The selfless service and sacrifice of the U.S. Coast Guardsmen in the midst of this crisis, has saved countless lives. Hurricane Harvey, a category four hurricane, was a 500 year storm. It has devastated entire communities along the Texas Gulf Coast. From Port Aransas, to Rockport, to Corpus Christi and Victoria, we've seen tremendous wind and tidal surge damage. In Houston up through Beaumont, we've seen unprecedented and life-threatening flooding. Through it all we have seen over 7,000 high water rescues. Yet even in the face of disaster, Texans are coming together. Every day, every hour, every minute, we see incredible acts of heroism. Texas will come back stronger than ever in large part due to the help of the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard."
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