ICYMI: Sen. Cruz: Texas’ Main Priority is Preservation of Life; Thereafter We Will Rebuild
Appears on local and national TV and radio to discuss ongoing rescue and recovery efforts across the Gulf Coast region
HOUSTON, Texas – On Monday and Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) spoke with several radio and TV outlets to provide updates on local and state responses to the continuing rescue efforts for Texans affected by the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Harvey. Excerpts of Sen. Cruz's interviews and links to the full interviews can be found below.
Photos of Sen. Cruz’s visits may be viewed here.
On Corpus Christi's KIII-TV, Sen. Cruz discussed government officials’ priority to salvage those in need of rescue from the Harris County Emergency Operations Center:
“In the past 72 hours, I have had multiple conversations with President Trump, the Vice President, and multiple cabinet members, Secretaries, the Governor, and County Judges throughout the region. We have all been working towards our number one priority to marshal and deploy the assets, to engage in search and rescue missions and pull people out of life threatening situations. There’s still in a number of places in Texas, including Houston, where we still have a lot of people that are being rescued by boats and helicopters. First priority is obviously peoples’ lives and safety. Second priority is going to be rebuilding. There’s going to be a lot that needs to be done. When I spoke with President Trump he gave me his personal commitment that we would have full and swift and energetic support of the Federal government. I am grateful for that and will make sure that that happens. That way we’ll have all the resources we need in both Federal, State, and Local to rebuild from this disaster.”
On KTRH's Michael Berry Show in Houston, Sen. Cruz described his visit and interaction of Harvey victims at the Harris County Emergency Operations Center:
“Houston is my home and I love our city. And every time we face a natural disaster in the state of Texas, we consistently see Texans coming together. It's powerful and it's inspirational. It was person after person at the shelter, who you know I asked them their stories and they would describe water coming into their house. They fled and lost everything.”
Sen. Cruz continued, “And yet they were just grateful to be alive. They're grateful to have their kids. And it does put everything into perspective. It's obviously incredibly difficult and traumatic to lose your home or to lose everything you own, but you know possessions can be replaced, lives are irreplaceable. And that, even to the people who were scared, were so relieved to be safe and out of harm's way. There were two little kids, two little boys who I asked, if they had flooding in their house, 'Was it scary?' And they both laughed and said 'no it wasn't scary, I got to swim in my living room!'”
On KTSA's Trey Ware Morning Show in San Antonio, Sen. Cruz addresses concern of rising water levels:
“We’ve never seen anything like this. Areas that have never flooded are covered with water. The dams, have water right at the top or are overflowing, and they are working diligently on releasing it. It is a terrible tradeoff that they have to make because if they don’t release the water they are looking at very significant flooding right around the reservoir” said Sen. Cruz. “If they do release the water, then the risk is that the water will shoot right down Buffalo Bayou. Then you may be looking at some very significant flooding downtown. The Army Corps of Engineers and the county are trying to balance that and minimize the total damage, but any way you look at it it’s unprecedented.”
Watch Sen. Cruz’s full interviews below:
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