Ocasio-Cortez raises $1 million for Texas relief, plans trip to Houston

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) late Thursday raised $1 million for Texas relief organizations that are working to help the people suffering from the record-setting winter storm, and said she will make a trip to Houston this weekend.

“$1M raised in direct relief for Texans in less than a day,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “As a thank you to everyone who contributed & amplified, I’ll be going to Texas this weekend to visit w/ @LaCongresista in Houston & highlight what’s happening on the ground.”

Totally blown away.

$1M raised in direct relief for Texans in less than a day.

As a thank you to everyone who contributed & amplified, I’ll be going to Texas this weekend to visit w/ @LaCongresista in Houston & highlight what’s happening on the ground. https://t.co/DSkTSqfbkZ

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 19, 2021

Many Texans are suffering through an unprecedented winter storm that has devastated the state and many others, leaving almost 50 dead and millions without power or water.

The money Ocasio-Cortez raised is being split between The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, Ending Community Homeless Coalition, Family Eldercare, Houston Food Bank and Feeding Texas.

The storm left much of Texas with freezing cold temperatures that have frozen water pipes in many homes and caused some to burst. Dozens have died due to complications involving the arctic freeze.

The moves from Ocasio-Cortez come as many are calling for Texas leadership to resign, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R) after he left the state during the storm to take his daughters to Cancun, Mexico. 

“I was trying to be a dad,” Cruz said to defend his actions. “And all of us have made decisions — when you got two girls who have been cold for two days and haven’t had heat or power and they’re saying, ‘Hey look, we don’t have school, why don’t we go. Let’s get out of here.’ “

Cruz has flown back to Texas and has since said that his original plans were to remain in Mexico for longer. 

Critics have said that this disaster was avoidable and that Texas leadership has ignored calls to update Texas’s power grid for years.