Name: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visits Houston in wake of historic Texas winter storm
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visits Houston in wake of historic Texas winter storm

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This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateGloria Ramirez lit gas-powered heaters as some of the country’s top politicians toured her East End home to see the damage caused by last week’s arctic weather.Family photos — years of history that would be lost lost if the wrong pipe burst — lined every inch of her walls. U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D- Houston, advised Ramirez not give up in getting FEMA to reimburse for damages by taking pictures, keeping receipts and making sure her voice is heard.Changes needed to be made so Houstonians have a better quality of life, said longtime Second Ward advocate Jessica Hulsey, who led the home tours. Residents want to enjoy their homes, but also have them stay in good condition to pass on to their children when it’s time. The freeze was another reminder that older, un-insulated homes are not built to withstand extreme weather, she said.On the steps of the Houston Food Bank Saturday morning, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, delivered a clear message: Disasters don’t strike everyone equally.“You already have so many families in the state and across the country on the brink that they can’t afford an emergency to begin with,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “This can set people back for years, not just days.”Before traveling to Houston at Garcia’s invitation, Ocasio-Cortez raised more than $3 million to distribute to Texas organizations focused on food insecurity, elder care and homelessness. All funds raised will go toward these local nonprofit organizations, she said.The country is rallying around the state of Texas to rebound from this tragedy, she said, but there must be policy decisions so “this kind of preventable devastation never happens again.”The Houston Food Bank, which stocks smaller food pantries in the city, will receive a large portion of the funding, she said. At the food bank, no one has to prove they need assistance.“Documented, undocumented, no matter your income or housing status, you can get help here,” Ocasio-Cortez said.Jackson-Lee said she has seen decades of neglect by the state when it concerns vulnerable and marginalized populations. Much of Garcia and Jackson-Lee’s districts went days without power or potable water this week, they said.“A lot of vulnerable people, essential workers, marginalized people, a lot of documented or undocumented, they are our residents, they are our brothers and sisters,” Jackson-Lee said. “We know so many of them suffered hardships even more than I imagined.”Ocasio-Cortez stayed in Houston Saturday knocking on doors in Garcia’s district, which spans from Pearland to Aldine, to see in person the extent of the winter storm’s damage. She said their privilege as COVID-vaccinated public servants prompted her to travel to Texas.In southeast Houston near Hobby Airport, the representatives visited with Kory Haywood, 26, and his 29-year-old wife, Dolores Lozano. The couple moved into the neighborhood at the start of the pandemic and said they have lived through two disasters already in their first year as homeowners.During the week, the couple packed up the meat in the refrigerator and freezer in a cooler and took it from one friend’s house to another depending on who had power and room.With water boiling on the stove and dishes in the sink, the storm’s lingering effects were evident. A pipe burst in the laundry room but was quickly fixed by Lozano’s father, she said. However, Haywood isn’t totally sure their problems are over.“I hope there’s not a lot of water in the walls that we don’t know about,” Haywood said.Both Congressman Al Green and Garcia called for a full independent investigation into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, and the Texas Legislature should consider joining the national grid.julie.garcia@chron.comTwitter.com/reporterjulie

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateGloria Ramirez lit gas-powered heaters as some of the country’s top politicians toured her East End home to see the damage caused by last week’s arctic weather.Family photos — years of history that would be lost lost if the wrong pipe burst — lined every inch of her walls. U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D- Houston, advised Ramirez not give up in getting FEMA to reimburse for damages by taking pictures, keeping receipts and making sure her voice is heard.Changes needed to be made so Houstonians have a better quality of life, said...

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visits Houston in wake of historic Texas winter storm

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