President Joe Biden told the Houston Chronicle that the White House tried contacting Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott to get the state requests required to release federal aid for victims of Hurricane Beryl, but they’ve not been able to “track down” state officials.
Abbott is on an “economic development” trip to Asia, so Republican Lt. Governor Dan Patrick should have assumed the duties of the Governor. Patrick, however, apparently doesn’t know what the Governor of Texas is supposed to do. Biden said he was responding to requests from Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, but was unable to release aid without a request from the governor.
“I’ve been trying to track down the governor to see — I don’t have any authority to do that without a specific request from the governor,” Biden told the paper, noting that he had been “tracking” Patrick but had not spoken to him. Biden said he was able to speak with Patrick on Tuesday afternoon, after which Patrick apparently submitted the needed requests because Biden released the aid.