Texas Congressman Speaks of Food Shortage After Storm, Can't Find Milk for His Family

Democratic Texas Congressman Colin Allred spoke about the food shortage in Texas following the winter storm power outages, saying that he and his wife weren't able to get milk for their child.

Speaking to MSNBC host Tiffany Cross on Saturday, Allred said that although many people have gotten their power back, there are still issues that need to be addressed following the unexpected snowstorm.

"The power is mostly back on, but now the biggest issues is water and food. In the grocery stores, the aisles have been swept clean. You can't find milk anywhere; I know, because my wife and I have a two-year-old, [and] we're looking for milk right now ourselves," he said.

The White House announced Saturday that President Joe Biden declared a major disaster exists in Texas and has called in federal assistance to help state and local efforts following the devastating weather.

"The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Angelina, Aransas, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Collin, Comal, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, DeWitt, Ellis, Falls, Fort Bend, Galveston, Gillespie, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hood, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Kendall, Lavaca, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Maverick, McLennan, Montague, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Nueces, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Polk, Rockwall, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Scurry, Shelby, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Travis, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wharton, Wichita, Williamson, Wilson, and Wise," according to the White House announcement.

The congressman said that he was working with FEMA to help get water to Texans.

"There is so much to be done. Yes, the power grid is run by the state. So, it's not really a federal issue in those regards, but there is so much aid that is needed, and FEMA is the main agency that is going to be dealing with that, and this is going to be one of the most expensive and longest cleanups that we've had as a state," Allred said.

Allred stressed communication with Texans to help prevent people from taking dangerous actions to keep warm, such as burning a gas stove inside their homes. He also noted checking in on vulnerable communities that may have been affected.

This past week, Texas Senator Ted Cruz faced backlash for taking a trip to Cancun, Mexico, amid the power outages and water shortages in his state. Allred spoke about Cruz's trip and what leaders should do in times of crisis.

"I don't have any patience, and I can't understand somebody who would think that during a crisis like this is a time to go on vacation, and I've heard some people say, 'He's a United States senator. He's not responsible for the things on the ground.' That is nonsense. There is so much for all of us to be doing, and many members of Congress here in Texas are doing that," he said.

Newsweek reached out to Allred's office for further comment.