Senator Ted Cruz flew to Cancun, Mexico, with his family for a trip this week as Texas deals with the aftermath of a winter storm that left millions without power, an airline industry source familiar with the situation told CBS News. The Republican Senator is expected to return on a flight home Thursday afternoon.
Photos of Cruz arriving at the airport for the trip went viral on social media, sparking widespread criticism of the senator for leaving during the emergency. In a statement, Cruz called this week "infuriating" for Texas and addressed the criticism.
"The greatest state in the greatest country in the world has been without power. We have food lines, gas lines, and people sleeping at the neighbors' houses. Our homes are freezing and our lights are out. Like millions of Texans, our family lost heat and power too," Cruz said in a statement. "With school canceled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends. Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon."
Cruz said he and his staff are in "constant communication" with local leaders "to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas."
At least 25 deaths were attributed to the storm, 11 of the victims were from Texas. Widespread outages left over 3 million without power this week, although most had been restored. More than 500,000 residents were still without power as of Thursday afternoon.
Some of Cruz's political opponents have called on him to resign.
"Ted Cruz jetting off to Mexico while Texans remain dying in the cold isn't surprising but it is deeply disturbing and disappointing," said Gilberto Hinojosa, the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party. "We are in a battle for the soul of our state. We must restore ethics, competence, and a government that works for the people."
