Abbott Claims Credit for Community-Led Relief Efforts While Millions in State Funds Sit Unused, Republican Legislators Continue Attacks on Flood Victims

AUSTIN, TX –  In today’s latest example of Governor Greg Abbott putting politics before people, he claimed credit for a too-little, too-late publicity stunt that highlights his administration’s failure to deploy existing state resources for flood relief. While Abbott shows up to claim credit for community-driven fundraising efforts, millions in state disaster funds remain untapped as he leaves devastated families to rely on charitable donations rather than the government assistance they deserve.

Meanwhile, as Texan families continue to recover from this summer’s devastating floods, Republican legislators launched attacks against Camp Mystic flood victims and the deceased camp director after weeks of failing to advance disaster relief legislation. Just this week, instead of immediately pushing disaster relief bills following Democratic House members’ return to Texas, Republican legislators continued to prioritize their and Trump’s redistricting scheme over the urgent needs of flood survivors.

In response, longtime Texas organizer Val Benavidez released the following statement:

“Governor Abbott’s opportunistic appearance to claim credit for community fundraising is a slap in the face to flood victims who have been waiting months for real action by the state. While he poses for photos, millions in state disaster funds sit unused in Austin. At the same time, Republican legislators are shamefully shifting blame to a beloved camp director who sacrificed his life to save children, rather than taking responsibility for their own failures. This is their playbook: abandon Texans in their time of need, then show up to take credit for others’ work or blame the victims themselves.”

For additional details on how Texas Republican lawmakers are failing flood victims, contact press@sabotagingoursafety.org.

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