Texas formed its own power grid to escape federal regulation. Now Sen. John Cornyn thinks it should be bailed out anyway

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced Thursday that he is working on legislation to help weatherize the Texas electrical grid by creating a new federal grant program at the Department of Energy.

Texas has a grid of its own that enables it to avoid federal rules and regulations, a point that Cornyn acknowledged would bring criticism of the state seeking federal money. But the senior Republican senator of Texas argued the funding was necessary to make sure the widespread outages that let millions in the dark and freezing cold do not happen again.

“Our grid is part of critical infrastructure,” he said. “It has an impact on the entire economy and national security.” The plan he intends to introduce in Congress, he said, is “not Texas-specific.”

“Texas isn’t the only place that needs to weatherize the grid,” said Cornyn said.

More:At Capitol hearings, blame for Texas outages is spread all around

The bill is still a work-in-progress. Asked if he would bring it up with President Joe Biden Friday, when he plans to attend Biden’s appearance in Houston in support of Texas after the storms, power outages and water shortages, Cornyn said he probably would not.

Biden spoke to many of the nation’s governors on Zoom Thursday and addressed himself directly to Gov. Greg Abbott, saying he looked forward to his visit to Houston to view the recovery efforts.

“My administration will be there every step of the way with you,” Biden said.  

Cornyn does not have a dollar amount yet for the proposed grid weatherization program but said that it will be modeled on the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides funding for low income households to weatherize their homes.

More:How to help, and what to do if you need it, during Texas' historic freeze

And Cornyn answered critics Thursday who wondered where he was while his state suffered the brutal cold.

“All flights were canceled to Austin” from Washington, Cornyn told reporters Thursday of his efforts to get back to Texas after the second impeachment trial of former President Trump. Cornyn said he flew to Atlanta but had no better luck and was forced to return the nation’s capital.

While Cornyn said he was able to work on behalf of constituents during the crisis by using technology, including Zoom and the phone — he was among Texas lawmakers signing a letter urging President Biden to quickly declare the state a major disaster — Cornyn also said he also could understand the suffering and discomfort of residents who lost power. One of his adult daughters was among them. She stayed at Cornyn’s home with his wife, who left Washington earlier.

When asked for an opinion about Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s trip to Cancun, which the junior Republican senator quickly abandoned after a public firestorm, Cornyn said: “I think he said it was a mistake and I think he called that one correctly.”

Cornyn said the takeaway now for federal lawmakers is “What can we do?”

On another subject, as part of Black History Month, Cornyn spoke Thursday about Juneteenth, the celebration of the day the news arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, that slaves were freed.

He and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced a bill in the Senate Thursday making Juneteenth a federal holiday and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, introduced it in the House. Cornyn tried to get Senate approval last year for the federal holiday and thinks supporters will prevail this year.

“The freedom of all Americans which Texas celebrates every Juneteenth should be celebrated all across the nation,” said Cornyn. “A federal Juneteenth holiday would represent a big step in our nation’s journey toward equality.”