AOC doubled her fundraising total for Texas storm victims to $4 million, as she joined fellow lawmakers in Houston to continue relief efforts

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rep. Sylvia Garcia load boxes at their work station at the Houston Food Bank on Saturday.

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle/Pool via Reuters

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said her Texas fundraiser doubled to $4 million on Saturday.
• Ocasio-Cortez joined Reps. Sylvia Garcia, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Al Green in Houston on Saturday.
• Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories.

As New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez volunteered at the Houston Food Bank on Saturday, her fundraising effort for Texans suffering after a severe winter storm climbed to $4 million. 

On Friday, Ocasio-Cortez had said the fundraiser reached $2 million, up from $1 million the day before. 

Late Saturday, she said it doubled again. "We just hit $4 million!" she wrote on Twitter. 

Ocasio-Cortez on Saturday joined Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, Sylvia Garcia, and Al Green in Houston. 

—Rep. Sylvia Garcia (@RepSylviaGarcia) February 20, 2021

A winter storm last week hit the southern US, leaving millions without power.

Texas, which has its own electrical grid, was among the hardest-hit states. Storm-related damages could near $50 billion in Texas, according to an estimate provided by AccuWeather CEO Joel Myers. 

About 2.7 million households in Texas lost power during the storm, according to The Texas Tribune. On Saturday, about 60,000 still were without power, NBC News reported. 

The Houston Food Bank was working to put together about 30,000 boxes of food in two days, Ocasio-Cortez said on Saturday. 

Jackson Lee, Ocasio-Cortez, and Garcia spoke with the media at Houston Food Bank.

Jackson Lee, Ocasio-Cortez, and Garcia speak with the media during a visit to the Houston Food Bank.

Go Nakamura/Reuters

The congresswomen greeted volunteers as they entered the food bank.

Garcia, Ocasio-Cortez, and Jackson Lee wave to volunteers as they make their way to their work station at the Houston Food Bank.

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle/Pool via REUTERS

They gave elbow bumps to the other food bank volunteers.

Ocasio-Cortez elbow bumps a volunteer at the Houston Food Bank.

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle/Pool via Reuters

Penny Morales Shaw, a Texas state rep., joined the congresswomen at their work station.

Texas Rep. Penny Morales Shaw joins Jackson Lee, Ocasio-Cortez, Garcia as they load boxes.

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle/Pool via Reuters

The congresswomen were joined by Rep. Al Green as they toured homes affected by the electrical outages in Houston.

Ocasio-Cortez talks with homeowner Sandali Ramirez, alongside Garcia and Green.

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle/Pool via Reuters

The lawmakers surveyed damage from the winter storm.

Garcia, Ocasio-Cortez, and Green look at water damage during a tour of homes that affected by the winter storm.

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle/Pool via Reuters

On Twitter, Garcia urged Texans to volunteer if they're able to. 

"I got to work today alongside my amiga and fellow Latina @RepAOC doing what we can to help our neighbors," she said. 

The White House on Saturday announced President Joe Biden had declared a major disaster in the state of Texas.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3scM9rv