President Joe Biden visited his first disaster area since Inauguration Day on Friday, a week after a major winter storm left much of Texas without electricity or running water.
During his trip, he visited the Houston Food Bank and also a FEMA coronavirus vaccine distribution center. He also met with two of the state’s top ranking Republicans, Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. John Cornyn.
"When a crisis hits our states like the one to hit Texas, it’s not a Republican or Democrat that’s hurting it’s our fellow Americans who are hurting, and it's our job to help everyone in need, and it's our job to help everyone in need, look out for one another, leave nobody behind. That's what we've seen today in our visit,” Biden said.
At the food bank, Biden and Abbott packed meals for seniors for the Senior Box program, which is funded by the Department of Agriculture. Biden packed boxes of quick oats and canned peaches.
“We’re here to help, so put us to work,” Biden told workers.
He then went to FEMA’s vaccine distribution in Houston, where he then delivered remarks on the administration of coronavirus vaccines. There, he proclaimed that his goal of administering 100 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine within his first 100 days of his inauguration was ahead of schedule. While the White House considered the goal lofty, there were questions on whether the White House was setting low expectations.
“The more people get vaccinated, the faster we will beat this pandemic,” Biden said. “That’s why one of my first steps and my first goals as President was to announce that I was going to get 100 million COVID vaccine shots administered in my first 100 days. And because of the people behind me and others, America would be the -- is going to be the first in the country -- perhaps the first in the world -- to get that done."