Vice President Mike Pence gave remarks on Wednesday in which he addressed the devastation the Gulf Coast suffered during Hurricane Harvey. “The American people and the world have been transfixed with images of destruction and suffering and the resilience of the people of Texas and Louisiana as Hurricane Harvey has battered that state, now Louisiana, over the past five days,” he said.
Pence was speaking to the West Virginia Chamber Summit in White Sulphur Springs where he said that the White House is mobilizing to help the region. “The President, my family, and our entire administration have been deeply moved by the suffering of so many. … And even before the storm made landfall, President Trump took decisive action to bring the full resources of the federal government to support state and local first responders.”
He emphasized, “The President convened the Cabinet twice over the weekend to ensure our administration is effectively partnering with state and local officials.”
Pence praised the first responders, emergency management, the Navy, and Coast Guard saying that they “have been amazing.”
He also applauded the Texas governor for his response to the crisis saying, “President Trump and I commend Governor Greg Abbott for his incredible leadership, and the efforts of all state and local officials in Texas and Louisiana.”
He continued, “As all of you know, President Trump and the First Lady traveled to Texas just yesterday to oversee our rescue and recovery efforts, to stand with the people of Texas, and to assure them that our administration will continue to provide them all with the support that they need. … To Texas and Louisiana we say: We are with you today, we are with you tomorrow, and we will be with you every single day to restore, recover, and rebuild. … Even in this challenging time, the people of Texas are proving yet again that the brightest lights oftentimes come the darkest moments. In the midst of this historic storm, the people of Texas have responded with their very best. This could well be Texas’s finest hour.”
The Vice President concluded, “The road to recovery will be long and difficult. But as the President said, we will endure, we will overcome. But we all need to do our part to help our fellow Americans get back on their feet.”
Watch the remarks below:
Mike Pence and his wife Karen are planning to visit Texas over the weekend.
Later, he gave remarks to the audience about tax reform and President Donald Trump’s efforts to get it passed by Congress.