CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Joaquin Castro

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

COOPER: Yes. And not just traveling internationally traveling to Mexico, where the C.D.C. specifically, you know, gives it a high warning of not to go there. It's -- yes, it's fascinating and fascinating reporting that you're able to obtain those messages.

Shane, appreciate it. Shane Goldmacher, thanks so much for the reporting.

Joining us now is Texas Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro.

Congressman Castro, thanks for being with us. Sorry, it's under these circumstances. What are you able to tell us on where repair and recovery efforts stand right now based on what you know?

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (R-TX): Anderson, it depends on which part of the state you're talking about. There's some areas including my area in San Antonio that are still in the thick of this disaster.

There was snow up to a few hours ago, and there's still ice on the roads now. Fortunately, most people's power has been restored in San Antonio today. But as you can imagine, there were people that were out of power for days.

At my house, we were out of power for about 55 hours and before that, it was off and on. There are other people who have had their water pipes burst like my mom. I was told that there are about 100,000 households, I think in San Antonio that had water issues.

And so that's just a microcosm of the whole state. Fortunately, the National Guard has been mobilized. F.E.M.A. has been mobilized. And finally, local food banks and others have been able to get more food to people, despite the dangerous road conditions that are still occurring throughout Texas.

COOPER: Yes, I mean, you look at the pictures that we're showing right now. I mean, folks, you know, sleeping in, you know, large venues, just trying to stay as warm; as many clothes as they can standing in line for propane, for gas. So much suffering families in Texas elsewhere have been put in these dire situations.

We just talked to Qiana Abrams, who also had, you know, leaks coming in. Her apartment is ruined she says from water coming in, pouring from the apartment above. What message do you have to Texans tonight?

CASTRO: Well, first, we want to make sure that everybody is safe, reach out to your local governments. Most of them have 311 numbers. If it's an emergency, obviously called 911. But otherwise call 311, which is a city government. Please do everything that you can to stay safe.

And also, we would ask people to check on their relatives and those close to them to make sure that they are okay. And as always, if there's a way that your elected officials can help, whether it's a local County Commissioner or City Council Member, or your Congressman or U.S. Senator, reach out directly to them because we can help cut through a lot of the red tape with these State and Federal agencies. So, most of all, we're here to help.

COOPER: Was this just, you know, it's so unusual to get this kind of weather in Texas and the facility is at -- whether it's a nuclear plant or natural gas plant or, you know, wind turbines that, you know, in a number of states, North Dakota, I was talking to Bill Gates about this earlier today, you know, they are weatherized and they're able to function in a weather like this. And because of the location in the country where this is and not normally getting storms that they just aren't weatherized for really cold weather. Is that the core of the problem?

[20:15:34]

CASTRO: Yes, this was a case of State agencies, ERCOT and then also the Public Utilities Commission which oversees ERCOT that simply were not prepared. They got caught completely flat footed for this kind of weather event. And a few days ago, Governor Abbott, the Governor of Texas ignited this debate about fossil fuels versus renewables, by going on one of the FOX shows and blaming everything on the Green New Deal.

The fact is, if you look at what happened, most of the failure was with the fossil fuel production and delivery, some of it was from the wind turbines. But all of it was because the State government never prepared for this kind of weather event. They never weatherized the wind turbines, the instruments to pick up the fossil fuel or any of those things.

And so we're going to have to go back and make sure that we hold everybody accountable who didn't do their job.

COOPER: Right. And frankly, I mean, it is because of fossil fuels and the carbon dioxide that they emit, the greenhouse gases, they emit that there are going to be more and more strange weather events, severe weather events of all kinds in the coming decades.

CASTRO: Yes, that's absolutely right. I think this is a wake-up call in terms of realizing that climate change is upon us for the folks that didn't realize it before, and you've got a lot of people in high places in Texas State government, who are climate science deniers.

And this is a big wake-up call for them, hopefully.

COOPER: I'm wondering what your reaction to Senator Cruz's decision to leave the state was.

CASTRO: I mean, I think he threw in the towel on Texas. You know, this is a situation where it's all hands on deck. I've gotten calls, I've gotten e-mails, Facebook messages, Twitter messages, and Instagram messages from people throughout San Antonio, and even other parts of the state who are asking for help and my office has tried to do -- we've tried to do everything that we can to be helpful.

And it's just -- it was shocking. When I first saw that headline, which I thought, I couldn't believe it. I thought it was a rumor. I thought somebody was trying to defame Ted Cruz about, oh, this guy is going to Cancun, and then it was confirmed.

I was just shocked that any elected official, a City Council Member from their city, or a Senator that represents the whole state would literally walk away from the state they represent, and go on a beach vacation, when you've got millions of people without power, and a lot of people like the family that you interviewed who are very deeply suffering right now.

COOPER: So, you know, bottom line, how long do you think this crisis is going to go on for? Is it just a question of, you know, how long it stays very cold and snow on the ground? Or what can be done?

CASTRO: Yes, I mean, part of it is the weather -- part of it is a matter of the weather and when the weather clears up in a lot of parts of Texas. What was in some ways unique about this event is that the weather hit

-- this bad weather, this deep freeze hit the entire state. So, Texas, of course, is a very huge place and it wasn't just a matter of Dallas getting hit or the Rio Grande Valley or Amarillo, it was most of the state.

And so, it's starting to clear up in many places, or at least by clear up, I mean, it's getting a little bit warmer, which is good. And many people have had their power restored today. So that's a good thing, but there are going to be lasting consequences and damage based on what's happened already.

COOPER: Congressman Joaquin Castro, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

CASTRO: Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source