On Wednesday, Feb. 17, Texas Senator Ted Cruz boarded on a plane to Cancún, Mexico with his family as Texans froze in unprecedented weather conditions. 

   In the last week, Texas has experienced a surprise winter storm, now named Uri, that has caused power-outages, at least 17 deaths, and boil water notices. Texans continue to struggle to find warmth and food, leading to an overwhelming amount of panic. The lack of a quick emergency response from elected officials has led to not only a criticism of the Republican majority in the state, but also regarding existing emergency plans.

   In the midst of the fear regarding Uri, Republican Senator Ted Cruz and his family decided to escape the cold by planning a family vacation to tropical Mexico.

   The senator planned this last minute vacation with his family to a hotter climate to escape the “FREEZING” conditions of Texas, said his wife Heidi Cruz in leaked texts, The New York Times reports. 

   As an elected official who is in-part responsible for handling emergencies within his state, Sen. Cruz has received a multitude of criticism regarding his decision to flee. Once news and pictures of the Cruz family boarding their plane circulated the internet, people were already calling for his resignation.

   In an act to rectify the situation, Cruz planned his return trip the next day and claimed that his traveling to Mexico was to chaperone his two daughters (ages 10 and 12) who longed to go to Cancún to escape the cold. 

   Cruz continues to defend his actions saying that he was just doing what any father would do. 

   However, this action by the Senator, especially one who touted his efforts to combat the previous Hurricane Harvey crisis, has left colleagues shocked and aghast. 

   “This is about as callous as any politician can get,” said Gilberto Hinojosa, the Texas Democratic Party chairman, in an interview with The New York Times. 

   Constituents feel as if the Senator abandoned the state during a time of crisis.

   “It’s like he bailed out on the state at its most weakened moment. It’s an indefensible action” said veteran Texas lobbyist Bill Miller, The New York Times reports.