AOC says she will volunteer at Houston Food Bank, following news that her fundraising for the Texas storm relief has reached $2 million

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she was heading to Texas to help at Houston Food Bank.
• The Congresswoman said she would be accompanied by Houston Rep. Cynthia R. Garcia.
• Ocasio-Cortez has helped raised $2 million for the Texas storm relief.

On Friday, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she plans to travel to Texas to help at the Houston Food Bank, along with Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia, who represents the Houston region.

Ocasio-Cortez called for volunteers to help out, although the application form now appears to be closed. She has helped raise $2 million in relief funds for those suffering after a winter storm slammed Texas, according to an announcement on Friday.

A day earlier, she'd announced that fundraising had topped $1 million in about four hours.

Garcia said: "We are ready to show you my District and impact of the #TexasFreeze to our most vulnerable. Be ready to roll up your sleeves and work starting at Houston Food Bank," Garcia said.

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.

"Charity isn't a replacement for good governance, but we won't turn away from helping people in need when things hit the fan," Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter.

She added: "People understand that now is the time for collective action and doing what we can w/ whatever we've got."

On Fox News on Friday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz said he'd urged President Joe Biden to declare an emergency, which the president did on February 14. "This week has been hell for the state of Texas," Cruz said.

Cruz flew to Cancun with his family on Wednesday, initially planning to stay until Saturday. But he returned to the US on Thursday, following a wave of criticism.

On Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez re-upped her January call for Cruz to resign.

"If Sen. Cruz had resigned back in January after helping gin up a violent insurrection that killed several people, he could've taken his vacation in peace. Texans should continue to demand his resignation," she said.