The aftermath of Hurricane Beryl has sparked a heated exchange between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the Biden administration over federal aid distribution.

Patrick recently accused President Joe Biden of misleading Texans about the availability of recovery assistance, claiming that the Biden administration terminated the emergency declaration on the same day it was issued, potentially hindering Texas’ ability to claim reimbursements.

“He pulled the rug out from under the people of Texas and lied to them,” the lieutenant governor posted on social media on Thursday, criticizing Biden’s response.

“… [He] reduced our emergency request for 121 counties to 67, going back on his word and what he agreed to on our initial phone call. … Today, I will make a request for individual assistance that complies with federal law and is required by FEMA for 15 eligible counties. This number will grow as damage assessments continue,” Patrick wrote in another post.

In response, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives clarified that the disaster declaration for Hurricane Beryl remains active, according to a report from The Dallas Morning News.

However, a press release from FEMA states that “federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Texas to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Beryl from July 5-9, 2024.”

This suggests that Texas will not be reimbursed for any storm-related expenses incurred after July 9, per the Texas Scorecard.

White House officials said that after Houston area officials requested federal aid, Biden immediately approved a disaster declaration during a call with Patrick, who was acting on behalf of Gov. Greg Abbott. The governor was absent because he was on a trade mission in Asia.

Biden had told the Houston Chronicle that delays in the declaration were due to difficulties in making contact with Abbott or Patrick, a claim Patrick dismissed on social media, calling it “a load of malarkey.”

Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, Patrick said at a press conference that there was “no delay from the White House, no delay from us,” adding that there had been “total teamwork” between federal and state officials, the Houston Chronicle reported.

“The truth is, before you can ask for a declaration you have to go meet with people in the impacted areas to see what’s needed and the level of need,” he said.

In a call detailed by The Dallas Morning News, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) responded to Biden’s remark, saying, “I don’t know why President Biden wanted to make this a political event. Perhaps to distract others from his problems, maybe, by trying to pick a fight with Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick.”

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, following Hurricane Beryl’s Category 1 landfall earlier on Monday, more than 1.3 million homes and businesses remained without power as of Thursday.

The storm’s impact has led to at least 10 deaths across Texas, while ongoing flood risks persist in certain regions.

Meanwhile, Houston faces a surge in emergency medical calls as temperatures reach 90 degrees, matched with a heat index of up to 106 degrees, due to high humidity and other contributing factors.