Beto O’Rourke places blame for deadly Texas snowstorm on ’emissions and our excesses and our inaction’

Former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke placed partial blame for a deadly snowstorm in Texas at the feet of America’s “emissions and our excesses and our inaction.”

“There is no incentive or mandate to have on hand additional generating capacity for extreme weather events like this one,” O’Rourke said about Texas’s electrical grid on MSNBC Wednesday night. “Which, as you know Nicolle, are only going to become more likely, more frequent, and more intense and more deadly as the climate continues to change thanks to our emissions and our excesses and our inaction.”

O’Rourke also placed blame on Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, saying that the snowstorm, which has killed at least 20 people, is the result of “people who don’t believe in government running your government.”

The former congressman also slammed Republicans for focusing on “stupid” cultural issues, such as the national anthem controversy, before saying Texas is close to becoming a “failed state.”

“The energy capital of North America cannot provide enough energy to warm and power people’s homes,” O’Rourke said. “We are nearing a failed state in Texas. And it has nothing to do with God or natural disasters. It has everything to do with those in positions of public trust who have failed us.”

Abbott has declared a state of emergency and dispatched the National Guard as crews work to restore power to the over 3 million Texans without power in freezing temperatures.