Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul criticized Sen. Ted Cruz’s decision to leave the state for Cancun while his state battled a severe winter storm that left over 3 million households without electricity and widespread disruptions to water service.

“When a crisis hits my state, I’m there. I’m not going to go on some vacation,” McCaul said in an interview on Sunday. “I know Mr. Cruz called it a mistake and he’s owned up to that, but I think that was a big mistake and as for me, I was on the ground trying to help my people out and my constituents, and that’s what we should be doing in a time of crisis.” 

Cruz returned to Texas Thursday and told reporters that leaving the state was “obviously a mistake.” He has since pledged to do “everything we can to get the power turned on in Texas and to make sure this never happens again.”

“I think it’s great that they’re crossing party lines to help Americans first, and not just Republican or Democrats,” said McCaul in response to Ocasio-Cortez’s and O’Rourke’s efforts. “I think that’s the way it really should be”