A Republican politician who opposed funding for Hurricane Harvey relief is now in charge of Congressional efforts to help Texas recover from the storm.

Texas Representative Joe Barton voted against the $15.25bn federal relief package that Congress offered to help rebuild Texas after the hurricane hit. Mr Barton was one of only 90 Republicans, and four Texas legislators, who voted against the deal. Both Republican senators from the state voted yes.

Now, Mr Barton has partnered with Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar to lead a bipartisan task force on the relief efforts. According to the legislators’ joint statement, the task force will focus on “cutting bureaucratic red tape” that can hamper recovery efforts, and will serve as a liaison between federal government agencies and those in Texas. It will also make recommendations for future relief efforts and disaster planning.

“In the wake of this terrible disaster, I am pleased that the Republican and Democratic members of the Texas Congressional Delegation have come together to form a bipartisan task force aimed at helping those most in need,” Mr Barton said in a statement.

He added: “Texans will not leave one another behind.”

The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Show all 19 1 /19 The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A tattered U.S. flag damaged in Hurricane Harvey, flies in Conroe, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Lisa Rehr holds her four-year old son Maximus, after they lost their home to Hurricane Harvey, as they await to be evacuated with their belongings from Rockport, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People line up for food as others rest at the George R. Brown Convention Center AP Photo/LM Otero The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Volunteers with The American Red Cross register evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center Reuters/Nick Oxford The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Soldiers with the Texas Army National Guard help the residents of Cyprus Creek Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Residents wade through floodwater Reuters/Nick Oxford The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Residents walk along the flooded roadway of Texas 249 as they evacuate their adjacent neighborhoods EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A man floats past a truck submerged on a freeway flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday AP The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People are rescued by airboat as they evacuate from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in Dickinson, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey James Archiable carries his bike through the flooded intersection at Taylor and Usenet near downtown Houston, Texas EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A massive sinkhole opened up on a motorway in Rosenburg, a city 25 miles southwest of Houston, Texas Rosenberg Police The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in an armored police mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle in Dickinson, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey on a boat in Dickinson, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Evacuees are airlifted in a US Coast Guard helicopter after flooding due to Hurricane Harvey inundated neighborhoods in Houston, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Evacuees leave a US Coast Guard helicopter after being rescued from flooding due to Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Residents look on at a submerged motorway during a break in the rain in Houston, Texas EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People photograph the submerged motorway interchange EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Debris lies on the ground after a building was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in Aransas Pass, Texas AP The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Dominic Dominguez searches for his boat in a boat storage facility that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Harvey near Rockport, Texas EPA

The longtime Republican Representative, considered by many to be the leader of Texas delegation, voted against the Harvey relief package because it was tied to an increase in the federal debt ceiling.

"I am not against voting for relief programmes to help hurricane victims," Mr Barton said in a statement at the time. "But I am against raising the public debt ceiling without a plan to reduce deficits in the short term, and eliminate them in the long term."

Indeed, Mr Barton did support an earlier plan to provide $7.9bn in relief funding, without raising the debt ceiling. That plan was squashed, however, when President Donald Trump made a deal with the Democrats to temporarily raise the ceiling in exchange for Harvey relief funding.

At the time, Mr Barton praised the President's’ bipartisanship, but said he did “the right thing at the wrong time”.