 We’re still learning the full scale of the devastation in Texas – where catastrophic flooding has already claimed over 100 lives, many of them young girls, with at least 170 people still missing. [1] Heartbreakingly, the flooding in Texas comes as we mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a storm that exposed the deadly cost of government unpreparedness and neglect. [2] But right now – instead of preparing us for future disasters – Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s policies will make them worse. Already, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s response in Texas has been slowed down by Noem’s reckless cost-cutting measures. [3] And whenever he gets the chance, Trump is slashing climate programs, shutting down research, and gutting emergency response – all to bankroll billionaire tax breaks and keep Big Oil happy. SIGN THE PETITIONExperts say that forecasters did everything they could to warn Texans of the flood risk [4]. But those same experts warn us that storms like this are becoming the new normal – and thanks to Trump’s cuts, we’ll be less prepared when the next disaster hits. [5] In just the past few months, Trump and his administration have:
Why? Because to Trump and Noem, these lifesaving services aren’t worth funding if they don’t make him or other billionaires richer. That’s not how our government is meant to work – let’s demand better. America’s storm preparedness once set the global standard [11] – but now we’re falling dangerously behind, as decades of climate denial fuel hotter oceans, stronger storms, and even bigger disasters. The horrific news from Texas ought to serve as a reminder: these cuts aren’t just lines on a balance sheet. When our government isn’t prepared for natural disasters, we all pay the price. People are rightfully scared of what this hurricane season will bring. If we don’t immediately change course, more of us will be left vulnerable while billionaires and Big Oil cash in. This should be a wake-up call for the entire country. We can’t stay silent while MAGA Republicans gamble with our safety and play politics with our lives. In Common Cause, Virginia Kase Solomón, President and CEO [1] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/texas-floods-live-updates-160-missing-rescuers-continue-desperate-sear-rcna217685 [2] https://www.wdsu.com/article/hurricane-katrina-new-orleans-20-years-later/64288947 [3] https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/09/politics/fema-texas-flood-noem [4] https://www.wired.com/story/meteorologists-say-the-national-weather-service-did-its-job-in-texas/ [5] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/08/texas-deadly-floods-could-be-new-normal [6] https://apnews.com/article/national-weather-service-layoffs-trump-doge-a65360a1eb2500b7d47c9c966e383f4a [7] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/07/ted-cruz-trump-weather-forecasting-cuts [8] https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-emergency-agency-fema-should-be-eliminated-it-exists-today-noem-says-2025-07-09/ [9] https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf [10] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/07/everglades-migrant-jail-florida-trump [11] https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-disaster-relief-home-and-abroad | |
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