Senator Ted Cruz is facing intense criticism after voting to slash weather forecasting funding just days before devastating floods killed over 120 people in Texas, then departing for a pre-planned family vacation in Greece whilst his constituents faced the deadly disaster. The political fallout has reignited debates about Cruz’s commitment to serving Texans during times of crisis.
The bill, which finally passed on Thursday, July 3, after weeks of deliberation, eliminated $150 million dedicated to weather forecasting, including efforts to “accelerate advances and improvements in research, observation systems, modelling, forecasting, assessments, and dissemination” of crucial weather data. Cruz amended President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” to end a $150M fund that sought to improve weather prediction capabilities just days before the catastrophic flooding began.
The timing proved devastating for Texas. The death toll from the Texas floods has risen to at least 121, with more than 160 people believed to be still missing days after flash floods killed more than 100 people across central Texas. The disaster particularly affected children’s summer camps, with five young girls and a counsellor from Camp Mystic in Hunt remaining missing.
As the crisis unfolded, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz was on a pre-planned vacation in Greece with his family when devastating floods hit central Texas, and he sought to travel back “as fast as humanly possible,” his office said. Texas’ junior senator was visiting Greece Friday when the Texas flood turned deadly. Cruz, who did not return until Sunday night, communicated with officials from Athens.
The optics proved particularly damaging given Cruz’s history of leaving Texas during weather emergencies. His 2021 trip to Cancun during the state’s deadly winter storm freeze became a defining political moment, and critics were quick to draw parallels to this latest absence during a natural disaster.
The backlash intensified when Cruz later called for improved disaster preparedness systems. Ted Cruz is being ridiculed for calling for a “better system” for disaster preparedness after the Trump administration slashed funding for several agencies. Social media users and political opponents highlighted the contradiction between his vote to cut weather forecasting capabilities and his subsequent calls for better emergency response.
Texas was ravaged with floods the same day Trump signed the bill, which narrowly passed by a 51–50 vote in the Senate, with Vice President JD Vance serving as the tiebreaking vote, and 218–214 vote in the House. The legislative timing created a stark reminder of how policy decisions can have immediate real-world consequences.
Cruz’s office defended his actions, emphasising that the vacation was pre-planned and that he maintained communication with Texas officials whilst abroad. However, critics argued that the Senator should have cancelled his trip given the severity of the disaster and his role in reducing weather forecasting capabilities.
The tragedy has highlighted broader concerns about infrastructure investment and disaster preparedness. The Texas storm that has so far been blamed for at least 100 deaths produced nearly 21 inches of rain at Bertram, a city of about 1,600 people outside Austin, demonstrating the extreme nature of the weather event that better forecasting might have helped predict more accurately.
The political ramifications continue to unfold as Texas mourns its losses and searches for survivors. For Cruz, the episode represents another significant challenge to his political standing, particularly among constituents who expect their representatives to prioritise their safety and well-being during times of crisis.
REFH – newshub finance
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