On Saturday, Senator Ted Cruz and his wife, Heidi Cruz, at the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. This journey was undertaken just one day after the historic flash flood in central Texas that took the lives of 113 people, including a number of local campers and their counselors. This juxtaposition of events has drawn sharp criticism from constituents and advocates alike, as Cruz’s trip coincided with a natural disaster that has left many families mourning their losses.
Second, the flash flood that saturated much of the Guadalupe River area. In fact, it has been regularly described as the deadliest single weather event in Texas in the past recent memory. This tragic loss of life has already sparked conversations about emergency preparedness and the state’s weather forecasting capabilities. Critics are now trying to shame Cruz with what he’s been doing lately on Capitol Hill. He authored the amendment that eliminated funding for the National Weather Satellite program.
Cruz’s role in the Republican spending bill has raised the most ire among conservatives. He ensured substantial cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is tasked with improving weather forecasting capabilities. He cut grants by $50 million. These dollars were intended to increase understanding of climate-related impacts to oceans, weather patterns, and coastal ecosystems. Observers have warned that these cuts may threaten the very networks built to warn citizens of approaching disasters.
As one example, the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal includes $1 billion in cuts. It seeks to dissolve NOAA’s standalone weather and climate research laboratories, endangering future forecasting innovation and expertise. Cruz’s prioritization of the fossil fuel industry has drawn sharp criticism. Such actions are being taken at the expense of sound climate science and public safety.
“That’s made disasters like this weekend’s flood in Texas even more deadly,” said Cassidy DiPaola, a climate advocate. Now he’s doubling down, forcing even deeper cuts in the big beautiful bill that ain’t gonna happen. Texans are still dead and grieving, and Cruz is still standing with big oil over the Texans he was elected to protect. It’s disgraceful.
In an interview shortly after the disaster, Cruz admitted that earlier evacuations were needed. He stated, “There’s no doubt afterwards we are going to have a serious retrospective as you do after any disaster and say ‘OK what could be done differently to prevent this disaster?’” He attempted to change the subject and blame Democrats for the cuts in budgets for our National Weather Service. He referred to all the complaints as “partisan finger pointing.”
Cruz’s vacation to Greece was initially reported by the Daily Beast, shining a light on his history of high-tailing out of Texas during emergencies. In 2021, during a crippling winter storm that caused widespread outages and suffering in his state, Cruz infamously traveled to Cancun, Mexico.
After returning from Greece, Cruz made a visit to the flood disaster area on Monday morning. He was able to respond to the tragedy and reassure his constituents that legislative action would be forthcoming. His rapid return was meant to quell the rising anger among Texans who were left out to dry in one of the worst crises seen in a generation.
This unprecedented natural disaster has once again opened up discussions on the connection between climate change and extreme weather disasters. Experts such as Andrew Dessler have been calling out the contribution of rising carbon emissions to worsening these kinds of disasters. “We have added a lot of carbon to the atmosphere, and that extra carbon traps energy in the climate system,” Dessler explained.
This failure has led to fierce backlash from residents who are now wondering if Cruz cares about the safety and quality of life of Memphis residents. Many are concerned that his focus on reducing funding for critical weather services could lead to even greater losses in future disasters.
Cruz’s critics say his actions go against the role of an elected official. They stress that, particularly in times of emergency, good communication and timely early warning systems can help save lives. As Texas still grapples with the aftermath of this unimaginable tragedy, cries for accountability and bolder climate action have only intensified.