Oversight on flood fatalities now. Take action. Fund NOAA properly

82 people were killed in flash floods in Central Texas on Independence Day; 41 or more are still missing. At least 28 of the deaths were children at summer camps inundated by sudden extreme floods. A horrific tragedy. But as you surely know, there’s no such thing as a solely natural disaster. Just as we warned you, Donald Trump’s cuts to the National Weather Service may have cost lives. Key roles were vacant at weather service offices in Texas when the floods came; former NWS officials said that a lack of experienced people (who would typically coordinate with local authorities) could have hampered efforts to get Texans to safety. Demand answers. Your job is to legislate and do oversight, to ensure that there are mechanisms for warning and protection, not to pray *after* a disaster. Demand answers about the deadly floods in Texas. Take climate change seriously. We should be told why flash flood warnings issued hours earlier were not conveyed to people in the path of the water. We should know how cuts to weather forecasting staff and infrastructure affected the response to the floods and contributed to tragedy. Please, hold hearings, investigate, use your subpoena power, and report on findings. Legislate to fund NOAA properly. Report on changes to FEMA and how presidential failure to authorise emergency responses has aggravated damage. You should be protecting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not overseeing the dismantling of the systems, agencies, and knowledge that keep Americans safe. Do your job.