Last week, the administration proposed eliminating the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, the agency’s central hub for climate research. The move is part of a broader reorganization of federal agencies, including Trump’s push to revamp and potentially eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Asked Monday whether Trump still supports phasing out FEMA, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t answer directly. Instead, she praised the response by Texas officials and reiterated that the president “wants states to do as much as they can, if not more.” 

“That’s a policy discussion that will continue, and the President has always said he wants states to do as much as they can, if not more,” Leavitt said during the White House briefing. “The president has promised to give Texas the assistance that they need during this tragic time.”

WHO IS NEIL JACOBS? MEET TRUMP’S NOMINEE TO LEAD NOAA IN THE WAKE OF TEXAS FLOODS

Following Friday’s intense storms and sudden flooding in the Texas Hill Country, local leaders voiced frustration with what they saw as insufficient National Weather Service warnings. Kerr County, Texas lacked a “last mile” siren system that could have woken up residents who were sleeping at the children’s summer camp during the storm, and residents did not see the National Weather Service alerts on their electronic devices.

Under the Trump administration, NWS has seen steep workforce reductions, with nearly half of its 122 field offices operating with at least 20% fewer staff as part of a broader effort from the Department of Government Efficiency to shrink the federal government. While most officials in the GOP-led state avoided directly faulting the Trump administration’s budget cuts, Democrats quickly tried to connect the staffing cuts to the tragedy.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urged a federal watchdog to investigate whether staffing and budget cuts at NWS undermined its ability to respond. Citing a New York Times report, Schumer noted that critical positions, including warning coordination meteorologist, science officer, and hydrologist, were vacant at NWS offices in San Angelo and San Antonio during the flooding.

Members of the weather community and lawmakers alike have echoed concerns about NWS staffing gaps. “I don’t think it’s helpful to have missing key personnel from the National Weather Service not in place to help prevent these tragedies,” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) told CNN on Sunday, calling for a formal investigation.

Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, a union representing government employees, said that while the San Antonio weather forecasting office did not have two top positions filled, there were enough meteorologists to respond.

“The WFOs [weather forecasting offices] had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm,” Fahy told NBC News on Saturday.

Leavitt defended NWS efforts and accused critics of politicizing the disaster. She said the agency issued timely warnings and deployed extra staff despite record-breaking rainfall, calling claims that Trump was to blame “a depraved lie.”

“To any person who has deliberately lied about these facts surrounding this catastrophic event, you should be deeply ashamed,” she said. “At this time, the administration’s focus will be on giving the victims in their communities the support they deserve during these recovery efforts in this tragic time.”

Pressed Sunday on whether federal cuts contributed to the staffing gaps, Trump flatly denied it. “They did not,” he said, calling the flooding “a 100-year catastrophe” and “so horrible to watch.” Asked if meteorologists should be rehired, Trump added, “I would think not. This was the thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented people in there, and they didn’t see it.”

At a press conference Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that, in hindsight, vulnerable groups, particularly children in riverside cabins and people in RVs, should have been evacuated earlier. He called for better protocols in the future.

“I think this is not a time for partisan finger-pointing and attacks,” Cruz said. “After we come through search and rescue after we come through the process of rebuilding, there will naturally be a period of retrospection where you look back and say, ‘OK, what exactly transpired, what was the timeline, and what could have been done differently to prevent this loss of life?’”

While independent experts also denied that the forecasting or warnings were insufficient, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have concerns about the Trump administration’s proposed sweeping cuts at the nation’s weather agencies.

The most recent budget proposal would shutter all federally supported meteorological research centers, including the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Scientists and lawmakers say these facilities have been instrumental in advancing life-saving forecasting tools.

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), the House Appropriations Committee chairman, said he’s not convinced those pushing for the cuts fully understand what’s at stake.

“I want to make sure that whoever’s proposing this actually goes down there and looks at it and meets them,” Cole said, speaking with NOTUS.  “I’ve allowed things in my district to be closed before, but this is a national asset, and I want to be very careful about what we do with it.” 

His comments echoed broader unease among lawmakers from storm-prone regions, where weather forecasting is considered critical infrastructure.

“I think many of us, especially from weather-prone states, are on high alert about this budget request and remain dedicated to ensuring that they don’t lose funding,” said an aide to a GOP senator, speaking on the condition of anonymity to reflect candidly on the situation. 

“It’s important to remember that President Trump’s budget proposal is simply a blueprint, but it’s up to the members to actually allocate the funding.”

CENTRAL TEXAS FLASH FLOODS LEAVE MORE THAN 80 DEAD: WHAT TO KNOW

The proposal to eliminate NOAA’s climate research arm would transfer some responsibilities to the National Weather Service, but others could be canceled altogether.

The plan still requires congressional approval, and lawmakers have until the end of September to finalize the budget or pass a temporary funding measure to avoid a government shutdown.