Infrastructure Betrayal, Part 1
How A Trillion Dollar Promise Turned Into Deadly Neglect
The Floods Came. The Bureaucracy Blamed Trump.
As emergency crews searched for survivors and the missing, not just Texans, but children from across the country attending Camp Mystic, a chilling truth emerged. This wasn’t just a local disaster. It was a national tragedy. The usual suspects began pointing fingers. As expected, they weren’t pointing fingers at themselves.
I didn’t want to write this.
I’d rather be praying, helping, or grieving quietly like so many others. But when the media rushes to twist a tragedy into a political weapon and platforms flood with misinformation, I feel a responsibility to speak up. Not for attention, not for clicks, but to push back against the lies and defend the truth.
This wasn’t just a Texas tragedy. The girls at Camp Mystic came from across the country, brought together by faith, friendship, and summer adventure. Now, some of those families are facing the unthinkable. Instead of honoring their grief, social media activists and mainstream outlets have weaponized the moment. The finger-pointing began before the floodwaters have receded.
Bluesky, TikTok, Reddit, and X erupted with a familiar narrative: Blame Trump. Dozens of viral posts tied the devastation to supposed budget cuts and DOGE restructuring. What they didn’t mention? A $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that promised to prevent exactly this kind of outcome.
Let me be clear: I am a grandmother. If it were my grandchild missing, I would be shattered. And yet, instead of empathy, the media cycle is churning out political narratives while families still wait for news. It's shameful.
The Spending Problem No One Wants to Talk About
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) — a sweeping $1.2 trillion package he claimed would build resilience “so the next storm, superstorm, drought, wildfire or hurricane can be dealt with.” Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senator Chuck Schumer all stood behind him at the signing. They declared it a promise fulfilled. They claimed the bill would modernize ports, airports, rail, public transit, bridges, and more. That it would reduce costs, cut delays, and protect American lives.
Instead, a growing number of Americans are asking: What happened?
NOAA and the National Weather Service have received billions since 2009, yet warnings haven't improved in any meaningful way for rural America. Despite upgraded budgets and rebranded priorities, small towns like those in Appalachia and now Texas have been repeatedly left behind.
Redefining Infrastructure, One Buzzword at a Time
Senators took to the floor to declare that “child care is infrastructure.” Others pushed to include funding for racial equity initiatives, electric vehicle subsidies, and climate programs that had nothing to do with bridges or dams. They twisted the term until it meant everything and therefore, nothing. Quietly, the original intent of the bill was gutted in favor of party priorities.
The result? More bureaucracy, more federal overreach, and more spending with little to show for it when disaster strikes.
This Is a Systemic Issue (Just Not the Kind They Like to Talk About)
Democrats love to throw around the term “systemic.” But what about the system that allows entrenched bureaucracies to absorb billions with no accountability? What about the weather forecasting systems that still rely on outdated modeling software and ancient radar? What about the leadership gaps and vacancies at regional NWS offices that go unfilled for months while D.C. political appointees cash in?
NOAA and NWS have been flooded with cash for over a decade. If this were the private sector, they would have been audited or defunded long ago. But in government, failure leads to more funding and less accountability.
And make no mistake, there was a forecast. There were warnings. But if the system doesn't reach the right people in time, or if local infrastructure is too weak to act on it, what good is the warning?
The DOGE Factor
This is exactly why the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was created. To dig into the rot, waste, fraud, and abuse, and redirect funds toward systems that actually work. But that threatens the status quo. Entrenched politicians and legacy bureaucrats have a lot to lose if Trump succeeds in dismantling the networks they've built over decades.
They know it. That’s why they are panicking.
What if the System Looked Different
Let’s talk about term limits.
If the Convention of States effort had already imposed limits—three House terms or two Senate terms—nearly 20 members of Congress who voted yes on this bill would have been ineligible to serve at the time. That includes both Democrats and Republicans. Think about it: Would H.R. 3684 have even passed? Would this bloated, misguided bill have gotten off the ground if those clinging to power were no longer able to?
Take Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), a 36-year veteran of Congress. Or Senator Bernie Sanders, in office since the Cold War. Both helped shape this bill. Both would have been term-limited out. The fact that they weren’t speaks volumes about why meaningful change feels impossible.
From Helene to Hunt
The contrast couldn’t be more stark. After Hurricane Helene, media coverage was a blackout. Drones were blocked. Volunteers turned away. Stories buried.
Now, during this tragedy in Texas, the media has full access, but they’re not telling the whole story. They’re pushing one: Trump’s cuts caused this.
What they won’t say is that FEMA had the autonomy to respond immediately thanks to reforms Trump put in place years ago. Or that this isn’t about one coordinator who retired in Austin. It’s about an entrenched, unaccountable system that has failed the American people.
Still Searching, Still Grieving
As of this writing, the search continues. Children are still missing. Families are still clinging to hope.
And the political blame game continues.
We should be asking: What did we get for our trillion-dollar investment? Where did the money go? And why are the most vulnerable Americans still paying the price for decisions made in D.C. by people who should have been sent home years ago?
Part 2 will explore the political mechanics behind this shift—and why the storm itself is only part of the story.