Republican lawmakers cannot have it both ways. They cannot continue to push for tax cuts for the wealthy and not have it catch up with them and the country. They cannot push for tax cuts for the wealthy and, when the time comes for the federal government to fulfill its rightful role, be unable or unwilling to do so.

The governmental structure in the United States is simple: We have separate governments on three levels — local, state and federal. There are times when the local government must rely on the state, and times when both local and state governments must rely on the federal government as a last resort. The federal government is key because it has the resources and expertise to provide oversight in areas where it is uniquely positioned to do so. When the federal government fails to provide support, localities and states bear the burden — a burden that can have a human toll, placing lives at risk.

We currently have a federal executive branch that promotes a domestic policy aimed at shifting the role of the federal government in specific areas, transferring much of its responsibility to local and state levels.

We also have a Republican-led federal legislative branch that rubber-stamps that policy, knowing that constituents back home will bear burdens they are unequipped to handle. In other words, our Republican-led federal government is failing our localities and states — including those within Trump Country.

Whenever the day comes when there are no longer droughts, heat waves, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes or wildfires, it will be the day the Federal Emergency Management Agency is no longer needed.

FEMA’s main function is to coordinate the federal government’s response to disasters that overwhelm state and local resources. Based on 2024 data from the National Centers for Environmental Information, 27 weather and climate disasters each resulted in at least $1 billion in damage, following a record 28 disasters in 2023.

These disasters caused at least 568 direct or indirect deaths, indicating not only intensifying events but also a greater reliance on FEMA in the future. An underfunded FEMA will only compound human suffering.

It is the magnitude of the human toll in emergencies that should never be forgotten. The toll must be  with sensitivity by true public servants, rather than downplayed or ignored by self-serving lawmakers. This means caring about how disasters affect people’s lives and choosing citizens’ welfare over billionaires’ greed.

In past years, as FEMA’s disaster fund has been depleted by major hurricanes and wildfires, some Republicans have insisted that any increase in FEMA funding be paired with spending cuts elsewhere. They argue that emergency expenditures should not contribute to the national debt. While Democrats and some Republicans have pushed to exempt disaster relief from budget trade-offs, key Republicans such as former Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma have insisted on “offsets.” This insistence has sometimes resulted in delays or failures of disaster aid bills when offsets were not agreed upon. Republicans are correct that fiscal responsibility matters— but offsets should come from denying tax cuts to billionaires, not cutting essential programs.

Frustration is mounting at the local and state levels as the shift in responsibility becomes more apparent. Since early this year, the Trump administration has increased denials of FEMA aid requests, affecting Democratic and Republican regions alike. Arkansas, Kentucky and rural Maryland experienced denials despite severe disasters. In Westernport, Maryland, which overwhelmingly voted for Trump, residents were shocked when the administration denied the state’s $15.8 million FEMA request to repair flood-damaged infrastructure.

“We met the criteria,” Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton said. “So we’re confused, and we don’t understand why we were not given the FEMA assistance.”

Many believe the denial was politically motivated because Maryland is a Democratic-run state. Maryland’s application was denied while neighboring West Virginia, facing similar damage, was approved.

“Even though Maryland is a Democratic state, up here they’re not. They voted red. And I think that’s where the frustration for the residents is,” Hamilton said. “Now they feel like the president has turned his back on them.”

Republican leaders at the local level must not be confused.

This is what they voted for: a domestic policy that places local communities in Trump Country at risk.

The writer is the founder of the faith-based organization TRB: The Reconciled Body.