Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is busy criss-crossing the nation to spread his message of small government fanaticism, but his own state just got a lesson in why the federal government isn t just important, it can be lifesaving.While Cruz spent his time making offensive jokes about trans people this week, Texas has been hit with a horrific run of severe weather. Many areas of the state, particularly in Harris County, have seen their homes and jobs literally washed away in major flooding. The severe weather, which saw parts of major cities like Houston and Austin go underwater, is estimated to cost over $5 billion.Cruz, whose typical response to tragedy involves tweeting  thoughts and prayers  to the victims, has offered little else. Meanwhile, President Obama and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have gotten to work. This week, Obama approved federal disaster relief funding to the parts of Texas affected by the flooding.Federal assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. The presidential disaster declaration, which includes all of Harris County, allows FEMA and other federal agencies to begin providing relief to individuals affected by this most recent flood. Harris County continues to work with local nonprofit and volunteer organizations to provide immediate relief,  said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.Cruz, of course, famously voted against giving similar aid to New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy (which may explain why New Jersey Governor Chris Christie wanted nothing to do with endorsing Cruz for president). His logic was that states should be left on their own, and federal aid was little more than government overreach. Citing the potential aid package s extra funding for other government projects   a standard procedure   Cruz said at the time: This bill is symptomatic of a larger problem in Washington   an addiction to spending money we do not have. The United States Senate should not be in the business of exploiting victims of natural disasters to fund pork projects that further expand our debt. Some of the  pork projects  included funding scientific research into extreme weather events that scientists had hope to be able to help states avoid future disasters. Or as Cruz calls it  wasteful spending. Despite Cruz s adherence to strict  no hand outs  when it came to other states, Texas being a massive state with tens of millions of people and lots of potential disasters has always stuck out its own hand when it came time for help.The recent onslaught of floods in Texas come at a bad time for Cruz politically. It certainly undermines his nearly pathological aversion to the federal government. It might be just the thing to remind people that Ted Cruz infamously shut down the very government that they are now counting on to help them rebuild after a horrific natural disaster. Suddenly reading  Green Eggs and Ham  on the Senate floor to avoid funding the government doesn t seem so noble, does it?Featured image via Adam Berry/Getty Images 