There are few governmental functions more fundamental than disaster recovery. Tornadoes don’t recognize partisan politics — and they don’t recognize state boundaries.

That’s why the Federal Emergency Management Agency has long taken the lead in helping states and local communities recover from tornadoes and other natural disasters. FEMA (or at least, the idea of FEMA) is an expression of America’s best civic instincts: Whatever our ideological differences, America takes care of Americans in our most dire moments.

The Trump administration now is challenging that fundamental principle, moving to shrug off the federal government’s responsibility in this realm. A deeply reported Wall Street Journal piece last weekend identifies post-tornado St. Louis as a central proving ground for this sh

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