The eyes doesn’t lie. The damage along Texas’ Gulf Coast from Hurricane Harvey are devastating.

The damage absolutely warrants an emergency disaster declaration and Congress should act as quickly as possible to send disaster relief funding Texas’ way. When there are lives at stake — and there are in this tragedy, which has already claimed at least eight people — politics should have no role.

Alas, if it were only that simple.

The debate over emergency relief funds intensified this weekend even as floodwaters continued to rise amid rainfall totals that are expected to reach 50 inches this week in some parts of Texas. That’s because most members of the Texas congressional delegation voted to oppose a $60.4 billion emergency relief package for New Jersey and New York after Hurricane Sandy slammed into those states’ shorelines in the fall of 2012.

Texas Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn were quick to seek aid for Harvey victims, sending a letter Friday asking President Donald Trump to make the disaster declaration for Texas.

But Cruz and Cornyn were among 36 Republican senators who voted against the January 2013 supplemental disaster aid bill for Sandy victims. Cruz said he voted against the 2013 relief bill because it was loaded with pork. Cornyn also voted against it. In the House, every Republican member of the Texas delegation save for John Culberson, voted against Sandy aid.

“Emergency relief for the families who are suffering from this natural disaster should not be used as a Christmas tree for billions in unrelated spending, including projects such as Smithsonian repairs, upgrades to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration airplanes, and more funding for Head Start,” Cruz said at the time.

Eventually, 91 days after Sandy hit, a relief package was approved. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie noted at the time that disaster relief was approved for Florida victims of Hurricane Andrew in just 31 days. It took only 10 days for Congress to authorize relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana.

What happened in the wake of Hurricane Sandy was an embarrassing political travesty, both in terms of nonessential items being added to the bill and congressional delays in getting funding approved. Congress should seize this opportunity to do the right thing — act quickly in bipartisan fashion to put together the emergency funds needed, block any unnecessary amendments and get funding approved to help those suffering from Harvey’s devastation in Texas.