Oregon Delegation Demands Immediate Restoration of Critical FEMA Program
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led his Democratic colleagues in the Oregon delegation—Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—in calling for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to immediately restore Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grants. These federal grants are critical to ensuring that Oregon’s communities—especially in frontier, rural, and coastal regions of the state—can withstand the increasing threat of natural disasters. But, on April 4th, FEMA decided to cancel all current and future awards under the BRIC program.
“Terminating the BRIC program, including the terminations of projects that are already underway, is not only wasteful and makes us less safe, but will make our communities bear a higher cost for repairs and recovery when disaster inevitably strikes. The Department should immediately restore this program,” the Oregon lawmakers demanded.
The Oregon delegation made it clear to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FEMA Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton the Trump Administration’s shortsighted cancellation comes with a disastrous economic impact, as every $1 spent on preparedness and resilience saves communities $13 in damages, cleanup costs, and economic impacts. The lawmakers also noted the BRIC program itself was signed into law in 2018 by President Trump as part of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act. At the time, this legislation had wide bipartisan support to enhance the resiliency of communities against natural disasters, including floods, tornadoes, and other severe weather events that are increasing in both frequency and severity.
“The abrupt termination of this program is not only counterproductive to the goals of disaster risk reduction, but also undermines the commitment made by Congress to mitigate the devastating impacts of climate chaos,” the lawmakers continued.
Since the first round of BRIC funding went out the door in 2020, over $5 billion in grants have funded hundreds of important projects that have been instrumental in reducing disaster damage and protecting vulnerable communities across states, localities, and Tribes. BRIC is so popular that the need for these funds continually surpasses currently authorized levels. In fact, FEMA has rejected nearly 2,000 applicants seeking an additional $13 billion in grants.
In Oregon, these funds are having an immense impact, particularly in rural communities. Disrupting projects designed to reduce hazard risk now—especially many of the projects already in progress—could do lasting damage.
For example, Mapleton in Lane County, with a population of about 530 people, was preparing to buy a water storage tank using a BRIC grant to protect against flooding and improve drinking water supply for their city and the surrounding area. And in Clatsop County, Columbia Memorial Hospital had already begun work under a $20 million award for upgrades to existing facilities and a hospital expansion to construct the North Coasts’ only vertical evacuation shelter. This would ensure that patients can continue to get care and over 1,900 people can seek refuge in the event of a disaster.
The lawmakers asserted that the abrupt cancellation of BRIC funding seems to be part of a broader and troubling trend of decisions made by the Trump Administration to undermine FEMA's effectiveness and shift disaster preparedness responsibilities solely to state and local governments, without the proper federal support needed to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated response.
“This action risks leaving already underserved communities without the necessary tools to mitigate the long-term impacts of climate change, particularly as the Trump administration appears to prioritize state-level efforts without sufficient federal backup,” the lawmakers said. “To cancel funding for projects mid-way will cause catastrophic setbacks for these communities, and place lives and property art unnecessary risk from increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters.”
The lawmakers are pushing the federal government to honor its commitments to our communities. Together, they are urging FEMA to restore the BRIC program and funding for projects that are already in progress or have been fully approved.
“Given the broad support BRIC has garnered from Congress and local stakeholders, and the growing risks posed by our changing climate and natural disasters, it is essential for FEMA to continue to support these efforts,” the lawmakers closed.
Full text of the letter can be found HERE.
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