In a unified effort to combat what they see as an undermining of Oregon's ability to prepare for natural disasters, members of the state's Democratic congressional delegation are taking a stand against the recent suspension of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grants by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These BRIC grants have been deemed essential for strengthening the infrastructure of Oregon’s most vulnerable areas, including its coastal, rural, and frontier communities.
The delegation, led by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, alongside Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Maxine Dexter, and Janelle Bynum, voiced their concerns in a stern rebuke to FEMA's decision, which was made public on April 4th to halt the grants program that financial backing for resilience projects, some of which are already in progress and now face uncertainty without the promised funding. In a direct request captured by Senator Wyden's official press release, the delegation demanded, "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 BRIC program has been central to Oregon's strategic planning against the backdrop of increasing natural disasters; however, with FEMA's unexpected decision to pull the plug, Oregon's congressional representatives worry that their communities will be left at an increased risk and that the financial burden for repairs and recovery will significantly escalate. Before its suspension, the program aimed to provide funds to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to develop projects that bolster their resilience against natural disasters. With FEMA canceling the grants, Oregon lawmakers are striving to bring attention to the consequences such cancellations would have.
