Bresnahan urges reinstatement of federal FEMA program for building resilient infrastructure

U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) recently opposed action by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cancel the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program as well as all applications from fiscal years 2020-2023.

“This decision is detrimental to my constituents, and I strongly urge you to reverse this decision,” wrote Rep. Bresnahan in an April 9 letter sent to Cameron Hamilton, senior official performing the duties of FEMA administrator. 

The congressman noted that the BRIC program — which supports state, local, and territorial governments and tribal nations in reducing their hazard risk — is “a hand-up, not a hand-out,” to at-risk communities that have suffered catastrophic weather events.

This includes his Eighth Congressional District and northeastern Pennsylvania, where floods on Sept. 9, 2023 caused nearly $25 million in damage and destroyed 459 residences, according to his letter.

Specifically, the city of Scranton, Pa., which was awaiting funding for buyouts of flood-prone properties that were destroyed by flash floods on that date, now could be forced to come up with an additional $2.5 million in funding in order to create floodplain restoration and infrastructure, wrote the lawmaker. 

“In cases where communities cannot bear the full cost of property purchases, programs like BRIC are not wasteful, but well within the purview of federal coordination of disaster relief efforts,” Rep. Bresnahan wrote. “The BRIC program has, and can continue to, support communities like those in my district. I urge you in the strongest possible manner to revive this program.”