WILKES-BARRE — U.S. Rep. Bresnahan Jr. on Wednesday said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s recent announcement that it would cancel the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program is a decision that is detrimental to his constituents, and he strongly urged that it be reversed.
Rep. Bresnahan (PA-08) sent a letter to Cameron Hamilton, acting administrator of FEMA, following the agency’s announcement to cancel the BRIC program.
“This program is a hand-up, not a hand-out, to at-risk communities who have suffered catastrophic weather events,” Rep. Bresnahan said. “This includes my district and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Sept. 9, 2023, floods caused nearly $25 million in damage and destroyed 459 residences.”
Rep. Bresnahan said the BRIC program supports state, local and territorial governments and Tribal Nations as they work to reduce their hazard risk, including governments in Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District.
Specifically, Bresnahan said the city of Scranton was awaiting funding for buyouts of flood-prone properties destroyed by flash floods on Sept. 9, 2023. Without the support from the BRIC program, Rep. Bresnahan said the city would be forced to raise an additional $2.5 million in funding to create floodplain restoration and infrastructure, which he said is important to city public safety and future cost savings.
“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,” continued Bresnahan. “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.”
In his letter to FEMA, Bresnahan said the BRIC program was established in 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first administration. He added that FEMA denied Gov. Josh Shapiro’s request for an emergency disaster declaration.
“The median household income of my district $61,000.” Rep. Bresnahan said in the letter. “Sadly, the tax base for a number of municipalities in my district is not always sufficient to complete buyout programs without federal assistance. I strongly believe that disaster efforts are locally executed, state-led, and federally coordinated. 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.”