EIGHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, PA — On Wednesday, April 9, Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA-08) sent a letter to Cameron Hamilton, the Acting Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), following the agency’s announcement to cancel the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.

“I am writing to express my opposition to FEMA’s recent announcement it would cancel the [BRIC] program…this decision is detrimental to my constituents, and I strongly urge you to reverse this decision,” wrote Rep. Bresnahan. “This program is a hand-up, not a hand-out, to at-risk communities who have suffered catastrophic weather events. This includes my district and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The September 9, 2023 floods caused nearly $25 million in damage and destroyed 459 residences.”

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, the city of Scranton was awaiting funding for buy-outs of flood-prone properties that were destroyed by flash floods on September 9, 2023. Without the support from the BRIC program, the city will be forced to come up with an additional $2.5 million in funding in order to create floodplain restoration and infrastructure, which 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 Rep. 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.”

You can read the full letter here.