OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington is leading a lawsuit against the Trump administration for what it calls the illegal shutdown of a major federal disaster preparedness program.
Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown says FEMA’s decision to terminate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program puts lives and property at risk.
“This illegal cut endangers the communities most vulnerable to natural disasters,” Brown said. “Communities and states face devastating consequences when the federal government doesn’t meet its obligations to the public, and I will hold the Trump administration accountable for abandoning their safety.”
The BRIC program has helped communities across the country fund critical projects like floodwalls, levees and backup power for hospitals.
There are currently 27 open BRIC projects in Washington totaling over $180 million, which mostly support small towns and rural communities.
Brown says the program’s elimination violates federal law and the Constitution, because Congress approved the funding and an unconfirmed FEMA official gave the order to cut it.
Washington is joined by 19 other states and the governor of Pennsylvania in seeking a court order to restore the program and its billions in funding.
