Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici Demand Reinstatement of Critical Disaster Mitigation Program for Oregon

Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden—along with U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)—joined over 80 of their Senate and House colleagues in a bipartisan effort to demand that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This essential program supports local efforts to protect and harden communities in Oregon and nationwide from natural disasters.

“BRIC funds are spurring communities across the country to strengthen their resilience to extreme weather, and forgoing these critical investments will only make it harder and more expensive for communities to recover from the next storm,” Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici, and the lawmakers wrote.

The BRIC program provides grants for hazard mitigation planning and projects that reduce risks posed by natural hazards to communities, Tribal Nations, and territories requesting assistance. The lawmakers’ bipartisan letter emphasizes the urgent need to continue investing in pre-disaster mitigation and community resilience and calls on the Administration to work with Congress to improve the program’s accessibility and efficiency.

“The BRIC program was established by Congress in the 2018 Disaster Recovery Reform Act and signed into law by President Trump with bipartisan support. In the years since, this program has catalyzed community investments in resilient infrastructure, saving federal funds by investing in community preparedness before a disaster strikes,” they continued. “According to research, one dollar invested in disaster mitigation can save up to $18 in response and recovery expenditures.”

Previously, Merkley led his Democratic colleagues in the Oregon delegation to denounce the cancellation of awards under the BRIC program. These grants are critical to ensure that Oregon’s communities—especially in frontier, rural, and coastal regions of the state—can withstand the increasing threat of natural disasters.

“We urge the Administration to take swift action to reinstate the BRIC program, and to work with Congress to identify and implement reforms to strengthen our nation’s resilience for decades to come,” the lawmakers concluded.

This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.

This article appears in Source Weekly May 22, 2025.