Twenty States Sue FEMA Over Termination of Disaster Mitigation Grant Program
Twenty states are suing FEMA and the Trump administration for unlawfully ending a congressional-approved disaster mitigation grant program, arguing it violates legal authority and endangers communities.
Washington ExaminerDemocratic states sue Trump admin over axed disaster prevention funds
ABC News20 states sue FEMA for canceling grant program that guards against natural disasters
Epoch Times20 States File Lawsuit Against FEMA’s Decision to Terminate Program
Newsmax20 States Sue Trump Over Ending FEMA Grant Program
Overview
A coalition of 20 states, including 19 attorneys general and Governor Josh Shapiro, has filed a lawsuit against FEMA in a federal court in Boston.
The lawsuit challenges FEMA's decision to terminate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which provides grants for natural disaster prevention.
States argue that FEMA, under an acting administrator, overstepped its legal authority by ending a program approved and funded by Congress, violating the separation of powers.
The BRIC program, established in 2018, covered up to 75% of project costs for vital hazard mitigation efforts like levees, safe rooms, and seismic retrofitting.
The plaintiffs contend that the program's termination endangers vulnerable communities and plan to seek a preliminary injunction to reinstate the BRIC program during litigation.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story by emphasizing the critical importance of the canceled disaster mitigation program and its positive impact on communities. They highlight the lawsuit's claims of illegality and present specific examples of communities losing vital funding, while FEMA's justification is briefly noted as a past statement, diminishing its current relevance.