FEMA Acting Director Admits Biden's BRICK Program 'Went Off The Rails'

Impact of Flooding in Northeastern Pennsylvania

• 📌 Northeastern Pennsylvania has a history of severe flooding, with significant events in 1972, 2011, and 2018.
• ⚠️ The 2011 flood, outside of a levee system, devastated a community, leading to redrawn flood maps and challenges with flood insurance for homeowners.
• 💔 A 2021 flood in Lackawanna County resulted in at least one fatality, and recent projects in Scranton aim to improve waterways damaged by past flooding.

BRICK Program and Resilience Funding

• 📉 Representative Bresnahan inquired about the BRICK program and its potential reinstatement after projects totaling approximately $10 million in levee construction and $2.5 million in property buyouts were canceled.
• 💡 Acting FEMA Director David Richardson stated that the BRICK program, initiated under the Trump administration and continued into the Biden administration, 'went off the rails' by funding projects like bus stops and bike paths.
• 🏛️ The program is currently under litigation, preventing detailed discussion, but Richardson emphasized that resilience is a top priority for FEMA.
• 🤝 Richardson expressed a desire to stay engaged with the Representative on resilience initiatives and solutions for affected communities.

Community Needs and Future Engagement

• 🏞️ Representative Bresnahan invited Richardson to visit northeastern Pennsylvania to witness firsthand the communities impacted by flooding and the need for infrastructure improvements like levee systems.
• 🤝 Both parties agreed to continue working together on different systems and solutions to address the ongoing challenges posed by flooding in the region.