California Attorney General Rob Bonta has obtained a preliminary injunction that prevents the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from using funds from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program for purposes unrelated to disaster prevention. The order will remain in effect while ongoing multistate litigation is resolved.
The BRIC program, established in 2020, provides billions of dollars to help states prepare for and reduce risks from disasters before they occur. California stands as the largest recipient of these grants and could receive over a billion dollars for future projects that FEMA had already approved before an attempt was made to end the program.
Attorney General Bonta commented on the court’s decision: “The President keeps breaking the law, and we keep holding him accountable in court,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Shuttering this program would do nothing to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse or improve government efficiency. This is a program with bipartisan support that is focused on protecting lives and livelihoods from flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. I’m pleased the District Court has ensured this funding will not be redirected and misspent while our litigation continues.”
A copy of the court order can be found here.
