Latest news with #DavidRichardson
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
20 states sue DHS, FEMA for cuts to disaster mitigation program
A group of 20 states sued the Trump administration on Wednesday seeking to block what they say was an illegal termination of a program that provided federal funding for natural disaster mitigation projects. "By unilaterally shutting down FEMA's flagship pre-disaster mitigation program, Defendants have acted unlawfully and violated core separation of power principles," the lawsuit alleges, arguing that the executive branch doesn't have the authority to shut down the program funded by Congress. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, targets Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Richardson for their role in shutting down FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, also known as BRIC, program earlier this year. The lawsuit argues the power to make such a decision falls to Congress. Before it was halted in April, the BRIC program helped fund local infrastructure projects like stormwater control systems and relocating or elevating buildings in flood-prone areas. "Projects that have been in development for years, and in which communities have invested millions of dollars for planning, permitting, and environmental review are now threatened," the lawsuit states. "And in the meantime, Americans across the country face a higher risk of harm from natural disasters." A CBS News investigation last month revealed that the recent BRIC funding cuts have disproportionately affected counties that supported Mr. Trump in the 2024 election. Two-thirds of the counties losing funding voted for Mr. Trump. The elimination of the BRIC program will especially deprive vulnerable communities across the Southeast, the CBS News data analysis found. The lawsuit calls the impact of the BRIC program's shutdown "devastating" and says it will force communities across the country to delay, scale back or cancel hundreds of mitigation projects because of their inability to access their already-approved federal dollars. Alongside the lawsuit, the states also filed a request for a preliminary injunction asking the court to temporarily block the federal government from reallocating FEMA funds designated for disaster preparedness, arguing states will suffer irreversible damage if the funds are spent before the court rules. In an April press release announcing the cuts, which has since been removed from the FEMA website, the disaster response agency said the BRIC program was "wasteful" and had become more concerned with "political agendas than helping Americans recover from natural disasters." The multibillion-dollar BRIC program was established in 2018 under the first Trump administration. FEMA and DHS did not immediately return a request for comment about the lawsuit. The states suing are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Most have Democratic state leadership and have filed other lawsuits challenging Trump administration actions. North Carolina was ravaged by mudslides and flash flooding last fall after Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September. The lawsuit comes as FEMA in recent weeks has faced scrutiny about its response to floods in Texas that killed more than 130 people, including at least 37 children. It also comes just days after heavy rains and flooding inundated communities in states ranging from New York and New Jersey to New Mexico. Son of man who was violently detained by ICE reacts after release Mike Johnson breaks from Trump, calls on DOJ to release Epstein files 7.3 magnitude earthquake hits southern Alaska Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
20 states sue DHS, FEMA for cuts to disaster mitigation program
A group of 20 states sued the Trump administration on Wednesday seeking to block what they say was an illegal termination of a program that provided federal funding for natural disaster mitigation projects. "By unilaterally shutting down FEMA's flagship pre-disaster mitigation program, Defendants have acted unlawfully and violated core separation of power principles," the lawsuit alleges, arguing that the executive branch doesn't have the authority to shut down the program funded by Congress. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, targets Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Richardson for their role in shutting down FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, also known as BRIC, program earlier this year. The lawsuit argues the power to make such a decision falls to Congress. Before it was halted in April, the BRIC program helped fund local infrastructure projects like stormwater control systems and relocating or elevating buildings in flood-prone areas. "Projects that have been in development for years, and in which communities have invested millions of dollars for planning, permitting, and environmental review are now threatened," the lawsuit states. "And in the meantime, Americans across the country face a higher risk of harm from natural disasters." A CBS News investigation last month revealed that the recent BRIC funding cuts have disproportionately affected counties that supported Mr. Trump in the 2024 election. Two-thirds of the counties losing funding voted for Mr. Trump. The elimination of the BRIC program will especially deprive vulnerable communities across the Southeast, the CBS News data analysis found. The lawsuit calls the impact of the BRIC program's shutdown "devastating" and says it will force communities across the country to delay, scale back or cancel hundreds of mitigation projects because of their inability to access their already-approved federal dollars. Alongside the lawsuit, the states also filed a request for a preliminary injunction asking the court to temporarily block the federal government from reallocating FEMA funds designated for disaster preparedness, arguing states will suffer irreversible damage if the funds are spent before the court rules. In an April press release announcing the cuts, which has since been removed from the FEMA website, the disaster response agency said the BRIC program was "wasteful" and had become more concerned with "political agendas than helping Americans recover from natural disasters." The multibillion-dollar BRIC program was established in 2018 under the first Trump administration. FEMA and DHS did not immediately return a request for comment about the lawsuit. The states suing are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Most have Democratic state leadership and have filed other lawsuits challenging Trump administration actions. North Carolina was ravaged by mudslides and flash flooding last fall after Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September. The lawsuit comes as FEMA in recent weeks has faced scrutiny about its response to floods in Texas that killed more than 130 people, including at least 37 children. It also comes just days after heavy rains and flooding inundated communities in states ranging from New York and New Jersey to New Mexico.
Politico
5 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Democrats sue Trump over canceled disaster grant program
David Richardson has been acting administrator since Trump appointed him in May, a position that avoids Senate confirmation and a statutory requirement that a FEMA administrator have experience in emergency management. Richardson is a former Marine officer and expert in weapons of mass destruction who has not worked in emergency management. After the administration canceled FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, it reclaimed $4.5 billion in grants that had been approved for states but not spent. Without the BRIC money, states and communities have halted or scaled back dozens of projects aimed at protecting against flood damage, wildfires and other weather-related events. 'The impact of the shutdown has been devastating,' the lawsuit says. The complaint says the administration lacks the authority to end the BRIC program and seeks a preliminary ruling that would restore the canceled funding. 'President Trump and his lackeys have once again jeopardized public safety with their indiscriminate slashing of pre-disaster mitigation funding,' California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said in a statement. 'We're taking them to court — not because we want to, but because we have to.' The Democratic attorneys general have filed other lawsuits challenging Trump's actions to cut off other FEMA funding and to require states to help with immigration enforcement in order to get FEMA funds. In addition to Bonta, the plaintiffs are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. The Department of Justice declined to comment.
E&E News
5 days ago
- Politics
- E&E News
Democrats sue Trump over canceled disaster grant program
A group of 20 Democratic attorneys general filed a new lawsuit against the Trump administration Wednesday morning, aiming to restore a canceled grant program that helped states protect against potential disaster damage. The lawsuit says the administration in April illegally ended a multibillion-dollar Federal Emergency Management Agency program that was established under a 2018 law signed by Trump. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, also asks the court to declare that FEMA's current leader 'is acting as FEMA administrator unlawfully.' Advertisement David Richardson has been acting administrator since Trump appointed him in May, a position that avoids Senate confirmation and a statutory requirement that a FEMA administrator have experience in emergency management. Richardson is a former Marine officer and expert in weapons of mass destruction who has not worked in emergency management.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
FEMA Chief Finally Makes His Appearance At Flood-Ravaged Texas Region
President Donald Trump's pick to lead the federal government agency tasked with providing emergency aid in disaster sites finally visited Texas' devastated Hill Country over the weekend — more than a week after massive flooding killed at least 132 people and left families desperate for help. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief David Richardson made an unannounced visit to Kerr County, Texas, on Saturday to 'survey the impacts of the recent floods,' according to the agency. The flooding began on the Fourth of July. As of Tuesday, volunteers continue to clear debris and search for missing loved ones. Richardson, who was made acting administrator in May, was nowhere to be seen in the immediate aftermath of the devastation. Instead, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the disaster site and spoke at press conferences on how the federal government is assisting recovery efforts. Saturday appeared to be Richardson's first visit to a disaster site since being picked to lead an agency in which he has no known experience, according to Politico. FEMA and its Texas division promoted the trip with several photos on social media that showed the acting administrator concentrating on maps and speaking to officials while wearing cowboy boots, a straw planter hat and a shirt buttoned halfway up. 'So when you think of the Donald Trump presidency and what it looks like for them to be in charge of really, really, really important parts of the government, now at least you can picture this,' Rachel Maddow said Monday on MSNBC, comparing Richardson's visit with President George W. Bush's historic failure of a response to the deadly devastation Hurricane Katrina caused in New Orleans. The New York Times reported last week that thousands of calls made by victims in the flood's aftermath to FEMA's disaster assistance line went unanswered, largely because Homeland Security didn't renew the contracts of call center staff. On Sunday, Noem called the report 'fake news' and accused FEMA whistleblowers of politicizing the situation. Trump, who previously threatened to dismantle FEMA, praised the agency while visiting the disaster site Richardson, the president saw the devastation caused by the floods from a helicopter.
