Thompson, Kennedy Demand Answers From FEMA Over Troubling Changes to Disaster Mitigation Grant Program

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, announced they are demanding answers from FEMA over troubling changes to the agency’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. In a letter to FEMA Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator Robert J. Fenton, Jr., Thompson and Kennedy warned that the Trump administration’s new BRIC funding notice makes it harder for rural, Tribal, and low-income communities to access disaster mitigation funding while adding potentially unlawful requirements unrelated to disaster resilience. “BRIC is a cost-effective investment in the safety and resilience of American communities, and it deserves to be administered in a manner that is lawful, equitable, and responsive to the unprecedented demand for mitigation funding,” the Ranking Members said. “The changes reflected in the fiscal year (FY) 2024 & 2025 BRIC NOFO, released in March 2026, represent a troubling departure from past precedent and raise significant legal, ethical, and practical questions.” Thompson and Kennedy requested a FEMA briefing by June 5, 2026, and urged the agency to rescind or substantially revise the funding notice. Read the full letter here. # # #