Trump administration sued by 20 states for cutting disaster prevention grants | Trump administration
A group of 20 US states of democratic states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to prevent Trump administration from terminating a billions of dollars of grant program that financed infrastructure upgrades to protect against natural disasters.
The case filed at the Boston Federal Court claims that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lacks the authority to cancel the flexible infrastructure and communities program in April after being approved and financed by the congress.
Fema, which is a part of the US Department of Internal Security, was examined at the beginning of this month because of his response to the deadly floods in Texas, which was renewed to the depreciation or lifting movements of the administration’s agency.
“Fema’s flagship pre -disaster reducing program unilaterally closed the Fema’s flagship pre -disaster reducing program, and the defendants acted illegally and violated the principles of the basic powers.
FEMA and DHS did not respond immediately to comments.
The BRIC program, which was created as an upgrade of existing grant programs in 2018, includes 75% of the costs of infrastructure projects or 90% in rural areas to protect communities from natural disasters. In addition to other projects, Finance was used for improvements in evacuation shelters, flood walls and roads and bridges.
In the last four years, FEMA has approved a grant of approximately 4.5 billion dollars for approximately 2,000 projects for approximately 2,000 projects, according to Tuesday’s case.
When FEMA announced the termination of the program in April, the agency said it was extravagant, ineffective and politicized.
In May, a group of two -party deputies called on FEMA to restore the grants by saying that they were particularly important for rural and tribal communities and that they were working with congress to make the program more efficient.
In his case, he says that the Congress has made Fema a fundamental function of the future disasters, and that the US Constitution and Federal Law prevented Trump administration from changing the mission of the agency without working with MPs.
They also claim that at the end of the program, FEMA’s deputy Cameron Hamilton and his successor David Richardson were not appropriate and deprived of the authority to cancel.
States, while the case progressing that the program should be restored to a precautionary precautionary measures, he said.
The case is an attempt to reduce states’ approach to disaster financing of Trump administration. In May, most of the same states filed a lawsuit against the administration for the grant financing of a policy to cooperate with states in cooperation with federal immigration sanctions.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said in a statement that the last floods in Texas, which caused more than 130 deaths, clearly stated that federal funds are critical to help them prepare for natural disasters.
Democrat, “BRIC program suddenly and illegally closing, this management, to protect the inhabitants of the federal financing states and local communities leaving and saving lives in the case of disaster,” he said.
