Senators Call Out FEMA on Adding Climate Change Requirements to Mitigation Grants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Kristina Baum - 202.224.6176
Donelle Harder - 202.224.1282

Senators Call Out FEMA on Adding Climate Change Requirements to Mitigation Grants

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), today led Sens. David Vitter (R-La.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) in a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Adm. W. Craig Fugate calling for answers regarding FEMA's recent decision to require states to address climate change in their mitigation strategies before the state would become eligible to gain disaster mitigation grants.

"We are concerned FEMA's recent decision to require States to address climate change in their mitigation strategies injects unnecessary, ideological-based red tape into the disaster preparedness process," the Senators wrote in the letter. "Planning and preparing for disasters should be focused on strengthening and protecting local communities from inevitable weather events and not about falling in line with the president's political agenda."

From fiscal year 2010 through fiscal year 2014, FEMA obligated in excess of $1.4 billion under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Plan alone. Including, $52.6 million for Oklahoma, in excess of $1 billion for Louisiana, over $112 million for Alabama, over $37 million for Nebraska and over $239 million for Mississippi during that time.

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