Gov. Maura Healey says a $90 million intended for disaster prevention is being pulled back by the Trump administration, which is calling it wasteful spending. Boston and 17 other communities stand to lose money, prompting criticism in Massachusetts.
We recap the reaction and political commentator Sue O’Connell breaks down the legal issues around federal cuts.
Another funding cut from the Trump administration has Massachusetts Democrats voicing frustration.
FEMA announced an end to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program, canceling all BRIC applications from 2020 to 2023 and clawing back $882 million nationwide. According to Gov. Maura Healey, $90 million will be stripped from 18 Massachusetts communities.
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WATCH HERE"It's an impairment of overall federal support for Massachusetts," Rep. Jake Auchincloss said.
Included on the list are cities like Boston, which is set to lose $23 million intended for improvements to Moakley Park. Mayor Michelle Wu called the action "unlawful."
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SIGN UP "We have close coordination between the governor and the (congressional) delegation," said Auchincloss. "The governor is working to insulate Massachusetts from those impacts."
FEMA maintains the program was wasteful and ineffective. A spokesperson wrote in a statement that BRIC was "more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters."
Democrats in Congress are working with limited options in Republican-controlled government.
"That's our only recourse, to go into court and try and undo that," said Rep. Stephen Lynch. "We have had a fair amount of success, winning 80% of the cases we're bringing."
"We hope the courts will continue on a pathway of ruling against Trump," Sen. Ed Markey said.
Funding those court battles is already gaining traction here in Massachusetts. During its budget unveiling, the House included a boost to Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell's budget in an effort to bolster legal efforts against the Trump administration.
