Rep. Angie Craig’s Fight for Local Disaster Prevention Advances

Today, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig's bipartisan bill to provide local communities with low-interest loans for disaster resilience projects, the Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act of 2019, passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with unanimous support.

Her landmark legislation creates a low-interest loan program for states to fund pre-disaster mitigation projects, which greatly reduce the risks and costs of natural disasters. Revolving Fund loans would be available for projects that minimize the risks of wildfires, earthquakes, floods, storm surges, tornadoes, and other events deemed catastrophic by FEMA. It is estimated that each dollar spent on prevention saves six dollars for taxpayers.

"With the growing threat of more frequent and devastating disasters, today's passage out of Committee is an important step in making our towns and cities more resilient," said Rep. Craig. "I'm thrilled to be leading the bipartisan effort for smart, proactive investments in disaster-resilient infrastructure."

This past spring Minnesota experienced one of the most devastating flood seasons on record - communities from Shakopee to Zumbro Falls to Jordan are still rebuilding their roads, bridges, and neighborhoods. Unfortunately, this devastation has also been felt across the country as communities recover from hurricanes, floods, and fires. That's why, working with local mayors in Minnesota, Craig led the effort to develop strategies that strengthen infrastructure and prevent damage before natural disasters occur.

"The risks that wildfires, earthquakes, chemical spills, and floods pose to our communities have the potential to be catastrophic. With extreme weather events occurring more frequently now, than ever before, I'm pleased that Congresswoman Craig's bill to help communities defend against and prepare for these types of events, passed through the Committee during today's markup. This bill will allow local governments to take out low-interest loans for mitigation projects, which in turn, will make everyone safer in the event of a natural disaster," said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR). "Congresswoman Craig has been a tireless advocate of streamlining the disaster recovery process for local communities across the country and in her district. I look forward to working with her on this issue and finding more ways to make America's communities better prepared for a bad day."

"One of the most valuable aspects of this approach is that we can leverage resources several times over the initial federal investment over time - the more projects, the larger the fund grows," said Mayor Sean Dowse, Red Wing, Minnesota. "Why support just one project with a single grant when we can support many?"

"You don't have to come from a coastal district to know how natural disasters negatively impact our homes, schools, farms, and businesses. My district in Southern Nevada faces threats of worsening flash floods and wildfires from the catastrophic impacts of climate change. This bipartisan legislation championed by Rep. Craig provides another arrow in the quiver to protect our communities from natural disasters while also saving taxpayer dollars. As the old saying goes, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,'" said Rep. Dina Titus (NV-01)

"Our future depends on resilient infrastructure," said Robin A. Kemper, P.E., President, American Society of Civil Engineers. "As civil engineers, we are thinking about building infrastructure that will last for 50-100 years, or more, and we are ensuring our infrastructure is more resilient as we plan for the future with new technologies, approaches, and materials. Resilience is so important to the overall health of our infrastructure network, that it is one of the eight key criteria used for assessment in the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card. The opportunity to build strategically in the aftermath of major storms and other weather events is upon us. That is why the American Society of Civil Engineers is proud to support this legislation that will help communities recover from and prepare for the next catastrophic storm."

"Building resilient infrastructure is a top priority for the business community. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pleased to support this bipartisan legislation. Proactively getting ahead of the next disaster is a commonsense approach to ensuring long-term, sustainable infrastructure that businesses and communities across the country depend on," said Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In Congress, Rep. Craig advocates for infrastructure improvements and expanded economic opportunity on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She has also:

• Held a flood briefing with state and local leaders in Hastings to talk about how federal, state, and local governments can work together to prevent flood damage in the district
• Visited Jordan to assess flood damage with local leaders
• Visited a Red Cross shelter housing families already displaced by the spring flood season
• Joined Governor Tim Walz to fill sandbags to assist communities that might be impacted by the spring flooding

The Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act of 2019 is supported by the Mississippi River Caucus, Mississippi River Cities and Town Initiative, The American Society of Civil Engineers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.