Casar decries cancellation of federal grant intended to prevent flood risks
Friday, April 11, 2025 by Jo Clifton
Austin U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, who served on the Austin City Council from 2015 to 2022, expressed anger after learning that a grant that he had previously helped to secure has been canceled. The $50 million BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was intended to reduce flooding risks for Austin residents.
Casar released the following statement: “To pay for tax cuts for billionaires, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are leaving Americans at risk when disaster strikes. Austinites should not be at risk of uncontrolled raw sewage flooding our communities so that billionaires can buy a bigger yacht.”
Casar helped secure the commitment to reduce flooding risk for Austin residents and critical infrastructure, including at Fallwell Lane, the Austin Water South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Austin Energy Sand Hill Energy Center. Texas cities were previously disqualified from accessing BRIC funds until Casar and others successfully advocated for changes to FEMA’s scoring criteria, according to a statement from his office.
On April 4, FEMA announced the cancellation of all undistributed BRIC funds, which includes the city of Austin’s award.
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