Edwards Urges Leadership to Bring the FEMA Act to the Floor

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) urged House leadership to bring H.R. 4669, the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act, to the House floor for consideration, emphasizing the need for faster, fairer disaster recovery for communities still rebuilding after Hurricane Helene.

The FEMA Act modernizes and streamlines federal disaster assistance by creating a single, universal application that allows survivors to complete one simplified form when seeking aid. The legislation also reforms FEMA’s Public Assistance program by increasing upfront financial support for state and local governments, clarifying reimbursement requirements, and accelerating long-term recovery timelines. Finally, the bill strengthens disaster preparedness and resilience through provisions that support utility resiliency, preserve local flexibility in building codes, and provide resources to help homeowners reinforce existing structures against future disasters.

This comprehensive legislation incorporates several Edwards-led bipartisan reforms to address the unique recovery challenges facing Western North Carolina, including:

• Disaster Survivors Fairness Act — Streamlines the FEMA application process and improves coordination among federal agencies to better serve disaster survivors.
• Fair Disaster Assistance Act — Protects federal disaster assistance applicants by ensuring FEMA does not issue premature denial notices before a final decision has been made regarding their insurance claim for disaster-related losses.
• Promoting Resilient Buildings Act — Expands the definition of building codes to prevent burdens on states, homebuilders, and local municipalities and promoting more resilient buildings to ensure they are prepared in the event of a natural disaster.
• Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities for All Act — Reinstates and reforms the BRIC program to ensure rural communities have fair access to hazard mitigation funding.

“When Hurricane Helene hit our mountain communities last year, our region was devastated. Over the past year, we’ve seen the importance of well-run emergency management and disaster relief services and the impact they have on getting communities back on their feet. The FEMA Act implements what disaster-impacted communities like ours have been asking for: less red tape, clearer rules, and faster help,” said Congressman Edwards. “These reforms will make FEMA more responsive and ensure communities have the tools they need to rebuild stronger and recover faster. I urge House leadership to bring this bill to the floor so it can move forward.”

Full list of signatories on the letter include: Bacon, Don; Begich, Nicholas; Bell, Wesley; Bergman, Jack; Bilirakis, Gus; Bishop, Sanford; Bresnahan, Robert; Bynum, Janelle; Cammack, Kat; Carbajal, Salud; Carter, Earl; Davis, Donald; Dunn, Neal; Edwards, Chuck; Ezell, Mike; Figures, Shomari; Fitzpatrick, Brian; Foushee, Valerie; Friedman, Laura; Fry, Russell; Garcia, Robert; Gillen, Laura; Harrigan, Pat; Harshbarger, Diana; Hoyle, Val; Huizenga, Bill; Jackson, Jonathan; Kiley, Kevin; King-Hinds, Kimberlyn; LaLota, Nick; Lee, Laurel; McDonald Rivet, Kristen; McDowell, Addison; Miller, Carol; Moore, Tim; Moskowitz, Jared; Moulton, Seth; Moylan, James; Nadler, Jerrold; Pappas, Chris; Ross, Deborah; Rouzer, David; Scholten, Hillary; Schrier, Kim; Soto, Darren; Stauber, Pete; Suozzi, Thomas; Timmons, William; Vasquez, Gabe; Wilson, Joe.

The full letter can be found here.
 

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