Lawmakers want answers over FEMA funding freeze on California projects
WASHINGTON — A near-complete freeze on federal funding to help California communities recovering from natural disasters better prepare for future hazards has raised alarms among state officials.
Nearly two dozen Democratic members of California’s congressional delegation sent a letter Friday to the Federal Emergency Management Agency seeking an explanation for why the Trump administration appears to be withholding more than $1.6 billion intended for those communities to rebuild more resiliently and reduce their liabilities.
“We trust that you agree that FEMA should not put Americans’ lives and livelihoods at unnecessary risk,” the members, led by Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San Jose, wrote. “Accordingly, we request your support in ensuring that our constituents receive the same full, fair, and prompt consideration of their FEMA awards requests as Americans in every other state.”
The agency did not immediately confirm that it had received the letter or respond to questions about why it is not …