Governor Kotek Applauds Court Order Restoring Essential Disaster Preparedness Funding

Salem, OR - Governor Tina Kotek applauded the permanent injunction issued by the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts last week that restored Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grants across the country and ordered the congressionally obligated funds to flow to the states as intended.

"President Trump's decision to undermine the safety and resiliency of Oregon communities was reckless and harmful. And a federal judge confirmed it was unlawful, too," Governor Kotek said. "Now the federal government must comply with the court's order and keep its promise to Oregonians."

In April 2025, President Trump froze $135 million in federal BRIC grants to Oregon. At that time, 21 projects across the state were already awarded or underway. These projects represented many years of effort and investment by Oregon communities to make them shovel-ready. Eastern Oregon was hit particularly hard, with more than $85 million dollars of critical disaster risk mitigation projects cancelled.

The following Oregon projects were affected by the unlawful BRIC Grant cancellation:

Restoring the funding from BRIC to these projects will keep Oregon communities safer when disaster strikes. However, the pause in obligated federal funding has already disrupted projects' timelines, and the harm done by the pause cannot be completely reversed.

"Columbia Memorial Hospital is very pleased with this court decision," said Erik Thorsen, CEO of Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. "We hope it will result in the immediate restoration and approval of our BRIC funding. We wish to thank the Governor and Attorney General Rayfield and all of those who have helped secure this outcome."

Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria was awarded a $14 million BRIC grant to support its $300 million CMH Expansion Project, one of the largest construction efforts in Clatsop County history. The project includes a 180,000-square-foot, four-story facility designed to withstand earthquakes and tsunamis, featuring a deep pile foundation, rooftop helipad, and Oregon's first Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Refuge Structure, capable of sheltering up to 1,900 people. The hospital had already secured $5.9 million in local matching funds and spent over $817,000 before the federal freeze disrupted progress.

At this time, BRIC funding has not resumed, and local leaders await further guidance from the federal government.

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