Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) issued the following statement today on passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, which was included as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 4):
“While Ventura County has faced heartbreaking challenges because of the Thomas Fire, we are on the road to recovering stronger than ever. I supported the Disaster Recovery Reform Act today to help us better prepare for and prevent future disasters, and improve the federal response when crises do arise. By focusing on the importance of pre-disaster planning and mitigation and incentivizing communities to rebuild better and smarter facilities, we can help save lives and reduce future costs. In fact, for every $1 spent on pre-disaster mitigation, we save between $4 and $8 in avoidable disaster recovery costs. My colleagues and I on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have been working to get this bill through Congress for months. I am pleased that it passed today, and I will continue to work tirelessly to get it to the President’s desk, so we can help communities prepare for and prevent future disasters.”
Issues: 115th Congress, Local Issues