Pew Joins More Than 30 Groups in Asking Congress to Pass Flood Readiness Bill

This letter was revised Jan. 3, 2021, to update the list of organizations that signed in support of the bill. 

The Pew Charitable Trusts—together with fiscal conservatives, flood risk managers, insurance companies, design and planning groups, public works professionals, and other nonprofit organizations—signed a letter on Sept. 30th urging Congress to pass the Flood Resiliency and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2020. The legislation would help safeguard communities and infrastructure by ensuring that federally funded projects, such as roads, schools, and hospitals, address flood risk throughout the duration of their design lives, which can span decades.

The letter outlines the results of a recent Pew poll, which found that 85% of Americans support requiring that federally funded projects in flood-prone areas be constructed to better withstand future flooding. Increasing the ability of communities and infrastructure to withstand floods will reduce damage, protect life, accelerate post-disaster recovery, and save taxpayer dollars.