Fact Check: The Puerto Rican government could lose more than $4.7 million under the terminated BRIC grant program.

Fact Check: "The Puerto Rican government could lose more than $4.7 million under the terminated BRIC grant program."

What We Know

The claim that the Puerto Rican government could lose more than $4.7 million under the terminated Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program is rooted in recent developments regarding FEMA's funding initiatives. As of April 2025, FEMA announced the termination of the BRIC program, which had been designed to support infrastructure resilience projects across the United States, including Puerto Rico (FEMA Ends Wasteful, Politicized Grant Program).

The BRIC program had allocated funding for various projects aimed at enhancing community resilience against disasters. However, the specific amount of funding that Puerto Rico was set to receive under this program before its termination is not clearly detailed in the available sources. The Eleventh Congressional Status Report indicates ongoing efforts to implement resilience initiatives, but does not specify the exact financial implications of the program's termination for Puerto Rico.

Analysis

The assertion that Puerto Rico could lose more than $4.7 million hinges on the understanding of the BRIC program's funding and its impact on the territory's recovery efforts. The GAO report highlights that FEMA has obligated significant funds for recovery in Puerto Rico, amounting to $23.8 billion, but it does not directly correlate this funding with the BRIC program or specify how much Puerto Rico was expected to receive from it.

The reliability of the sources varies. The FEMA press release regarding the termination of the BRIC program provides a direct statement about the program's end but lacks detailed financial breakdowns for specific states or territories (FEMA Ends Wasteful, Politicized Grant Program). The GAO report is a credible source, as it is a government accountability office document that reviews FEMA's funding and project approvals, yet it does not address the BRIC program's specific financial commitments to Puerto Rico.

Furthermore, news articles discussing the termination of the BRIC program (Puerto Rico Loses FEMA Funds for Climate Adaptation) and its implications (The FEMA BRIC Program Is Ending) provide context but also do not specify the exact financial losses for Puerto Rico. This lack of clarity makes it difficult to definitively state that Puerto Rico will lose more than $4.7 million without further evidence.

Conclusion

Needs Research. The claim regarding Puerto Rico's potential loss of more than $4.7 million under the terminated BRIC grant program lacks sufficient evidence and specificity in the available sources. While it is confirmed that the BRIC program has been terminated, the exact financial implications for Puerto Rico remain unclear. Further investigation into the specific funding allocations and commitments under the BRIC program is necessary to substantiate or refute this claim.