Dear Friends,Oregonians have seen up close how climate disasters can devastate communities. In 2021, an intense winter freeze killed at least four Oregonians and left 300,000 without power. A heat wave that broke our all-time heat record three days in a row claimed over 100 lives. And at one point, our state had the largest active wildfire in the country, which was powerful enough to create its own weather and to send smoke clear across the continental United States.  Unfortunately, climate-fueled disasters are becoming a more frequent part of our reality. But we can’t simply accept the levels of destruction and loss that we’ve been experiencing. We know that climate disasters will continue to come—and that they will continue hitting Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities the hardest—so it’s time to get serious about the changes we need to keep everyone in our communities safe.  We need a plan. That’s why today, I’m introducing the Climate Risk and Emergency Support in Livable Inclusive and Equitable Neighborhoods and Communities Everywhere (RESILIENCE) Act to strengthen and improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) preparation for, and response to, climate disasters.  This legislation is necessary because the status quo isn’t cutting it, and it’s critical that we address the inadequacies in our current disaster-response system. For example, under current FEMA guidelines, heat waves aren’t even considered disasters, leaving communities without critical resources they need to save lives from these deadly weather events.   FEMA has generally been far too reactive rather than proactive in responding to climate disasters. It is time we acknowledge our ability to implement commonsense solutions to mitigate the danger that disasters pose to our communities before they strike. With all of this in mind, my new legislation would: Improve FEMA’s disaster definition to include extreme temperature events, like heat waves and freezes;   Provide financial and technical assistance to communities for comprehensive hazard mitigation planning;  Integrate the hazard mitigation planning process between states, tribes, and territories; Expand FEMA’s pre-disaster and post-disaster mitigation programs to include increased funding, improved community planning, and improved hazard resistance structures and natural infrastructure, among other steps. This bill is the first of many steps I outlined in my legislative roadmap to protect our communities from the devastating and compounding effects of climate change.  I will keep you updated as this work continues.