As your constituent, I urge you to reverse course on this regulation and maintain Virginias participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Among other important benefits to my community, participation in RGGI underpins the Community Flood Preparedness Fund, a program critical to preparing Virginians for more frequent and costly flooding. This fund represents the only dedicated funding source for community-scale flood mitigation projects in Virginia. Pulling out of RGGI will leave Virginia woefully unprepared for future floods, our most costly natural hazard.

Authorized by the General Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan majorities in 2020, the Community Flood Preparedness Fund provides flood-prone localities with grants for projects and planning initiatives designed to reduce their flood risk. This kind of spending on risk reduction is prudent, as research shows that every $1 invested in disaster mitigation can save at least $6 in future costs. Polls indicate that 84% of registered voters in Virginiaacross party linesfavor a state-run fund to help owners of homes and businesses invest in measures to reduce flood risk in their communities. And already, communities like mine are taking advantage of this valuable program and are working to build a flood-safe future for Virginia.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I urge you to ensure Virginias continued participation in RGGI.