OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Disaster Tax Relief and Airport Airway Extension Act of 2017

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 27, 2017
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Health and Health Care

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose H.R. 3823. First, I would like to mention I have deep concerns over Republicans' failure to extend vital healthcare programs that expire this Saturday, including important bipartisan programs like CHIP, Community Health Centers, and the National Health Service Corps. If we fail to act, access to affordable and quality care for children and vulnerable populations nationwide will be jeopardized.

However, I want to focus on another issue that is extremely important to my constituents: flood insurance.

This bill would undermine efforts to comprehensively reform the National Flood Insurance Program by allowing the development of a private flood insurance market while not confronting challenges to NFIP, like increasing affordability, investing in mitigation, and ensuring transparency and accountability. It would not even reauthorize the flood insurance program, which is due to expire on December 8; or raise its borrowing authority, which is due to run out in the coming weeks and could impact claims from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

When Superstorm Sandy devastated New Jersey 5 years ago, some of the hardest hit communities were in my district, and the NFIP did not help them the way it should have. Too many of my constituents are still dealing with high premiums, inaccurate flood maps, or still waiting for their Sandy claims appeals to be decided.

That is why I helped introduce the bipartisan SAFE NFIP Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize the program, cap premium rate increases, authorize funding for more flood mapping, reform the appeals process, and cap the compensation of flood insurance companies.

These are changes that we must pursue. The legislation we consider does none of this.

Mr. Speaker, we should be working together to comprehensively improve the NFIP. Doing anything less is an abdication of our responsibility. I encourage all of my colleagues to oppose this legislation and work towards meaningful flood insurance reform.

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