OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

National Flood Insurance Program Further Extension Act of 2018

Floor Speech

Date: Nov. 29, 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, and I thank the ranking member of the committee as well for her work on this issue over the years. I appreciate Mr. Duffy's leadership, and I appreciate Mr. MacArthur, Mr. Graves, and their work on this issue because the House has done its job, Mr. Speaker.

We painfully passed this bill over a year ago. We have done our work. We have a bill that represents a compromise of coastal States and not coastal States. We have taken into account all these issues about climate change and floods and hurricanes. We have taken all that into account, but we have had no action from the Senate.

What we are here for today is because the Senate has not taken one step to constructive reform of the National Flood Insurance Program. That is why we are here.

So I think we should be working together. We need the ranking member and the chairman down the hall in the Senate asking them, why can't they get their act together? Where is Senator Crapo, where is Senator Kennedy to read this bill and take into account the incredible work that we have done on a bipartisan basis here?

So it is very hard for me, Mr. Speaker, to support a 7-day reauthorization status quo for the eighth time. It is just very hard to do that because it is not right. We need the reforms that are in this bill. We need the pressure on the Senate to come up with their own reforms if they don't like our reforms.

I happen to like our reforms. I like the fact that I see more of what is happening in Arkansas where we have two private insurers now, Mr. Speaker, for floods. They cover $2 million instead of $250,000. They cover replacement cost instead of actual cost. That is the kind of reforms and progress we can make if we take account of the hard work of this House and get the Senate to join us in significant flood reform.

So, it is with a lot of regret, Mr. Speaker, I cannot support the reauthorization of this program for 7 days. We need the Senate to wake up and take action.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward