National Flood Insurance Program Competition and Extension Act of 2018

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee for yielding time to talk about this important program.

I want to thank the gentlewoman from California for her consistent commitment to making sure that the National Flood Insurance Program is there for families who need it, families all around the country, not just families, by the way, Mr. Speaker, in coastal areas. This is a program that affects every community in our country. It is a program that affects millions of people throughout the country, hundreds of thousands in my home State of Louisiana, but people from all around. It is an important program.

Mr. Speaker, I would love for this to be a private program, where there were great options all around for people to buy private flood insurance. Unfortunately, today there aren't; and so because there aren't those private options, the only game in town is NFIP. So it is incumbent upon us to make sure that this program works. And it has got to be a program that is fair for ratepayers and fair for taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, over the years, we have had many different long-term and short-term reauthorizations. It is well-documented. It has been one of the frustrations of trying to get consistency in the program, but, in the meantime, it is important that this program move forward.

Too many people are counting on NFIP to be there for them that have a closing on a home this week; maybe somebody's buying a new house for Christmas and they have to have flood insurance. We need to make sure that that program is there for them.

So it is important that we continue to keep this going, while negotiations will go on to see if we can get a long-term solution. The House came together and figured out a way to get a 5-year reauthorization, but the Senate wasn't able to put it together. I have no doubt in the future we are going to have those negotiations and find a way to get a long-term reauthorization for the program. I appreciate all the efforts that are being made.

But, in the meantime, people know that you can't just have this program expire as those negotiations go on.

So, with that said, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the parties involved who are negotiating in good faith to try to get this done.

Again, I want to thank the gentlewoman from California for her continued efforts to make sure that people, millions of people all across this country have that program.

I want to thank the chairman for his years of service. It has been a long time. We have worked together, both former chairmen of the RSC, and I know he is going to have brighter days ahead. I am sure he is glad that he will have a few more days to live out his current career, but I appreciate the gentleman from Texas' service over these years to our country in Congress.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source