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Below is Congresswoman Maxine Waters' one minute statement on the House floor in support of H.R. 41 - the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill:
Thank you so very much, Congressman Meeks.
I am so proud of the members of this Congress from both sides of the aisle, who have been real advocates, who have been on television, who have been fighting. Members on the opposite side of the aisle have criticized their own leadership for the delay.
I move to strike the last word.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this markup.
I would also like to thank Chairwoman Biggert for the work she has done on H.R. 1309, the Flood Insurance Reform Act and I am proud to be an original cosponsor this important bill.
As you know, Mr. Chairman, earlier this year I introduced similar legislation, H.R. 1026, the Flood Insurance Reform Priorities Act. A version of my bill passed the House last year on a bipartisan vote and I hope that the gentlewoman's bill will also pass the House with significant support from both parties.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) today reintroduced her legislation to improve the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Last year, the Congresswoman's NFIP legislation was passed by the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, but was not taken up by the Senate. NFIP is the primary source of reliable, affordable flood insurance coverage for more than five million American homes and businesses.
by Kevin Drawbaugh
Congress is pulling on its hip waders again to try to rescue a government policy wreck left over from 2005's Hurricane Katrina.
The National Flood Insurance Program, badly damaged by the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history as well as long neglect, has defied attempts at reform for five years.
That's not stopping Judy Biggert. On Friday, the soft-spoken Republican chairman of the House of Representatives insurance subcommittee will tackle the troubled NFIP, just as record U.S. winter snows threaten to cause heavy spring floods.
by Jim Abrams
Congress has not updated the program since 1994. In the ensuing years the once-solvent program had to pay out some $17 billion in Katrina-related claims and had to deal with FEMA flood zone remapping that has thrust thousands of homes and businesses into areas where they are required to buy flood insurance.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the chief sponsor of the bill, said it helps reduce the sticker shock of FEMA remapping by delaying the mandatory buying of insurance for five years and then phasing in full premiums over another five years.
by Arthur D. Postal
President Obama on Friday morning signed into law an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program until Sept. 30.
The bill is H.R. 5569, the "National Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010."
The bill is retroactive to June 1, when the authorization for the program lapsed for the fourth time in several years.
The bill also reduces the borrowing authority of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which runs the program, by $50 billion to $20.725 billion.