Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the bill to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program may be included in a package we will consider tomorrow--the package of bills that might include the Transportation bill and the student loan bill as well. The National Flood Insurance Program needs to be addressed, and part of the new reauthorization makes significant changes and necessary improvements in the program. I do want to join my colleague Senator Pryor from Arkansas in raising concerns about one particular section in the bill. It creates a burden for many people across the United States--in Illinois, in Arkansas, in Pennsylvania, in California, and other places. It is called section 107. It deals with mandatory insurance coverage areas. It redefines special flood hazard areas. Under section 107(B), everyone in the United States living behind a levee, near a dam or near any other flood control structure--a so- called residual risk area--will be required to purchase flood insurance--everyone. FEMA estimates that well over 50 percent of America's population lives near a levee. Senator Pryor has a very revealing map of the United States. We have a lot of waterways and a lot of levees. There are levees in 881 counties throughout the United States. As many as 800,000 people in my State of about 12.5 million live in these areas. Many people living near a levee do not even realize it because the levees work. They have never had a flood.…”