Political Quotes

“Madam President, hurricane season started on June 1; and although we, of course, feel that particularly in Louisiana, I will note that last year, a hurricane hit Southern California. So this is something which can happen all over our Nation, and people in Louisiana know what people in California have learned: When there is a hurricane, there can be flooding. Now, we--I say ``we'' as we in Louisiana but, hopefully, people all over--know how to prepare; but this year, unfortunately, fewer people in Louisiana and fewer people nationwide will be able to count on the National Flood Insurance Program to help them in case they do flood. The National Flood Insurance Program, or the NFIP, was created as a safety net for the most vulnerable Americans. The stereotype is that this is only for rich people who build properties on coastal islands which are bound to flood. The reality is these are working families. These are folks who have no place else to move. These are folks who have spent decades in communities that have never flooded; yet, nonetheless, they are left without the protection of the National Flood Insurance Program. The NFIP covers 4.7 million American homes, but because of the new FEMA risk assessment system, called Risk Rating 2.0, there has been an unprecedented spike in insurance premiums, making them unaffordable and causing people to drop their coverage. I speak to constituents constantly about flood insurance.…”