Political Quotes

“I rise to discuss flood insurance extension and our need to address that now, to get rid of uncertainty in the market and real concern that this will not be done in time, and the vital National Flood Insurance Program may be allowed to lapse yet again, as happened in the recent past. Obviously, the National Flood Insurance Program is basic; it is necessary. It is necessary for the entire country, for real estate transactions everywhere. But it is certainly necessary in my home State of Louisiana and in a hurricane and flood zone. As we sit here today, the National Flood Insurance Program will expire in the first few days of June, during the Memorial Day recess. So it is necessary and important that program be extended. I suggest we take up this noncontroversial matter now, do it now. There is no controversy. There is no objection on the substance of the program. This will accomplish two things. First of all, our taking it up now rather than at the last moment right when we are pushed up against the Memorial Day recess will take care of real uncertainty in the market and give everyone--homeowners, those who need these extensions, those who need these policies, everyone in real estate--the security that this will be extended properly through at least the end of the year. Secondly, I think it is reasonable to take it out of the context of the extenders package, which is otherwise very controversial. There are a lot of elements of the extenders package which will merit debate.…”