On the recordMay 9, 2012
Madam President, I keep coming to the floor urging this because it is so important and because it is so achievable. Again, there are not big issues dividing us. This is not a partisan issue. We just need Senate floor time to get it done. In that vein, I will be doing two things today and in the near future. First, I will be passing around to all Members of the Senate a new letter addressed to Senator Reid to urge that this matter be put on the floor as soon as possible. In a letter dated February 14, we urged this on a bipartisan basis, and 41 Senators, of both parties, signed that. This new letter restates that case, and, of course, now it is more urgent than ever as the clock ticks to May 31--just 3 weeks and 1 day away. I will also be proposing an amendment to the next matter that comes on the Senate floor to incorporate the Senate bill with perfecting amendments that have been worked out toward the floor to incorporate that amendment on the next bill on the Senate floor. My understanding is that will either be the FDA user fee reauthorization or a small business tax bill. Neither of those bills is bitterly partisan or highly divisive. So I will be proposing as an amendment to either of those bills--whichever comes to the floor next--the full reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program along the lines the Senate committee has proposed. Again, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support that effort.…





