On the recordMarch 4, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member. I want to thank Mr. Grimm and others for bringing this bill forward. You have heard what the bill does. I will tell you that I want to associate myself with all of the people who support it. I actually want to associate myself with some of the remarks of people who oppose it. I think that we need to fix the problem of short funding in the flood insurance program, but I don't think we need to do it overnight, and I don't think we need to do it on the backs of middle class people with a hammer. So I want to fix this. I think this bill is actually a step forward to say we will fix it, but we will take some time doing it to do it right so innocent people don't get hurt. I also want to take a minute to point out some of the things that are not in this bill that people need to be aware of. This bill does not address people who own vacation homes. I know that some people think that everyone who owns a vacation home is a multimillionaire Donald Trump. The average income of a second homeowner is about $96,000. The average value of a second home is about $150,000. Now, you don't see most of these homes on the Home and Garden Network because they are usually on wheels. They are made out of T-111. They are just inexpensive places that people get to bring their families. Now, most of these homes are not on the shore, but they are, not all of them, but some of them, are in flood plains.…





