Political Quotes

“I would like to thank Chairwoman Biggert for yielding and for her leadership on this issue. I rise today in support of the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Reform Act. As a representative of the Katrina-devastated Mississippi gulf coast, I understand both the importance of the National Flood Insurance Program but also the need for its reform. I have introduced two amendments to the bill which will be a part of the en bloc amendment. The first calls for the newly created Technical Mapping Advisory Council to include members from coastal or other high- risk flood areas. This assures that the advisory council has members that are not just technical experts but have experienced firsthand the hardship and heartbreak catastrophic flooding and damage causes families and communities. My other amendment allows any claimant to obtain from the administrator any engineering reports or other documents relied on in determining whether the damage was caused by flood or any other peril. When the FEMA administrator or participating company have the task of determining whether a home's damage was caused by wind or by water, the policyholder would now have the right to request those documents relied upon in making that determination. It is my belief that transparency in government is important, especially for policyholders. For those who may have lost their property, they have the right to know the details in the determination of their claim.…”