Deborah Koff Ross: “I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 21st Century Flood Reform Act, which would give…”

“I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 21st Century Flood Reform Act, which would give communities in the Tampa Bay area and all of our constituents a National Flood Insurance Program that serves as a lifeboat when disaster strikes. Right now, the NFIP is more like an anchor tied around our neck, dragging this country deeper and deeper into debt as the waters rise. With a $1.4 billion annual deficit and debt that continues to grow, this program desperately needs reform, and H.R. 2874 is our opportunity. We should all recognize that the NFIP is not a relief program. It is an insurance program. It is supposed to insure against losses, which entails far more than simply paying for damages. Insurance is not about relief. It is about responsibly managing risk. Insurance means mitigating risks before disaster strikes, making investments in resiliency measures, telling people when the risk they face is simply too great, and providing service that makes people thankful for choosing your product. No one knows this better than the professionals in the insurance industry who work day in and day out to help Americans protect their lives, their loved ones, and their belongings against all types of threats--car crashes, earthquakes, and wildfires. Regrettably, Federal policy has made it extremely difficult for private insurers to write policies that cover flood risk.…”