Nydia M. Velazquez: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2874. This bill makes flood insurance…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2874. This bill makes flood insurance more expensive, less available, and less fair for millions of working families. This bill all but abandons Hurricane Sandy victims. Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New York and New Jersey 5 years ago, causing approximately $60 billion in damage. More than 50 people lost their lives. Today--half a decade later--more than 1,000 homeowners still have not obtained proper resolution of their flood insurance claim. That is why I have worked for almost 1\1/2\ years on legislation to improve FEMA's claims processing system and to bring proper oversight and management to the write-your-own program. While some of my recommended changes were included in this bill, language was also included that blows a direct hole in these reforms. This bill requires policyholders to exhaust all administrative remedies on any disputed claim before having their day in court. However, we have already seen that FEMA's administrative system is broken--and this bill will enable dishonest insurance providers to continue hiding behind an unreachable threshold--meaning policyholders will never be made whole. After more than 5 years, with more than 1,000 families still awaiting resolution of their Hurricane Sandy claim, we must seek to meaningfully reform the claims process, not make it harder for families to return to their home.…”