There seems to be no resolution in sight for the troubles plaguing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The program, which provides thousands of homeowners with affordable flood insurance coverage, is scheduled to expire on December 18, but legislators have yet to make an attempt to fix what has been called by insurance professionals a broken system. NFIP has stood before Congress for several months now through a series of imminent expirations. Thus far, legislators have done little else beyond voting to extend the program for another month, but that…
Read MoreTag: flood insurance reform
SmarterSafer.org Statement Urges Congress to Pass Permanent NFIP Reform as Hurricane
(Washington, DC) ‒ SmarterSafer.org today released a statement urging Congress to pass long-term, common-sense NFIP reform at the end of the 2011 Hurricane Season: “The 2011 hurricane season has come to an end, yet there are those who are still struggling from the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. Communities across the United States have seen firsthand the need for a National Flood Insurance Program that protects lives and property while saving taxpayer dollars. The U.S. Congress has had several opportunities to pass permanent NFIP reform that has support in both the…
Read MoreNational Flood Insurance Program wins extension from Senate
The National Flood Insurance Program seems to have avoided expiration again, as federal legislators passed a new short-term funding bill that would keep the program afloat until December 16 of this year. The program has been burdened by crippling debt since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. The majority of people in the U.S. have flood insurance provided by the program, which has put pressure on lawmakers to fix the program before these people lose their insurance coverage. Fixing the program, however, seems to be easier said than done. NFIP was scheduled to…
Read MorePRESS RELEASE: Smartersafer.org Urges Congressional Supercommittee to Save Taxpayer Dollars by Reforming NFIP
WASHINGTON ‒ In a letter to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), SmarterSafer.org urged the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to protect taxpayers and reduce inefficient federal spending by reforming the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Murray and Hensarling are co-chairs on the committee, which is charged with finding federal deficit reduction measures. “Our diverse coalition believes that Congress could protect taxpayers and reduce inefficient federal spending by reforming NFIP,” said SmarterSafer.org in the letter. “For over 40 years, the federal government, through NFIP, has provided…
Read MoreLegislators look to revoke insurance mandate on areas protected from floods
Two legislators are looking to reverse federal flood-insurance mandates requiring property owners in areas protected by flood-control structures to have flood insurance. Senators Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Mark Pryor of Arkansas say that the mandate presents an undue financial burden to those living in areas that are not prone to floods due to the protective measures taken against such a happening. The legislation in question is part of the National Flood Insurance Program, which itself is the subject of much debate in Congress due to its financial instability. The…
Read MoreRealtors pressure Congress to reform the National Flood Insurance Program
Realtors have raised an alarm regarding flood insurance. Flood insurance is currently a major, yet little known issue in the U.S. Most homes do not have protection against flood damage and those homes that are required to have such protections as per their mortgage agreements obtain this coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The federal program has been crippled by debt, however, making its future uncertain. If the program does fail, realtors from the National Association of Realtors fear that the still-fragile housing market may not survive the…
Read MoreInsurance group spends more than $300,000 lobbying the federal government
The American Insurance Association spent more than $300,000 in lobbying the federal government during the second quarter of this year. Much of the lobbying effort was focused on disaster insurance and regulatory reform. The insurance organization has been pressuring legislators to pass laws that would make insurance more accessible to those in disaster prone areas. The money spent during the second quarter was not only spent to lobby the House and Senate, it also went toward lobbying efforts targeted at the Department of Treasury and Federal Reserve System. The association…
Read More