Date: 2012-05-30
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. again. it is certainly a pleasure always to work with the gentlewoman from Illinois on this issue. We brought this issue up awhile back. and we were very successful in getting a 5year extension. the way this should be dealt with. The Senate. unfortunately. chose not to immediately pursue that. so we came back 2 weeks ago and asked for a 30day extension. to our good graces and the good grace of the Senate. They doubled that and came back with a 60day extension. but yet we still need the 5year extension. so we hope that this is a sign of us moving in the right direction. We are very pleased that the Senate is moving with the House in the right direction on this very important plan. and this is an important plan. We are now just 2 days from the start of the hurricane season and. as a matter of fact. as I was here before 2 weeks ago. I said we needed to make sure we prepared for the storm before the hurricane is raging and that we were just a couple of weeks away from the start of the hurricane season. But we had an early arrival. We had Beryl come in. So you see how pressing and how urgent this is. This piece of legislation is perhaps the most important piece of legislation that we can pass right now of major benefit for the American people. They will be able to go to sleep tonight to know that at least for the next 2 months this National Flood Insurance Program will be in place. And this will be a great sigh of relief. but that still leaves the heavy lifting to do. We have got the 5year program and we have got to do that. I do want to say thank you and my hat is off to Senator REID and Senator COBURN. who came to an agreement. I think its a good agreement. Its an agreement that we certainly accept here. too. And what we understand happened in the Senate was that the Senate amendment. which was offered in the Senate Banking Committee by Senator TIM JOHNSON. was to make sure that those homes that are second homes or vacation homes would not receive subsidized rates. and we think thats fair. Thats a part of whats in our 5year plan as well. so that is very much appreciated there. As we look forward now. all we have to do now is pass this out now and move forward in good faith with the Senate to lets move with dispatch and get the 5year plan. Now. the reason we need the 5year plan is because of the continuity. of the dependability. so that people will know well in advance exactly that we have this program in place. If I may. and with just my short time here. in case some of the people do not know why this 5year plan is so important. I do want to state exactly what it does. First of all. it does. in fact. extend the flood insurance program for 5 years. It will also delay. for 5 years. the mandatory purchase requirement resulting from new flood maps. The bill certainly requires annual notification to homeowners who are living in flood zones about the risks to their community. As I noted last week. a couple of weeks ago. many people move into areas. and they dont even know that they are in a flood zone. so its very important that we will notify people. Our bill. this 5year program. lets people know every single year because you have people moving in. you have people moving out. Every year there will be a notification as to whether or not they are in a flood zone. The other important part about this is we have noticed. particularly in my own home State of Georgia where we had such a devastating flood in the year 2009. it was the worst flood we had there since we started taking records of that. As I mentioned. we lost lives. Seven individuals lost their lives in one county in my district. The application of flood maps all across this country. in every corner of this country. our flood maps are outdated. Well. this bill will make sure that they are datedso that many of our constituency who are at the risk of flood damage are at that risk without any knowledgeby making the flood maps current. by making sure that information is imparted to individuals who move in and out of communities every year that they are in a flood zone. Most importantly. most importantly in these tough economic times. under our 5year plan. individuals will be able to purchase their flood insurance in installments instead of one lump sum. This has caused many people not to be able to be have the flood insurance. because prior to this bill. this 5year plan. as of right now. to get flood insurance. you have to do it as a lump sum. Thats why this 5year plan is important. and its important for the Senate to move so that we can get this done right away. But this is good news for the American people. We do have 2 months. as the hurricane season starts. and I think we have a good agreement here and good energy to move forward. the House and the Senate together. and put the 5year plan in place. I reserve the balance of my time.