Sen. Bunning Cuts Deal Allowing National Flood Insurance Program Extension
March 3, 2010 – Millions of U.S. families at risk of losing their mandatory flood insurance protection no longer need worry – for another month.
President Barack Obama yesterday signed into law yet another temporary extension of the National Flood Insurance Program, this time extending the federal program through March 28. The National Flood Insurance Program initially expired a year ago, but instead of enacting permanent changes, Congressional leaders several times have chosen to simply temporarily extend the program in its current form while debating national health care reform that would not take effect for several years. The National Flood Insurance Program provides flood insurance protection for homes located in designated flood plains across the country.
The National Flood Insurance Program actually expired Feb. 28 after U.S. Senator Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky) last week used Senate Republicans’ renewed filibuster power to block a $10 billion spending measure providing funding for extensions of the National Flood Insurance Program, a federal health insurance subsidy for unemployed Americans, federal unemployment benefits and federal highway projects funding, among others. Bunning objected to Democrats’ plans to add to the already record-level federal deficit, instead favoring using unallocated federal stimulus funding to fund the programs.
But Senate Democrats yesterday agreed to allow a floor vote on an amendment sponsored by Bunning requiring the $10 billion come from the unallocated portion of the $787 billion federal stimulus bill approved last year. The amendment was defeated, after which the Senate voted to approve the funding measure and sent it to President Barack Obama, who signed it into law last night.
Extending the National Flood Insurance Program until May 31 originally was part of the latest “stimulus” effort but was nixed as part of Senate Democrats’ cost-cutting efforts. Federal officials have extended the debt-riddled program’s deadline several times in lieu of enacting permanent changes. Lawmakers are divided on how to sufficiently fund the program and don’t agree on proposals to add coverage for wind damages to the National Flood Insurance Program.
The National Flood Insurance Program’s expiration would leave more than 5.5 million U.S. homes in flood-prone areas without flood insurance protection. The National Flood Insurance Program covers homes located in high-risk flood areas across the United States and is the insurer-of-last-resort in areas where private insurance companies deem it too risky to provide typical flood insurance protection.
The flood insurance program’s expiration date already was extended several times last year to give members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate time to work out differences in the program’s direction. House members are demanding the program be expanded to provide insurance protection against wind damage, according to Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. The National Flood Insurance Program originally would have expired at 11:59 p.m. on March 6 of last year.
Federal lawmakers have delayed enacting permanent changes to the National flood Insurance Program while debating highly controversial national health care reform measures that would not take effect for several years. Republican Scott Brown’s recent upset win over heavily favored Martha Coakley to fill Massachusetts’ U.S. Senate seat vacated by the late Ted Kennedy’s death gave Senate Republicans enough votes to proceed with filibusters on legislation they oppose.
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