Kansas senator blocks move to consider flood insurance bill

Written by

Malia Rulon Herman, Gannett Washington Bureau

December 11, 2013

WASHINGTON — A senator from Kansas blocked an effort by Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey on Wednesday to bring up a bill to delay increases in flood insurance premiums.

Menendez‘s legislation would delay the increases in National Flood Insurance Program rates until the Federal Emergency Management Agency finishes a study on their affordability.

Menendez, along with Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu of New Orleans, Chuck Schumer of New York and others asked for unanimous consent to consider the bill, but Republican Sen. Pat Roberts objected. That essentially ends any chance the bill will come up for a vote before the holidays.

“We believe that this legislation is critical,” Menendez said.

He said he asked for unanimous consent because “there is an urgency of now.”

Landrieu told fellow senators, “this needs to be done before the Senate recesses for Christmas.”

Schumer echoed those comments, saying “Let’s put (the rate increases) on hold and go back to the drawing board.”

The bill is pending in the Senate Banking Committee. Roberts objected to the unanimous consent request because the committee hasn’t passed it.

The rate increases were created under the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012. They were intended to help make the government’s flood insurance program financially solvent by bringing rates in line with true flooding risks.

Biggert-Waters imposes 25-percent rate hikes for some but not all properties that have received premium subsidies through the National Flood Insurance Program. The program, run by FEMA, has traditionally charged premiums at about 40-45 percent of their full cost, with taxpayers subsidizing the rest.

Menendez’s bill would delay certain pieces of the law until FEMA completes the affordability study, proposes solutions, and reworks its flood maps to utilize “sound scientific and engineering methodologies.”

All the steps and delays would total about four years.

The House plans to take up a similar bill later this week.