Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007

Floor Speech

FLOOD INSURANCE REFORM AND MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - September 27, 2007)

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Mr. REYES. Thank you, Congressman Cardoza and Congressman Ross, for your valuable assistance in crafting this important amendment.

I also want to thank our friend, as Congressman Cardoza mentioned, Rubén Hinojosa, who could not join us here this afternoon.

Our amendment stands both for fairness and the integrity of the National Flood Insurance Program.

In El Paso, which is my district, FEMA is currently in the process of issuing new floodplain maps. Initially, the community didn't think much of this exercise because, simply, many didn't know that they had ever lived in a floodplain and didn't expect any problems with this issue.

However, when FEMA asked the Federal agency in charge of flood control, the International Boundary and Water Commission, about the condition of our levees, the answer came back that they were unsatisfactory. The levees were missing a few feet of free board, which is supplemental height and therefore could not be certified, which meant that now members of our community in El Paso were now subject to flood insurance.

That is why this amendment is necessary. That's why we're trying to correct an issue and a problem that everyday people need to wrestle with.

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