NOLA - Cassidy Asks Senate to Follow Lead of House and Stop Large Flood Insurance Hikes

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By Bruce Alpert

Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, led a group of House members Wednesday in asking the Senate to follow the lead of the House in enacting a measure to block significant increases in flood insurance premiums.

The House approved a Cassidy amendment last week that would bar FEMA from using its budget to implement a 2012 law that ends subsidized flood insurance rates for policyholders who, through no fault of their own, are remapped into a "below base flood elevation" status. The amendment, approved 281-146 with 187 Democrats and 94 Republicans voting yes, was added to a homeland security spending bill.

"The Biggert-Waters Act (named for the sponsors of the law) has empowered FEMA to impose flood insurance rate spikes on families and small businesses," Cassidy said. "FEMA is using flawed methodology that ignores local flood protections which have kept homes safe for decades."

Wednesday's letter was signed by Cassidy, and Reps. Mike Grimm, R-NY., Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., and Bill Pascrell, D-NJ. It was sent to Sen. Barbara Mikulski, chair of the Senate Appropriations committee, and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the panel's top Republican.

Mikulski responded in a statement:

"I appreciate the letter and input from the House. I have been working with Senator (Mary) Landrieu to address her concerns about flood insurance rate increases, and I will direct the House letter to Chairwoman Landrieu, who has been the leader in the Senate on this issue."

Landrieu, D-La., tried to amend the Senate farm bill with a three-year delay of the higher FEMA premiums, but couldn't get a vote. Senate leaders ordered a vote on the farm bill Monday (it passed overwhelmingly) without consideration of over 100 pending amendments, including Landrieu's.

Landrieu has since vowed to find other ways to block the premium increases.

Landrieu and Cassidy are candidates in the 2014 Louisiana Senate race.

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