[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 24, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3502-S3503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    National Flood Insurance Program

  Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, in every single State, there are 
Americans relying on the National Flood Insurance Program to protect 
their home. It is shaded in every State. There are people who are 
making claims on the National Flood Insurance Program. Congress has the 
responsibility to serve all Americans, regardless of age, income, or 
ZIP Code.
  Since President Biden's implementation of Risk Rating 2.0, seniors 
and low- and middle-income homeowners have been left behind. Earlier 
this month, I led eight of my Republican colleagues in urging FEMA to 
end the Biden-era Risk Rating 2.0. I want to work with the President to 
fix the mess the Biden administration has created.
  Now, I want to share with my colleagues the same case we made in that 
letter for why action is needed now.
  Every year, on June 1, the phrase ``hoping for the best, preparing 
for the worst'' comes to mind. For the folks in Louisiana, it is a way 
of life.
  The hurricane season begins. With a higher gulf temperature than 
usual, meteorologists predict 13 to 19 named storms, 6 to 10 
hurricanes, and 3 to 5 major hurricanes hitting the United States 
before the year's end. That is somewhere in the United States, not just 
the gulf coast.
  I will note that the meteorologists always predict a lot. It is 
easier to be wrong predicting a lot than to be wrong predicting very 
few. But, nonetheless, we should hope for the best and prepare for the 
worst.
  In my State, if there is such a warning, folks know what to do. They 
stock up on some nonperishable food items, they get their prescriptions 
renewed, they take care of their windows, they check on their 
neighbors, and they will also be bracing themselves financially.
  Folks in my State are still trying to get back on their feet after 4 
years of financial distress under the Biden administration. Add the 
cost of recovery, if there is a severe weather event, and many families 
just cannot afford it.
  That is why we have the National Flood Insurance Program, a safety 
net program for millions across the country, including those in my 
State, for the last 50 years. Because of the National Flood Insurance 
Program, a retired couple in Livingston Parish who just paid off their 
mortgage sleeps better knowing that they are covered the next time or 
if they ever flood.

[[Page S3503]]

  The single working woman in Cameron Parish rests assured, knowing 
that there is help available when it comes time to replace the siding 
and roof tiles which may have been torn loose by torrential winds.
  But this program--and the peace of mind for those who rely on it--is 
threatened. Since FEMA, under the Biden administration, implemented 
Risk Rating 2.0, premiums have skyrocketed, making desperately needed 
protection unaffordable for millions. Over 80 percent of NFIP 
policyholders in Louisiana saw a spike in their premiums after its 
implementation in 2021. The protection that millions desperately need 
has been unaffordable.
  When I say ``unaffordable,'' I am not talking about a $1 or $200 
increase, although that might be too much for some families. I am 
talking about an almost $2,000 increase for a homeowner in Waggaman, 
LA, and about a $4,500 increase for a homeowner in Gibson.
  This is where they started, in the white, and this is where they went 
to, in the red.
  So if you say ``unaffordable,'' for a family of limited means, paying 
almost $600 to go to $2,500 is a big jump--a 334-percent jump. To go 
from $600 to $5,100 is a 750-percent jump. And here in Belle Chasse, 
LA, it goes from $5,070 to $8,800--over a 1,400-percent increase.
  That is unaffordable. For a family with limited income--perhaps a 
fixed income--to see that kind of a jump is, one more time, 
unaffordable.
  The question is, Has FEMA been transparent about these increases?
  The answer is no.
  In fact, some of these folks have never flooded. They are not really 
quite sure why their premiums are rising. But because they are rising 
so rapidly and so much, they have no option but to drop their NFIP 
coverage altogether, which, of course, is the worst possible situation 
because, now, they are totally vulnerable.
  It is important to note that Congress has not been allowed to weigh 
in on these increases. Under President Biden, Congress was stonewalled. 
Now, with President Trump in charge, I trust there will be more 
transparency into the Risk Rating 2.0 methodology than we have had.
  The American people--and, certainly, those in Louisiana--made it 
clear when they elected President Trump that they are ready to end the 
confusion and high prices of the previous administration. They are 
talking about the grocery store, the gas pump, and, yes, also flood 
insurance.
  The National Flood Insurance Program, if you add to that homeowner's 
insurance, is the heart of the cost-of-living crisis Americans 
struggled with under President Biden.
  Now, we have a chance to bring down prices on flood insurance in the 
same way that President Trump has brought down all of these other 
prices--gas, eggs, milk--you name it. And I wish to work with my Senate 
colleagues, my congressional colleagues, and with President Trump to 
make life affordable again.
  As hurricane season ramps up, the clock is ticking. Let's act now.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority whip.