EDITORIAL: Congress, Mr. President, stop messing with our flood insurance

Dec. 23--One again, Congress has narrowly avoided letting the nation's flood insurance program lapse. But it remains unclear whether the partial government shutdown that began Saturday will affect the National Flood Insurance Program.

The House and Senate, at the urging of Louisiana and other coastal lawmakers, scurried last week to pass a bill before the program was set to expire at midnight Friday. President Donald Trump signed the bill Friday night, just in the nick of time.

The latest maneuver is similar to the last -- and dozens before it. Congress approved a short-term extension Dec. 6, a day before it was set to expire, in a deal that averted a partial government shutdown over the federal budget.

This time, disagreement over paying for Trump's proposed wall at the U.S.-Mexico border kicked off a federal shutdown that started Saturday.

The good news is that flood insurance -- an essential protection for thousands of homes across Terrebonne and Lafourche and more than 5 million nationwide -- will remain in effect.

But the shutdown, while it's under way, will likely have the same impact as letting the program lapse.

Insurance Journal noted that the office of U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who sponsored the bill extending the flood-insurance program through May 31, would change the way FEMA administers it during a shutdown.

"Based on the government's response to previous shutdowns, payment of current claims by the National Flood Insurance Program will continue; however, the agency will stop issuing new and renewing existing flood policies," Insurance Journal notes.

Numerous news stories and trade groups confirm that is how the federal government has handled flood insurance during past shutdowns.

Locally and nationwide, that means many people preparing to buy a house can expect delays. That's because federal law requires anyone in a high-risk flood zone to have flood insurance before a lender can issue a mortgage. But the practical matter is everyone in Terrebonne and Lafourche, regardless of whether FEMA flood maps indicate you are in a high-risk flood zone, should have flood insurance.

In addition, residents whose insurance is nearing renewal face the uncertainty of going without flood insurance until the shutdown ends and the National Flood Insurance Program starts selling new policies again.

Obviously, this is unacceptable.

Two things need to happen:

* Congress needs to stop passing short-term extensions and put the flood-insurance program on solid financial footing for the long term.

* The shutdown needs to end quickly.

Anyone can help make that happen by calling his or her representatives in Congress. Here are their names and numbers: Kennedy, (202) 224-4623; Sen. Bill Cassidy, (202) 224-5824; Rep. Steve Scalise, (202) 225-3015; and Rep. Garret Graves, (202) 225-3901. You can also call the White House at 202-456-1111. All of their websites have forms that allow citizens to submit comments.

Tell lawmakers to stop messing with our flood insurance.

-- Editorials represent the opinion of this newspaper and not a single individual.

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