Letters: Support the fight for affordable flood insurance

This hurricane season has given U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy's fight to rein in flood insurance costs a new sense of urgency — not only for our state but for the nation. From small-business owners who could see their facilities damaged to hardworking families who could lose their homes, every American should have a sense of security that they will not lose their livelihood because of something entirely out of their control.

Earlier in the summer, Hurricane Beryl left a trail of damage that placed Louisiana in a state of emergency.

Now, our country is grappling with the devastating human and financial toll of hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The severe damage caused by these storms risks exhausting National Flood Insurance Program funds — a lifeline for families that need to rebuild after a storm — and calls into question the program's long-term sustainability. Reforms are needed now.

Cassidy has been at the forefront of this issue in Congress, leading conversations to ensure the health of the NFIP and rising premiums are not ignored in Washington. This summer, Cassidy delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor urging his colleagues to address NFIP affordability. In doing this, Cassidy stood up for Louisianans already struggling with President Joe Biden's inflation to ensure that their lives were not financially destroyed by a storm.

The new risk assessment program for the NFIP, Risk Rating 2.0, actively works against this goal. It is making the program unaffordable for many, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that it could force 900,000 people to drop out.

Lawmakers should support Cassidy's work to mitigate the adverse impacts of Risk Rating 2.0 and other barriers to flood insurance access.

Insurance is meant to save users from financial ruin, not contribute to it. As Cassidy put it, lawmakers owe it to their constituents to "find a solution to a system that isn't working."

JEROME "ZEE" ZERINGUE

state representative, district 52