Rep. Williams Issues Statement on National Flood Insurance Program

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 -- Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, vice chair on the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement after voting against the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act (H.R. 2266):

"Today, I am disappointed that Congress chose to bail out the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on the backs of the American taxpayers. Meaningful reforms to the NFIP were marked up, and passed out of the Financial Services Committee this past June. Those pieces of legislation, some of which were passed with bipartisan support, have yet to be considered on the House floor.

"The NFIP urgently needs an overhaul, and until the House passes legislation that reforms this fractured program, I cannot support a $16 billion bailout that further kicks this problem to the future.

"I encourage House Leadership to take up the NFIP reforms passed out of the Committee, and to consider each natural disaster individually, based upon their specific needs."