Senate Votes to Extend National Flood Insurance Program

The Senate voted to extend the National Flood Insurance Program through November, The Hill is reporting.

The funding legislation now awaits the signature of President Donald Trump.

The Senate voted 86-12 to approve the funding. It had been approved by the House last week. The last round of funding is due to expire at midnight, The Hill noted.

The program was about $30 billion in debt last fall due to major flooding brought on by hurricanes in recent years The Hill reported, attributing the information to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Some conservatives had argued the program needed to be reformed because of the debt. In the end, 12 Republican senators voted against the short-term extension.

"We need to reform this program, but we also need to keep it alive through the end of hurricane season, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. "People have been living near the water since Moby Dick was a minnow. ... A reauthorization gives us time to make meaningful changes without scaring five million Americans half to death."

And Northjersey.com quoted Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., as saying: "If the NFIP is not extended, people will not be able to renew their flood insurance policies or purchase new ones. That means more will be uninsured during the peak of hurricane season. That is not acceptable."

• Schumer Pushes for Consumer Protection on Hurricane Cars
• Avoid Buying Flood-Damaged Cars