Long-term reauthorization of National Flood Insurance Program urged

WASHINGTON—A bipartisan group of 41 senators has written the Senate leadership urging swift consideration of legislation that would provide long-term reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program.

In a letter sent Monday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the senators asked the leadership to “bring legislation to the floor to provide for a long-term reauthorization and meaningful reform of the National Flood Insurance Program as expeditiously as possible in February or very soon thereafter.”

The senators, led by Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and David Vitter, R-La., noted that the program has gone through a series of short-term extensions and was allowed to lapse four times for a total of 53 days in 2010. The letter notes that the program is slated to expire at the end of May.

The House approved a five-year extension of the program in July, but the full Senate has yet to act on the issue.