{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-calls-delay-risk-rating-20-protect-constituents-damaging-0", "Congressman Carter Calls for Delay of Risk Rating 2.0 to Protect Constituents From Damaging Flood Insurance Rate Hikes", "2022-04-01", "2022", "2022-04", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressmen Troy Carter (D-LA), Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), and Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell calling for FEMA to delay the rollout of the National Flood Insurance Program\u2019s Risk Rating 2.0 calculation system. Their letter focuses on their deep concerns of how Risk Rating 2.0 will ratchet up premium costs for homeowners in their districts.\n\nThe members write in the letter:\n\n\u201cFrom Hurricanes Katrina and Ida to Superstorm Sandy, our constituents have a firsthand experience of the negative impacts of climate change and understand well the importance of flood prevention, preparedness, recovery and mitigation. Without comprehensive affordable coverage, homeowners in our communities risk losing everything and so families place deep reliance on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).\n\n\u201cBut under the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s (FEMA) new Risk Rating 2.0 system, we fear many of our constituents, especially in low and moderate income communities, will be priced out of their homes by drastic premium increases and others will choose to forgo coverage entirely. Consequently, we ask you to continue previous precedent and delay implementation of premium increases for existing policy holders under Risk Rating 2.0.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the letter is here and below.\n\nDeanna Criswell\n\nAdministrator\n\nFederal Emergency Management Agency 500 C Street, S.W.\n\nWashington, D.C. 20472\n\nDear Administrator Criswell,\n\nWe write to you as elected representatives of districts that have experienced major flooding in recent years. From Hurricanes Katrina and Ida to Superstorm Sandy, our constituents have a firsthand experience of the negative impacts of climate change and understand well the importance of flood prevention, preparedness, recovery and mitigation. Without comprehensive affordable coverage, homeowners in our communities risk losing everything and so families place deep reliance on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). But under the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s (FEMA) new Risk Rating 2.0 system, we fear many of our constituents, especially in low and moderate income communities, will be priced out of their homes by drastic premium increases and others will choose to forgo coverage entirely. Consequently, we ask you to continue previous precedent and delay implementation of premium increases for existing policy holders under Risk Rating 2.0.\n\nIt is clear that America needs comprehensive flood insurance reform. But any major program changes must be affordable for policy holders regardless of geographic location. Risk Rating 2.0 is estimated to increase rates for 77% of policy holders. These price hikes will place the program well outside the price range for our constituents still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and its enduring economic fallout. In Louisiana, policy holders will see increases that total more than 129%, and approximately one-in-ten homeowners in the state will see premiums more than quadruple. In New Jersey, 79% of policy holders \u2013 nearly four out of every five \u2013 will see their premiums increase.\n\nIf Risk Rating 2.0 goes into effect on April 1, 2022, countless families in our communities struggling to make ends meet will have to decide whether retain their policies in their face of massive premium spikes. No family should be forced to choose between filling up their gas tank, putting food on their table, or meeting their mortgage payment because of a NFIP premium hike out of their control. We worry that many of our neighbors will simply decide to opt out of the program, which would only further financially burden the program.\n\nWhile some officials may believe ample time has been given to existing homeowners to adjust to these proposed changes, our offices have heard from numerous policy holders who have expressed confusion and complaints about contradictory reports surrounding Risk Rating 2.0 and its expected impacts. For instance, even with these price hikes looming, policy holders and homebuilders still do not have adequate information about how specific mitigation measures could be implemented to reduce premium costs.\n\nThis issue is of momentous importance. With the worsening climate crisis, we know that devastating storms will continue occurring with increasing frequency. Without an affordable NFIP, our communities will be left with insufficient ways to protect themselves and recover. We support comprehensive and long-term reforms to the NFIP, but any changes must keep premiums down to rates that are actually affordable our communities. While we work on a legislative fix like cutting the current rate cap in half to ensure communities like ours are not left behind, a delay on the implementation of Risk Rating 2.0 is essential and we call on you to halt planned implementation.\n\nWe want to thank you for your and the President\u2019s involvement on the ground in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. We look forward to working together to ensure Risk Rating 2.0 will not price people out of essential flood insurance coverage.\n\nSincerely,\n\nTroy A. Carter, Sr.\n\nBill Pascrell, Jr.,\n\nFrank Pallone, Jr.\n\nMembers of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:19:30Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-calls-delay-risk-rating-20-protect-constituents-damaging-0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8338461630046368, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}