NU Online News Service, May 22, 3:32 p.m. EDT
Sen. David Vitter, R.-La., today introduced a five-year National Flood Insurance Program extension in the form of an amendment to bipartisan drug legislation.
The amendment incorporates S. 1940–NFIP reauthorization legislation passed by the Senate Banking Committee last September–with some minor changes.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., has demanded action on S. 1940. Coburn is fed up with short-term extensions based on empty promises of a future Senate vote, according to Matt Gannon, assistant vice president for federal affairs at the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies in Washington, and Ray Lehmann, director of public affairs for the R Street Institute, formerly a part of the Heartland Institute.
Coburn has told the Senate leadership that he will not vote on a short-term extension unless a path to a long-term extension "is laid out in concrete," according to an industry lobbyist who did not wish to be named.
Even if the Senate passes a five-year extension, a short-term extension will be needed this week so the Senate and House can reconcile their long-term extensions.
The program's authorization runs out May 31, and the Senate is leaving at the end of this week and will not return until June 4. The House is not in session this week, but returns from the Memorial Day weekend Wednesday, May 30.
According to lobbyist, there is not enough support in the Senate for the House's 30-day extension that included incremental reforms.
The lobbyist says the Senate wants a "clean" 30-day extension.
"Bear in mind that the House comes back on May 30 and will be in session on May 31, but the Senate is not in at all that week," the lobbyist says. "So, in a way, if the Senate does a clean 30- or 60-day extension by unanimous consent this week–or even the 'end of the year' extension that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., tried to get last week–they will have boxed in the House on this," the lobbyist said.
Gannon says Coburn and the House would accept a clean 30-Day extension only if the Senate votes on its five-year extension.
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