Members of the Senate are scrambling in advance of a May 14 vote to craft an amendment dealing with politically-sensitive hikes in federal flood insurance premiums that would retain the rate structure imposed by a previous law to extend the program.

The rate-hike issue is holding hostage a water resources bill that has strong bipartisan support.

Several industry officials and political staffers say the debate is merely an effort by members of Congress to survive the fallout from the need for rate increases in the National Flood Insurance Program, and there are no realistic chances a proposed amendment delaying or cutting the rate hikes will be enacted by Congress.