Rep. Meeks Asks FEMA to Oversee Private Insurance Companies in National Flood Insurance Program

Rep. Meeks Asks FEMA to Oversee Private Insurance

Companies in National Flood Insurance Program

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) and twenty-two colleagues in Congress sent a bipartisan letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asking it to fulfill its legal obligation to provide oversight of the private insurance companies that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Regarding his letter, Congressman Meeks issued the following statement:

"Residents in my districts and surrounding communities in New York have been seriously harmed by the continuous incompetence and fraudulent practices within FEMA and NFIP, and this has greatly impaired their recovery and reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of Super storm Sandy.

“I was particularly disturbed by the recent PBS Frontline documentary entitled “The Business of Disaster”, which clearly evidenced the many failures of the current flood insurance process, including how private insurers pocketed their highest profits while at the same time denying legitimate flood insurance claims from local residents.

“In 2012, Congress passed the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Act, which, among other things, directed FEMA to monitor the expenses and profits of insurance companies participating in the NFIP. Four years later, FEMA has not promulgated the necessary rules to enforce this provision. This is shameful and inexcusable! I call on FEMA to now act swiftly to ensure that policy holders are treated fairly, and provided the protections and service they purchased.”