I’ll continue battling to reauthorize flood insurance while supporting reforms that keep Louisiana premiums low.
John Kennedy promises to continue battling to reauthorize flood insurance while supporting reforms that keep Louisiana premiums low.
Occurrences
Supporting Louisiana flood insurance policyholders by voting to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) while continuing to push for a long-term reauthorization and an end to Risk Rating 2.0.
Evidence
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Sen. John Kennedy and bipartisan cosponsors introduced the SAFE National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 to extend the NFIP for six years and protect policyholders from excessive rate hikes, with Kennedy saying the bill would reauthorize the program while making reforms to maintain solvency.
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Public Law 116-19 reauthorized the National Flood Insurance Program by amending the expiration dates in the National Flood Insurance Act and was approved May 31, 2019; the law’s legislative history shows the Senate and House passed it in May 2019.
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The bill summary states that Sen. Kennedy introduced the Flood Insurance Affordability Act to amend federal flood insurance law so the chargeable risk premium rate may not increase beyond a set annual cap.
Assessments
Kennedy materially pursued this promise in office. He introduced and backed legislation aimed at both reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program and limiting premium increases, and Congress did enact a 2019 NFIP extension during the Senate term he won in 2016. But the evidence does not show he fully delivered a durable reauthorization paired with enacted reforms that kept Louisiana premiums low. That makes the promise only partially fulfilled, with clear legislative effort and some real progress but not complete delivery.
Kennedy followed through on the promise in office by sponsoring or introducing NFIP reauthorization and affordability legislation, including the 2017 SAFE NFIP reauthorization proposal and later premium-cap legislation. Congress also enacted a temporary NFIP extension in Public Law 116-19 in 2019, during the Senate term won in the 2016 campaign. However, the evidence shows temporary reauthorization and continued legislative effort, not a durable reauthorization package with enacted affordability reforms that kept Louisiana premiums low, so this merits partial rather than full delivery.
Kennedy followed through on the campaign theme by introducing NFIP reauthorization and affordability legislation in the Senate, including the 2017 SAFE NFIP Reauthorization Act and a later Flood Insurance Affordability Act to limit premium increases. Congress also enacted a temporary NFIP extension in 2019 during his Senate service. However, the evidence shows temporary reauthorization and continued legislative efforts, not full enactment of the broader affordability reforms promised to keep Louisiana premiums low. That supports partial credit rather than full delivery.