TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – Finger pointing continues on Capitol Hill as Republicans and Democrats struggle to sort out government closures at the top of their hearts and hurricanes.
One party’s “Democrat closure” is another party’s “Trump shutdown”, but the government closure has already affected Floridians and has suspended FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
“The idea that Florida families can go without reporting for D.C. politics is frankly awful,” said U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-FL).
Patronis says Florida has 1.8 million policyholders. This is because most federal programs are not currently able to write new policies or update existing policies.
“This is a big deal for Florida’s economy. Sunshine State accounts for 20% of all NFIP policies,” Patronis said.
And as the nation sits in peak hurricane season, worries continue to be about the continued increase in the impact of potential storms.
“It can happen anytime and we need people who can buy that federal flood insurance and, worse still, renew their flood insurance,” said Rep. Randy Fina (R-FL). “But our economy will stop if people can’t buy and sell a house.”
Democrats have medical concerns at the forefront and center, as Republicans fear disruptions in home sales and recovery in flood-prone areas.
“Time is short, it’s urgent. It’s especially urgent for Florida families, because health care, affordable care laws and the cuts they need to report on will affect Florida families more than any other state,” U.S. Rep. Kathy Caster (D-FL)
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“If a major storm sets sights on Florida, Democrats are directly responsible for delayed flood claims when people are most vulnerable,” Patronis said.
Rep. Patronis joined a group of lawmakers co-hosting a bill reapproving the National Flood Insurance Program until November 21, 2025. However, it is unclear whether that will happen amid all the chaos on Capitol Hill.
