New Jersey home and business owners are continuing to recover from the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy more than a year ago.  Even for property owners not directly affected by Sandy, premium increases under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) have proven unaffordable and unsustainable.

I have been working for many months on legislation to rein in these increases, including cosponsoring a proposal that would have capped the maximum increase to 10 percent annually.  This week brought good news:  the House passed a bipartisan compromise that limits increases to 15 percent annually – a higher cap than I would have preferred, but still a significant victory for homeowners.  The legislation also restores “grandfathered” rates for homes and businesses that were remapped into higher-risk areas.

I expect that the Senate will pass and the President will sign the bill shortly.  Yet we must not ignore the need to plan for a changing climate, sea level rise, and an increased risk of extreme weather and flooding. For those living in flood prone areas the risk of flood will only increase, stressing the limited resources available under the NFIP, and continuing to devastate communities and families.

Accepting Internship Applications for Summer 2014

I am currently accepting applications for Congressional internships in my offices in West Windsor and Washington, D.C. for the summer of 2014.  Some interns are able to arrange academic credit for their work, and all gain invaluable experience and individual attention to their personal and professional development.

In the summer, Congressional interns are generally college or graduate students and are selected on a competitive basis.  They contribute in many ways to my work for central New Jersey, including aiding in legislative research, attending congressional hearings, helping address New Jerseyans’ problems with federal agencies, conducting community outreach, and helping with administrative duties.  Further information is available on my website, and the application deadline for the summer session is April 1.

Prepare Now for Severe Weather in New Jersey

New Jerseyans have faced more than our share of weather disasters in recent years, including hurricanes, floods, and major snowstorms.  This week is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, a good time to prepare yourself for the next time that severe weather strikes.

If you haven’t already, take a few minutes this week to make a family emergency plan to ensure that you can get to a safe place and stay in touch with your family during a weather disaster.  Also, inform yourself about emergency alerts you may receive about severe weather.

Much more information about preparing for severe weather and other disasters is available at Ready.gov.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress