House Democrats blasted a Trump Administration proposal to increase fees for property owners in flood zones to help pay for a wall along the southern border, calling it “unfair” and “outrageous.”
“It would be patently unfair and wholly inappropriate to increase flood insurance premiums for millions of households and businesses in order to pay for what amounts to a political stunt,” a letter to the House Appropriations Committee said. It was signed by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and 31 members of the House.
“It is outrageous to consider an arbitrary fee hike on flood insurance policy holders to pay for a wall that is entirely unrelated to the risk of flooding,” the letter said.
They said it flies in the face of claims Trump made on the campaign trail where he said Mexico would pay for the wall.
President Trumps fiscal year 2018 budget proposal called for increased fees on The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders, according to reports. The NFIP, administered by Federal Emergency Management Agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides flood insurance for more than 5 million households and businesses.
“Property owners living in federally designated flood zones are already made to pay hundreds of dollars in additional insurance protection for floods most will never see,” Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), one of the letters signatories, said. “To further burden flood zone homeowners and small business owners would be outrageous and unfair. The President suggested Mexico would pay for his wall but under this plan it would be hard-working Americans that pay the price.”
In the letter the undersigned said language should be included in the budget that states: “No portion of flood insurance premiums, including any and all fees, shall be used to pay for the construction or any related expenses for the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.”