I Don’t Hate America!

Now that Congress is done voting on resolutions condemning newspaper ads (notice I didn’t say “attacking free speech,” but yeah I should probably have a post on that specifically sometime), the House today is taking up H.R. 3121, legislation about the national flood insurance program.  The legislation would expand coverage to include wind damage.  Big surprise here: President Bush intends to veto the bill.  From Reuters:

WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The Bush administration on Wednesday threatened to veto a post-Katrina bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would expand the federal government’s flood insurance program to cover wind damage.

The bill sponsored by California Democrat Maxine Waters was expected to reach the House floor on Thursday.

Among other steps, it would add wind damage to perils covered under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), set up in 1968.

The White House said in a statement it opposes adding wind coverage to the national flood program.

“Shifting liabilities for windstorm damage from the private sector to the NFIP would be fiscally irresponsible. Federal government insurance would displace insurance that is already provided by the private market,” it said.

In addition, the White House said including wind damage would mean all taxpayers would have to subsidize insurance rates for people in high-risk areas.

The White House also objected to aspects of the bill that would widen the national flood insurance program’s scope.

“Increasing the coverage amounts could further encourage expensive development in high-risk areas and leave the federal taxpayer with a larger debt burden following the next catastrophe,” the White House added.

There is no similar measure currently before the Senate.

Lawmakers have put forward numerous proposals after three hurricanes in 2005 — Katrina, Rita and Wilma — killed hundreds and caused billions of dollars in damages along America’s southern coastline.

Later today Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minnesota, will offer an amendment to the bill which would add a requirement that FEMA map areas in “the 100-year floodplain that would flood if not for a levee, dam, or other man-made structure.”

I’m sure he’s only offering it because MoveOn.org told him he could.  Hee hee.

In a procedural motion on a resolution to continue federal spending as the fiscal year ends Sunday, Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-California and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, offered an amendment supporting Gen. David Petraeus and condeming MoveOn.org’s criticism of him. The motion was accepted by appropriations chairman Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wisconsin.

All I can say is: ugh! While I am not completely in agreement with Moveon.org’s advertisement (maybe that’s for another post), must Congress use this crucial time to vote on whether or not ads purchased by PACs should be given approval?

The fiscal year is winding down.

No spending bills have been signed into law yet.

Congress’s approval rating is at 11 percent.

And what do we get? Procedural motions that can produce nothing but “gotcha’ politics” and ammo to those on both sides. I’ll update as this continues.

The motion to amend (it was really a motion to recommit with amendment, but the bill is already back before the House as I write this, whatever) passed 341-79. All 79 nays were Democrats who will now be accused of “turning their backs on the troops” or some such nonsense by talk radio and right wing bloggers.

10 minutes of debate. 20+ minutes of the voting machine being open. You can laugh at this if you want, but that half hour is time that could have been spent on real legislation such as that before the House addressing popcorn lung disease. I will update with how the Minnesota delegation voted once the roll is posted (though I am sure there won’t be any surprises).

No surprises here on this roll call. Minnesota members voting aye: Walz, Kline, Ramstad, McCollum, Bachmann, Peterson, Oberstar. Voting nay: Ellison. At least maybe some people will let up on bullcrap such as calling Tim Walz “MoveOn.org’s Minnesota representative.”