In Houma, Congressman Steve Scalise takes aim at flood insurance hikes, Biden oil policies

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise criticized federal flood insurance cost increases, Biden administration oil policies and Democratic gun-control proposals during a speech Monday in Houma.

Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, spoke to a joint meeting of Terrebonne and Lafourche chambers of commerce at the Courtyard by Marriott. Some highlights:

Flood insurance cost increases

Scalise said he and other Louisiana lawmakers continue to push the Federal Emergency Management Agency for answers about flood insurance cost increases it began imposing last fall.

Local residents, officials and real-estate agents say the cost increases under a program called Risk Rating 2.0 are too high for many people to afford.

"One of the challenges that we have to get resolved is the way the national flood insurance program works," Scalise said. "It's been a very frustrating process."

Scalise said he and other members of Congress have tried repeatedly to get FEMA to explain the justification behind the cost increases but claims agency officials have refused to meet with them.

"But they haven't given a rationale around why they are raising the rates so high, and in many cases we have better flood protection than we did in previous years, and yet they raised rates, which goes counterintuitive to the way risk rating is supposed to work," Scalise said. "So we've asked FEMA for those answers and they won't even give them to us."

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Gulf of Mexico oil leases

Scalise criticized the Democratic Biden administration's efforts to reduce oil production as part of a broader campaign pledge to curb global warming.

Oil industry groups have raised concerns for weeks that continued delays in the federal government's five-year Gulf of Mexico leasing program could cost Louisiana, and the oil-dependent Houma-Thibodaux area, thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic investment.

Aside from leasing delays, Scalise said the administration is stifling oil and gas production in America by denying or slowing permits companies need to drill and to get oil and gas to market.

The actions have contributed to skyrocketing gasoline prices and given OPEC and other, sometimes unfriendly, nations more control over crude oil prices.

"Do we really want OPEC to be the driving factor of oil?" Scalise said.

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Wind power in the Gulf

Scalise said some of the same Louisiana companies that produce oil and gas are poised to provide the manpower and materials it will take to harness wind energy in the Gulf.

He said he is working with state Rep. Joseph Orgeron, R-Larose, and other Louisiana officials to help create the rules that will apply.

"We want to make sure it works for the fishing industry, we want to make sure it works for the oil and gas industry, and if there's interest it will generate real money, and let's make sure the money is dedicated to the states that produce," Scalise said. "And, hopefully, in Louisiana that means that money is dedicated to restoring the coast."

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Gun control

Members of Congress are discussing gun-safety legislation in the wake of the latest mass shooting at a school, one that killed 19 students and two teachers May 24 in Uvalde, Texas.

Scalise said Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to introduce bills as early as this week to limit gun rights.

But Scalise called the approach overly simplistic, adding that problem of mass shootings will take more than a single piece of legislation to solve.

"I wish it was that simple and I think most people know that it is not," he said.

After the 9-11 terrorist attacks, instead of banning planes, the culture around flying had to change, Scalise said. Government increased security measures, but passengers also have to notify authorities of suspicious activity.

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One bill in the works would put federal dollars toward preventative measures, such as mental health experts to identify troubled kids and educate students on what to speak up about, he said.

"Again, we did this after September 11 and got people focused on looking for things that led to tips that stopped terrorist attacks," Scalise said. "There is a real problem out there, and the idea that if you just go after the gun it's going to solve the problem is a fallacy — it's not true."

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Steve Scalise criticizes flood insurance hikes in Houma speech