WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today voted to extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which was set to expire at midnight tonight. In a speech on the Senate floor, Wicker encouraged his colleagues to vote for the extension and to pass bipartisan reforms that would better serve policy holders and keep the program financially sustainable.

“Passing this reauthorization right before the deadline does not entitle us to pat ourselves on the back. Instead, it should motivate members to work across the aisle to provide meaningful reforms,” Wicker said during his speech. “We need to make this program financially sustainable for the long-term. But we also need to assure property owners they are not going to be hit with a huge insurance bill that they cannot afford.”

Wicker has proposed several reforms to improve the National Flood Insurance Program, including the “Coastal Implementation Act,” the “Municipality Empowerment Mapping Achievement (MEMA) Act,” and the “Flood Insurance Continuing Education and Training Act.” Wicker also supports competition from the private sector to bring high flood insurance rates down.