A key Republican said Hurricane Harvey will spur Congress to reach a deal to fund the nation’s flood insurance program before it expires next month, even though divisions persist over how much the federal government should be on the hook for future disasters.
“I’m just hopeful this will provide the urgency and onus to get this bill on the floor,” Jeb Hensarling, a Republican from Texas and chairman of the House Financial Services said in a phone interview Monday. “We need to make sure we don’t compound a physical tragedy today with a fiscal tragedy tomorrow.”