Barletta addresses Realtors® in Harrisburg

Congressman Lou Barletta

Congressman Lou Barletta said flood insurance issues have been one of the dominate issues since being elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Barletta spoke to Realtors® during the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors®’ (PAR) annual Public Policy and Political Affairs Seminar. Barletta is a second term congressman and a former mayor of Hazleton.

“I met with PAR’s President Kim Skumanick and your officers when they came to Washington to explain how important it was to do something to the Biggert-Waters Act,” he said. “I think the Biggert-Waters Act was meant to save the National Flood Insurance Program but no one saw the unintended consequences.” Barletta was a co-sponsor of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act.

As chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Barletta said he believes the government needs to consider preventive options. For example, he said more communities should take advantage of programs like the Community Rating System (CRS), which is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. The program grades communities based on preventive measures they’ve taken, discounting flood insurance anywhere between 5 and 45 percent. Currently only 25 communities in Pennsylvania participate in the program.

“I think one of the things that affects your industry the most, is the economy,” Barletta said. “This affects many people’s ability to achieve the American dream of home ownership when they’re concerned about their jobs.”

Barletta shared this first term as a congressman was very frustrating. He was used to making decisions as a business owner and working with people from the other side. “The Washington gridlock was very concerning to me,” he said. “It seemed to me that a good day was making the other side look bad.

“In Washington, we’re not working together,” he said. “There comes a time to put parties aside to find common ground. We’ve forgotten why we’re in Washington — the American people.”