Warren, Senators Press HUD for Answers on Roll Back of Flood Protections
“This Administration can and must take steps to lower the cost of housing for the American public—but doing so at the expense of protecting Americans from devastating floods is unacceptable.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and six of her colleagues wrote to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner following HUD’s repeated moves to roll back federal floodplain management standards that protect residents from life-threatening floods, despite recent climate disasters. Additionally, the Senators pressed for answers about a major floodplain standards rule that was posted and then appears to have been deleted from the Office of Management and Budget website on July 7th. Other signers of the letter include Senators Angus S. King Jr. (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
The Senators wrote: “It is an objective truth that disaster events are occurring more frequently and at a larger scale than ever before. Our nation's floodplain standards helped ensure homes were more resilient to flooding and other extreme weather events–minimizing damage and harm to families. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While this Administration’s recent actions may reduce short-term costs, American homeowners and renters will ultimately pay the price. In fact, taxpayers foot the bill for climate-driven losses on federally-backed mortgages that are at much greater exposure to climate-related risks compared to non-federally backed mortgages.”
“Choosing this moment to rescind safeguards backed by decades of evidence–literally days after floods have devastated communities and claimed lives in Central Texas and beyond–shows just how disconnected this Administration is from the people of this country. We urge you to reconsider these recent decisions and return to the highest standards of flood protection for the American people,” the Senators continued. “By restoring climate resiliency standards and preparedness across the federal government, we can prevent devastation now and in the future.”
The Senators requested Secretary Turner’s response to four questions regarding the decision by August 15, 2025.
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