Graves’ Issues Statement on Amendment Defunding Flood Management Executive Order

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement after his amendment prohibiting funding for the Obama administration's Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) was adopted into the House Energy & Water Appropriations Bill on Thursday.

"This is the same tired story we've seen from the White House for the past 6 years," Rep. Graves said. "Not only is the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard a direct violation of standing law, it is a shameful overreach into our private property. The President cannot simply write his own laws when Congress has rejected his policies, and I am glad to see my amendment defunding this executive order passed during the appropriations process," Rep. Graves continued.

BACKGROUND: On January 30, 2015, President Obama issued an executive order to redefine a floodplain and add a new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard application to any new construction project or to improvements made to a preexisting structure located in a floodplain. This order dramatically expands areas federally classified as a "floodplain," causing these regulations to become more costly and burdensome.

The President issued this executive order despite the standard established by law through the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2015 (P.L. 113-235). This law prohibits the administration from implementing new standards before it had solicited and considered input from governors, mayors, and other relevant stakeholders.

Rep. Graves' amendment ensures that no funding will be provided to implement or enforce President Obama's Executive Order establishing the FFRMS. The final House Energy & Water Appropriations Bill passed the House of Representatives on Friday morning by a vote of 240-177, with Rep. Graves' amendment included.

According to the Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association (MVFCA), implementation of these new standards would immediately impact 40 percent of the U.S. population in areas designated as floodplains, and would negate years of work done by states, local entities, and citizens to responsibly develop and manage flood control and navigation systems. The new FFRMS would force many residents to leave their homes and impede development in areas critical to industry and commerce.

###