What Happened?

If you rely on federal flood insurance, or hope to buy it, the clock may be ticking. Congress faces a Dec. 11 deadline to renew the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which had nearly 4.5 million policies providing more than $1.3 trillion in coverage as of Aug. 31, and a Congressional Research Service report says authority to issue new flood insurance contracts will expire if lawmakers do not act. [](#ngr-e8c37798-e609-42a7-ae6f-55a59d278209)

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) says in its report that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) borrowing limit will fall from $30.425 billion to $1 billion. The NFIP was created in 1968. The last long-term renewal expired in September 2017, and Congress has passed 36 short-term extensions since then.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

The program collects about $4.6 billion a year from premiums, fees and surcharges, and the Congressional Research Service says the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lacks authority to establish an affordability program.

Both Sides, Now

Supporters of a clean extension argue that even a brief lapse disrupts home sales and leaves millions without coverage across more than 22,000 participating communities.

Opponents argue that extending the program without reform ignores a deepening financial problem. The NFIP owes $22.525 billion to the U.S. Treasury, and a debt repayment analysis cited by CRS concluded the program "as currently structured" could not fully repay $20.525 billion within 10 years. FEMA borrowed an additional $2 billion in February 2025, leaving only $7.9 billion in remaining borrowing authority.

The Technical Mapping Advisory Council was disbanded in January 2025, when then-acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman eliminated Department of Homeland Security advisory committees through a department memorandum, even though Congress had made the council permanent in statute.

What Happens Next?

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) says FEMA did not purchase reinsurance this year and did not issue catastrophe bonds in 2025 or this year, and it does not explain the change.

Will Congress use the Dec. 11 deadline to push for structural reforms to the NFIP, or will it pass another short-term extension?

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AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.

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