WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) sent a letter with eight of his Senate Republican colleagues to U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator David Richardson urging FEMA to halt Risk Rating 2.0, a Biden-era policy that caused flood insurance premiums to skyrocket for Texas homeowners and businessowners. Excerpts of the letter are below, and the full letter can be found here.

“We respectfully ask for your leadership to halt further premium increases under Risk Rating 2.0 and implement much needed transparency from FEMA,” said the Senators.

“Since the Biden Administration’s rollout of Risk Rating 2.0, premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) increased in every state. By FEMA’s own estimates, 77 percent of all NFIP policies now pay more than under the old system,” the lawmakers continued.

“We respectfully urge you to act now—before further harm is done—to protect vulnerable Americans, preserve homeownership, and ensure the NFIP fulfills its mission as Congress intended,” the Senators concluded.

The letter was led by Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA). Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jim Justice (R-WV), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) are additional signers of the letter.

Background:

It is estimated that 86% of Texas National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders experienced monthly premium increases in 2025 as a result of Risk Rating 2.0. As of August 2023, Risk Rating 2.0 would increase annual NFIP premiums for homeowners in Texas by around 53%. Over the last 12 months, around 26,300 Texans have left the NFIP as a result of premium increases.