The Republicans adopted language in their platform this weekcalling for a “national disaster insurance policy,” following anearlier vote by the Democratic Party to back a national catastrophefund.

The plank was added just after Hurricane Gustav stormed througha number of disaster-prone states that had been devastated byHurricane Katrina three years earlier, and with anotherstorm–Hanna–threatening Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

However, it is not yet clear exactly what “policy” theRepublicans have in mind–although it's more than likely afree-market approach, lobbyists speculated, as opposed to an actualinsurance policy.

The fact that the Republican Party nominee, Sen. John McCain ofArizona, has spoken out repeatedly against any move to have thefederal government back a national cat fund further complicates themeaning of this latest political development, lobbyists added.

“Americans hit by disaster must never again feel abandoned bytheir government,” the Republican platform reads. “The Katrinadisaster taught a painful lesson: The federal government's systemfor responding to a natural calamity needs a radical overhaul.”

The party added that “we recognize the need for a naturaldisaster insurance policy.”

The Democrats threw down the gauntlet in the debate over federalinvolvement by approving a plank in their own platform a weekbefore the Republicans calling for creation of a federally backeddisaster fund.

“We will develop a National Catastrophic Insurance Fund to offeran affordable insurance mechanism for high-risk catastrophes thatno single private insurer can cover by itself for fear ofbankruptcy,” the Democrats said. “This will allow states andterritories to deal comprehensively with the economic dislocationof natural disasters.”

Meanwhile, Sen. McCain, a week before the Democratic convention,voiced opposition to a bill proposing a national risk pool fornatural catastrophes, which prompted rebukes from Florida'sDemocratic members of Congress.

“John McCain needs to explain why he is saying one thing and hisparty is saying something else. It's clearly not in sync with hisposition,” Rep. Ron Klein, D-Fla., was quoted as stating in theMiami Herald. “Florida voters will not be satisfied with a mere nodto catastrophe insurance.”

Rep. Klein is co-author of a bill–H.R. 3355, the Homeowners'Defense Act of 2007–to create a national cat fund. It passed theHouse by a 258-155 margin last November, but is stalled in theSenate amid opposition from Republicans and the reinsuranceindustry, as well as a presidential veto threat.

The Democrats' nominee, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, hasspoken out frequently in support of a national cat fund. The Senatecompanion bill to H.R. 3355 was introduced by Sen. Hillary Clinton,D-N.Y.