WASHINGTON--Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., who is pushingto add wind coverage to the National Flood Insurance Program, haswritten the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, urging him tosupport that change.

In a letter Friday to Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Mass., Sen. Clintonsaid she believed that adding coverage to the NFIP--as proposed inlegislation passed by the House Sept. 27 as H.R. 3121--"shouldmerit our consideration and support."

She added, "Congressman Gene Taylor, D-Miss., and others haveoffered a sound and responsible proposal that according to the CBO[Congressional Budged Office] would have 'no significant netbudgetary impact' while providing an effective and workablesolution for homeowners."

While there will continue to be a debate about the mosteffective approach to the current problem, "it is clear that themultiperil coverage provisions, when coupled with the effectivereforms of the NFIP included in the underlying bill, would helpprovide an immediate option for the millions of American homeownersthat are facing dwindling choices for insurance coverage," sheadded.

Sen. Clinton in November introduced S. 2310, a companion bill toH.R. 3121, which provides the wind coverage. However, the SenateBanking Committee has reported out different legislation to thefloor, which does not provide wind coverage.

The Senate bill that was approved (S. 2284) would forgive a$17.3 billion loan the NFIP has outstanding with the Treasury, mostof it stemming from paying losses from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.The debt would be forgiven in exchange for extension of a pilotprogram enabling the NFIP to charge actuarially sound ratesreflecting the risk to properties that have sustained flood damageon more than one occasion.

Since the measure passed Oct. 17 it has been held up byLouisiana's senators, who have expressed concern that the provisionfor a change in actuarial rates would make the program unaffordableto many Louisiana residents. They do support the provision toforgive the NFIP's Treasury. The House bill calls for dealing withthat issue over 10 years.

Sen. Clinton said she favors the House bill because "homeownersthroughout the country are increasingly facing the catch 22 ofeither losing access to catastrophic and homeowners insurancebecause the private insurers are pulling up stakes and leavingmarkets altogether or facing skyrocketing premiums that areprohibitive to many working families."

Ms. Clinton said the "circumstances are not unique to New York,which is why I believe the Senate should take action to ensure thatthere is a stabilization of the catastrophe insurance marketnationwide and that the 50 percent of Americans who live within 50miles of a coastline can continue to have access to affordable andreliable insurance that will cover all perils, including thosedamages incurred by hurricanes."

The program must be reauthorized by Sept. 30, when its currentauthorization expires.