Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., is pushing to add windcoverage to the National Flood Insurance Program, in part bylobbying the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, urging him tosupport the controversial expansion.

In a letter sent earlier this month to Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Mass.,Sen. Clinton, battling for the Democratic presidential nomination,said she believed adding wind coverage to the NFIP--as proposed inlegislation passed by the House last Sept. 27, H.R. 3121--"shouldmerit our consideration and support."

"Congressman Gene Taylor, D-Miss., and others have offered asound and responsible proposal that according to the [CongressionalBudged Office] would have 'no significant net budgetary impact'while providing an effective and workable solution for homeowners,"she wrote.

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.

Last November, Sen. Clinton introduced S. 2310, a companion billto H.R. 3121, which provides the wind coverage. However, the SenateBanking Committee has reported out different legislation to thefloor, which does not include coverage for 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 for 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 last Oct. 17, it has been held up byLouisiana's senators, who have expressed concern that the provisionfor a change to actuarial rates would make the program unaffordableto many Louisiana residents. They do support the provision toforgive the NFIP's loan from the Treasury. (The House bill callsfor dealing with that 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."

Sen. 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.