Housing and Community Development Program (H.R. 6655): The vote is on the Taylor-Ichord amendment which dealt a major blow to the Federal Flood Insurance Program. The program is designed to reduce flood losses by curtailing unprotected, flood-prone development in flood plains. The amendment lifted the ban against federally regulated bank loans for construction in communities that refused to participate in the flood insurance program. This removed their strongest incentive to participate. Under the amendment, communities could drop out of the program, develop their flood plains rapidly without proper planning or safeguards, and then get back in the program to get low, federally subsidized flood insurance for their new structures. Environmentalists oppose new construction that is vulnerable to flooding because it increases the pressure to build new dams. Adopted 220-169. May 11, 1977. NO is the correct vote.