Rep. French Hill says shutdown is "hurting people," cites lapse in flood insurance and farm bill

Rep. French Hill, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said the federal government shutdown was "hurting people" and cited lapses in key programs that he said were affecting Arkansans and the financial sector.

"We have people working without pay, but they're working and our markets are safe, our banks are safe," Hill said, adding that oversight leadership remains in place but that the shutdown nonetheless causes harm. He identified the lapse of the National Flood Insurance Program as a primary concern and singled out the farm bill's expiration as another consequence of the funding lapse.

Hill said the lapse is already affecting Arkansas farmers as they enter harvest season, pointing to "surplus crops from last year," low prices and higher costs tied to global market disruptions. He added that Sen. John Boozman is "working mightily with the administration to find a path to help our farmers."

The interviewer listed other authorizations she said were affected by the funding lapse, including cybersecurity authorizations, flood insurance, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides tariff-free access to U.S. markets for 32 African countries.

Hill framed the dispute politically, blaming Senate Leader Chuck Schumer for allowing these program lapses and urging senators to support a different negotiating approach. He cited a poll figure mentioned on air in which roughly 65% of respondents (as stated during the interview) opposed Schumer's position.

Hill urged the Senate to act to restore expired programs, saying that reversing the lapses would relieve immediate harms to civilians and producers. The interview closed without a firm timeline for when the Senate might act.