November 14, 2007
Contact: Robin Winchell (202) 225-4031
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S.
Rep. Charlie Melancon (D -LA) announced today that he had secured $650,000
for two projects in Iberia Parish. The funding was included in the final
House/Senate compromise on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development,
and Related Agencies Appropriations (T-HUD) Act of 2008 (H.R. 3074), which the
House passed today by a vote of 270 to 147. If the bill passes the
Senate, it will next be sent to the President for his approval or veto.
"As more families move
to Iberia
Parish and our towns continue to grow and develop, the parish's roads and
infrastructure will need to expand," Rep. Melancon said. "This federal funding will help the
community meet this demand and make New Iberia an even better place to live and
raise a family. I am pleased the House and Senate leaders included
funding for these priorities in the T-HUD Appropriations bill, and I will
continue to work in Congress to support projects that will improve quality of
life for south Louisianians."
Rep. Melancon secured funding for the following
projects in the final T-HUD Appropriations bill:
- $500,000 for lane
improvements to LA 675 in Iberia
Parish. This appropriation will
begin funding a project to expand LA 675 from two lanes to five.
- $150,000 for Multi-use Conference and Emergency Operations
Center in New Iberia. This appropriation will
help fund the planning, design, and construction of a multi-use Conference and Emergency Operations Center
for the City of New Iberia, Iberia Parish, and surrounding areas.
In addition to these two projects in south
Louisiana, the Transportation and Housing Appropriations bill addresses the important challenges of keeping the U.S.'s
transportation system safe and strong and ensuring that more Americans have
adequate shelter.
The compromise bill invests:
- $40 billion in the nation's highway system for
construction of new roads, repairs and improvements;
- $1 billion to address deficient bridges across America;
- $195 million in emergency funds to complete Federal
investment in the reconstruction of the I-35 bridge in Minnesota;
- $3.5 billion for airport efficiency, modernization and
safety grants;
- $110 million to provide access to air travel in rural
communities;
- $79.8 million to improve pipeline safety by funding
additional investigators and needed research and development to protect
against hazardous material spills.
- Sufficient funds to renew all current housing vouchers,
and provides 15,500 new vouchers for veterans, the disabled, and low
income families;
- Funds to alleviate problems caused by the sub-prime
mortgage crisis by providing housing counseling to help homeowners stay in
their homes; and
|