September 19, 2007
Contact: Robin Winchell (202) 225-4031
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA),
made the following statement today after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-NV) announced that final passage on the Water Resources Development Act of
2007 (WRDA) would be voted on by the Senate next Monday, September 24.
The compromise legislation, which passed the House with
overwhelming bipartisan support in August, includes authorization for
over $3 billion in projects for south Louisiana, including full authorization
for the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane and storm protection system, $1.9
billion for a comprehensive federal coastal restoration plan, begin closure of
the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, and channel deepening at the Port of
Iberia. The bill also authorizes numerous other water resource projects
throughout the country.
Rep. Melancon made the following statement on the upcoming
Senate vote:
"Like so many Louisianians, I am delighted and relieved
to hear that next week the Senate is taking the final step in sending this bill
that is so critical to our state's future to the President. I am grateful
to Leader Reid for making time in the Senate's busy schedule to complete work
on this important bill that authorizes billions in levee and coastal
restoration projects for Louisiana.
"I continue to be extremely disappointed that the
President has threatened to veto this important bill for Louisiana's future. The bill is costly, but
only because it contains seven years' worth of projects that have been placed
on a back burner since the last bill was passed in 2000. Louisiana's
needs in this bill, including restoring our coastal wetlands, providing levees
for unprotected communities, and begin closing the ‘hurricane highway' MR-GO,
are not projects that we can afford to wait on any longer.
"I and the rest of the Louisiana delegation firmly believe the good
outweighs the bad in this WRDA bill and hope the President comes around to this
same conclusion. We are so close to getting the water resources bill across the
finish line, and I urge the President to be a partner with Louisiana in getting these crucial levee and
coastal restoration projects moving, instead of creating yet another roadblock
in our path.
"I encourage the President to reconsider his position on
WRDA. However, if he chooses to continue to ignore south Louisiana's needs, I
will pressure my colleagues in the House and Senate to stand firm and override
his veto. Louisianians have waited for too long and come too close to
take ‘no' for an answer now."
Included in the WRDA bill the President has threatened to
veto is full authorization for the Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico Hurricane
and Storm Protection System. This 64-mile system of levees, locks and
floodgates will provide hurricane and flood protection to about 120,000 people
and 1,700 square miles in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes who currently have
no hurricane protection. Congressman Melancon has made Morganza to the
Gulf one of his top priorities in Congress, and has secured assurances from his
leadership that this vital project would not be removed from WRDA bill.
WRDA also authorizes $90 million to bring the federal levees
in the Lafourche Parish Levee District up to 100-year protection, which will
offer better protection to residents in the parish and make their homes
eligible for the National Flood Insurance Program.
Also, WRDA authorizes up to $100 million to consolidate the
scattered levees in lower Jefferson Parish into a comprehensive hurricane
protection system for the town of Lafitte.
In addition, WRDA authorizes approximately $1.9 billion for
the Corps of Engineers to carry out the comprehensive program for the
restoration of the Louisiana Coastal Area. This program will help restore
populated and coastal areas significantly impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita, and will help in preventing future damage from hurricanes and storm
surge, by slowing the continuing land loss, and replenishing the coastal
marshes of southern Louisiana. The bill also authorizes the Corps to
integrate into this comprehensive program the findings of a current Corps study
for "category 5" protection for coastal Louisiana.
Finally, WRDA deauthorizes and calls for the physical
closure of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet ("MR-GO"), the 76-mile ship
channel through St. Bernard Parish that has been dubbed the "hurricane
highway." Rep. Melancon has long advocated in Congress for the complete
closure of MR-GO because of the environmental degradation it has caused in St.
Bernard Parish and the threat it poses to the parish's residents. Shortly after
the Katrina, Rep. Melancon worked in Congress to pass legislation to stop any
further dredging of the MRGO to ensure that the channel could begin to silt in
while the Corps came up with a plan for the MRGO's long-term future.
Congress is supposed to pass a new WRDA bill every two
years. However, no new WRDA bills have been signed into law since 2000
because the House and Senate have repeatedly been unable to reach a compromise
on the legislation since then. As a result, many vital projects in south Louisiana have been
stalled, awaiting authorization from Congress.
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