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Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding Donald E. Powell Addresses National League of Cities; Highlights Partnerships in Rebuilding of Gulf Coast Region

Release Date: November 17, 2007

For Immediate Release
Contact: Press Office
202) 572-8890

New Orleans, LA. -- Donald E. Powell, the president’s top official for Gulf Coast rebuilding, today spoke to participants of the National Leagues of Cities’ (NLC) annual Congress of Cities and Exposition Conference about the critical partnerships between federal, state, and local governments in the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast and the unprecedented federal investment in the area.

“The federal government has committed more than $110 billion toward the recovery and rebuilding of the entire Gulf Coast - 84% of which has been disbursed or made available to states or local leadership,” stated Powell. “As we move forward in the rebuilding effort, we must maintain goals and establish practical deadlines for rebuilding activity.”

The NLC is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments throughout the United States. Its mission is to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership, and governance. As part of this year’s conference, Powell addressed a panel where he highlighted the importance of partnerships across government in getting the region back on its feet.

“This country has never seen anything like Katrina and we continue to learn from this experience, and one thing we learned quickly was the significance of partnerships,” Powell said. “The federal government remains a partner whose primary responsibility is to identify and remove roadblocks, but the roles state and local leadership play ultimately will determine the future of the region.”

For the last two years, the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding has been engaged in facilitating and streamlining various components of the recovery effort, providing key federal support and resources to local leaders, and reinforcing the federal government's commitment to the people of the Gulf Coast.

www.dhs.gov/gulfcoastrebuild

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This page was last reviewed/modified on November 17, 2007.