| January 18, 2007 - (Washington, D.C.) –U.S. Sen. David Vitter today announced a breakthrough on the vital Morganza to the Gulf hurricane protection project – that he has addressed the concerns of U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, who supports the project as a part of the more comprehensive Water Resources Development Act. “I’ve been meeting with Tom Coburn about this, answering many of his questions. Sen. Coburn said he supports including the project as a part of the larger WRDA bill and will not oppose moving it forward,” said Vitter. Sen. Coburn said, “I thank Sen. Vitter for his leadership. I wasn’t comfortable rushing through a project costing almost a billion dollars in the middle of the night with many unanswered questions. I support this project being a component of the comprehensive WRDA bill, which is the right way to do it. Keeping in mind our current financial situation, I look forward to an open and transparent debate about our fiscal priorities as this bill moves through the Senate.” In a related development, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, on which Vitter serves, has scheduled passing the WRDA bill out of committee in March. “I’ve been stressing the importance of Morganza and WRDA in general to the chair and other leadership of the committee. And they have made a clear commitment to moving the WRDA bill with Morganza in it. They have agreed to schedule it for committee action in March,” said Vitter. The Morganza to the Gulf project will provide vital hurricane and flood protection for unprotected areas of Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. Vitter has made the Morganza project a top priority in the bill as a member of the committee and a Senate negotiator on the conference committee. |
Audio Clip | 
Video Clip | 
Document