Congress has finally approved long-sought-after disaster recovery dollars that can help 2020 hurricane victims rebuild their homes and businesses. The legislation also contains $2.7 billion dollar down payment for Hurricane Ida recovery.
The total sum of disaster aid contained in the bill is 28-billion dollars, which Louisiana will share with other states.
Senator John Kennedy says the money is contained in a bill that avoids a government shutdown.
“Keeps government open, maintains flood insurance, gives diaster relief,” said Kennedy.
No word on the exact dollar amount that will be allocated to Louisiana itself that has suffered through 2020 hurricanes, Laura, Delta and Zeta, a crippling winter storm in February and now Hurricane Ida.
Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins voted for the legislation even though he says it falls short of what the state needs from Washington D.C.
“It’s woefully inadequate to stand Louisiana back up,” said Higgins.
Higgins says the supplemental disaster aid bill falls at least a half-billion dollars short of what Governor John Bel Edwards requested.
“I’m not satisfied with the details of this particular bill, we are going to keep fighting for enhancements,” said Higgins.
Two members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation voted against funding the bill, Republican Steve Scalise and Republican Mike Johnson. We received this statement from Johnson’s office.
“This haphazard, last-minute attempt to keep the government funded is not the way Congress should be conducting business. This is not a bill that simply funds the federal government until December 3rd and provides a down payment on disaster assistance.
“Democrats politicized this process and inserted a dangerous provision that allows displaced Afghans to obtain REAL IDs without the vetting process required by federal law—allowing these individuals to purchase weapons, apply for taxpayer-funded benefits, and freely move about the country.
“The legislation also fails to include an updated defense appropriations measure, which harms military personnel, equipment, and readiness. The bottom line is that this bill makes Americans less safe.”
Here’s a statement from Governor John Bel Edwards, who spent several days in Washington D.C. last week lobbying for the hurricane recovery dollars.
“Today is a day that many in South Louisiana, myself included, have long waited for, with the passage of aid for Louisiana following a number of disasters, including the devastating Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta and Ida. There is a desperate need for housing in areas that were devastated by these disasters, and that will be the focus of our work once we learn more about Louisiana’s share of this appropriation. In addition to aid for areas affected by Hurricane Ida, the people of Southwest Louisiana will finally get funding they’ve long deserved following Hurricanes Laura and Delta last year. It’s tragic that they’ve had to wait so long, but this federal assistance will help revitalize communities that have been struggling for a year now. I want to thank the members of the United States Congress, especially Louisiana’s congressional delegation, and the White House for supporting this aid for our people, which is a good start to kicking Louisiana’s long-term recovery into gear.”
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