Supplemental war spending bill includes levee project funding for New Orleans
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WASHINGTON — Congress today will unfurl a massive emergency war spending bill expected to include $5.8 billion to secure levees in the New Orleans area.
The Senate Appropriations Committee intends to add $300 million more for crime control, hospitals and low-income housing in the region.
The House has already outlined a $183.7 billion wartime spending bill that would also include tens of billions more in future benefits for veterans and the jobless. The Senate war proposal, to be unfurled today, targets more money for Louisiana.
The support comes as questions have arisen on the capability of U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, 90, D-W.V., to handle his duties as chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Some Senate Democrats are pushing for him to give up his gavel.
But U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., credits Byrd with coming through for Louisiana in the war supplemental.
“I have to thank Sen. Byrd for not forgetting the people of the Gulf Coast and for not taking his eye off the ball,” said Landrieu, who sits on the committee.
President Bush had included the levee money in his 2009 budget. But with spending bills tied up in the two chambers, advocates worried the money wouldn’t get to the Army Corps of Engineers in time to complete the levee bolstering by the target date of 2011.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., recently sent Bush a letter asking him to consider the funding in the war supplemental. Bush has cautioned Congress about facing a veto if it loads the bill with domestic spending.
“We need to negotiate through this veto,” Vitter said. “I’m very hopeful that we’ll see some significant levee and recovery funding.”
In addition to the levee money, the Senate bill contains $76 million to provide 3,000 permanent housing vouchers in Louisiana, where two of every three will go to New Orleans.
The state would see about $157 million for hospitals that suffered severe financial loss following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The money would go to six hospitals in Jefferson and Orleans Parish, including the LSU Interim Hospital.
The Senate is also recommending $50 million in crime funding to help New Orleans hire 15 additional officers, repair its damaged crime lab and hire additional prosecutors.
Traditionally, states are required to pay a 35 percent match on levee funds, but the Bush administration has reduced that to as low as 25 percent on some projects. In addition, the Louisiana will have 30 years to repay the $1.3 billion match rather than the three years initially proposed.
The Senate Appropriations Committee intends to add $300 million more for crime control, hospitals and low-income housing in the region.
The House has already outlined a $183.7 billion wartime spending bill that would also include tens of billions more in future benefits for veterans and the jobless. The Senate war proposal, to be unfurled today, targets more money for Louisiana.
The support comes as questions have arisen on the capability of U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, 90, D-W.V., to handle his duties as chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Some Senate Democrats are pushing for him to give up his gavel.
But U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., credits Byrd with coming through for Louisiana in the war supplemental.
“I have to thank Sen. Byrd for not forgetting the people of the Gulf Coast and for not taking his eye off the ball,” said Landrieu, who sits on the committee.
President Bush had included the levee money in his 2009 budget. But with spending bills tied up in the two chambers, advocates worried the money wouldn’t get to the Army Corps of Engineers in time to complete the levee bolstering by the target date of 2011.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., recently sent Bush a letter asking him to consider the funding in the war supplemental. Bush has cautioned Congress about facing a veto if it loads the bill with domestic spending.
“We need to negotiate through this veto,” Vitter said. “I’m very hopeful that we’ll see some significant levee and recovery funding.”
In addition to the levee money, the Senate bill contains $76 million to provide 3,000 permanent housing vouchers in Louisiana, where two of every three will go to New Orleans.
The state would see about $157 million for hospitals that suffered severe financial loss following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The money would go to six hospitals in Jefferson and Orleans Parish, including the LSU Interim Hospital.
The Senate is also recommending $50 million in crime funding to help New Orleans hire 15 additional officers, repair its damaged crime lab and hire additional prosecutors.
Traditionally, states are required to pay a 35 percent match on levee funds, but the Bush administration has reduced that to as low as 25 percent on some projects. In addition, the Louisiana will have 30 years to repay the $1.3 billion match rather than the three years initially proposed.
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