[StBernard] E-Update From Senator David Vitter

[Westley Annis]

IN THIS ISSUE

THIS WEEK IN LOUISIANA
IMMIGRATION REFORM
PRESIDENT BUSH'S BUDGET
FIRST RESPONDER HOUSING FIX
MEETING OUR HOUSING NEEDS AS WE REBUILD 

Some of the pressing issues that will come before the U.S. Congress this
year are immigration reform, the federal budget and the continued recovery
of our entire state from the hurricane. In this edition of the e-update, you
can read my thoughts on these varied issues and read about my travels around
the state of Louisiana.



Presenting Award in New Iberia. This week, I presented an award from
Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MEPoL) to the national
repair center of Aggreko in New Iberia. MEPoL's work to help manufacturing
companies is key to continue to grow good and diversified jobs in the area.




This Week in Louisiana 

I traveled around Louisiana this week visiting communities around the state.
On Monday, I attended the Iberia Chamber of Commerce lunch to discuss topics
related to post-hurricane Louisiana and a press event in Lafayette with the
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to announce new federal
contracts with Lafayette-based C&C Technologies. 

On Tuesday, I started in Alexandria where I addressed the Downtown Rotary
Club in Alexandria to give an overview of post-hurricane activity and
progress and then went to Barksdale Air Force Base to discuss its strengths
including its location and its capability for future platforms in light of
proposed budget cuts for B-52s.

At a luncheon with the University of Louisiana at Monroe on Wednesday, I met
with university officials and others to discuss higher education, the ULM
School of Pharmacy and allied health courses.

And I finish the week in south Louisiana by speaking at two events in New
Orleans. One is a levee summit on "Progress Toward Total Storm Protection"
and the other is the 24th Annual World Trade and Transport Conference.

Hope to see you next time I'm in your area!


Immigration Reform 

Like many in Louisiana, I am very concerned about the influx of illegal
immigrants and am firmly opposed to immigration policies that harm American
workers and leave our citizens at risk. I certainly understand that people
want to come to this country to provide a better future for their families.
However, I strongly believe those immigrants who do come into the United
States should arrive through legal channels.

Rest assured that one of my priorities in the U.S. Senate will be to curtail
illegal immigration and increase our border security. Failed border security
was one of the many reasons cited by the 9/11 Commission for the events that
happened that tragic day, and we have to take steps to strengthen our
national security, both abroad and within our borders. Because of the threat
posed to our country by international terrorists, it is essential that we
control our borders.  

Immigration reform must also address the issue of amnesty, which I am firmly
opposed to. Amnesty sends the wrong message - that of a reward - to those
who are and who have been evading our laws. Rewarding illegal aliens by
giving them amnesty will only precipitate the problem of illegal immigration
by encouraging others to come here illegally with the expectation that they,
too, would be given amnesty in the future. It is also unfair to all of the
legal immigrants who came to our country and followed all the rules to
become citizens.

You can learn more of my thoughts on immigration reform here
<http://vitter.senate.gov/?module=pressroom/vittersview&ID=6b6e8aef-f16a-49b
f-b0ad-0e37f85cd9ee> .




President Bush's Budget 

Early in February, President Bush released his proposed of the budget for
the federal government. There were several aspects of the budget that were a
disappointment to me and to those of us in Louisiana. But the budget isn't
set in stone just yet. Congress gets to debate and decide where to allocate
our federal dollars, using the president's budget as a guide. I will
definitely fight for more funding for Louisiana, particularly as we are in a
critical phase of recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The worst numbers in the president's budget are the Corps of Engineers'
numbers - cut 11 percent from last year and Corps' construction cut 34
percent! While I was able to secure almost $2 billion to fund all the Corps'
flood and hurricane projects in south Louisiana through emergency
supplemental spending bills, we continue to have unmet needs. These sorts of
cuts in the past are what led to cutting corners. And that led to
catastrophic flooding in New Orleans. The Administration has to remember
that most of that flooding was a man-made, not natural disaster.

To read more about my thoughts on the budget for the federal government,
please visit my website
<http://vitter.senate.gov/?module=legislation/issue&ID=9c8698d9-4c93-48ee-98
65-b5f6e452b046> .
<http://vitter.senate.gov/?module=legislation/issue&ID=9c8698d9-4c93-48ee-98
65-b5f6e452b046>  




First Responder Housing Fix 

As of March 1, FEMA will no longer provide cruise ships as temporary
housing, which have been serving a large number of first responders,
including those in New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish. I have been working
with R. David Paulison, acting director of FEMA, and others to ensure that
these essential personnel have housing accommodations available to them upon
the departure of the ships.

I'm very happy to report that we have solved this problem of first
responders possibly not having housing after March 1, when the big cruise
ships leave the port of New Orleans. After working on this issue for really
weeks with many other folks, like the New Orleans Police Foundation, we
struck a deal and an agreement with the FEMA director. 

To see more details about the housing fix, please go to my website
<http://vitter.senate.gov/?module=pressroom/pressitem&ID=f8c60224-ebd0-406a-
9358-53f97639b574> .
<http://vitter.senate.gov/?module=pressroom/pressitem&ID=f8c60224-ebd0-406a-
9358-53f97639b574>  


Meeting our Housing Needs as we Rebuild 

Last week, I spoke before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and
Urban Affairs at a hearing on "Rebuilding Needs in Katrina-Impacted Areas."
At the hearing, I wanted to focus on two things. First, why I strongly
support the Baker bill and why it is a very important mechanism that can
help us move forward in the rebuilding process. And second, and just as
importantly, is why I think we're at a bit of a logjam and how we break
through that logjam in a positive way and move forward toward using the
mechanism of the Baker bill or something similar.

First of all, let me reiterate, very clearly that I am very supportive of
Congressman Baker's bill, H.R. 4100. And we have a Senate companion bill to
it, S. 2172. And very broadly speaking, I'm supportive of it for two very
important reasons. 

First of all, it gives some recovery, financial recovery, and sense of hope
to tens of thousands of people, many of whom lost everything they own on
this earth. Others of whom lost so much through absolutely no fault of their
own. And it's really even worse than simply not being through any fault of
their own, most of them lost this, not because of a natural disaster, but
because of a manmade disaster. And the Baker bill helps make those folks at
least semi-whole.

The second reason I'm supportive of the mechanism is that it can help
jumpstart the redevelopment of entire devastated neighborhoods, in which,
quite frankly, redevelopment will be problematic at best if it just depends
on individual decisions. No one individual homeowner, for instance, wants to
go way out on a limb having no idea who's following him or not following him
in a completely devastated area. There needs to be some, more coordinated
approach, and the Baker bill is a mechanism that offers that.

To read my full comments before the committee, please visit this link
<http://vitter.senate.gov/?module=pressroom/pressitem&ID=ccd5eb0f-5115-41d8-
a16f-ac267172ef5f> .