[StBernard] Yesterday, Charlie Melancon had a few choice words for legislation passed by Congress:

[Westley Annis]

Yesterday, Charlie Melancon had a few choice words for legislation passed by
Congress:

Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed an emergency supplemental
appropriations bill which included a $19.1 billion hurricane relief package
for the Gulf Coast. 
Unfortunately, the bill fell short in two critical areas, levees and
housing. In December, the White House announced the need for $600 million
for levee armoring in the New Orleans area but unfortunately only $170
million of that was included in today´s bill.  
On a largely party line vote, a measure written by Rep. Charlie Melancon to
add $465 million in levee and hurricane protection funding was defeated.
The funding proposed by Melancon would have brought the bill´s levee
spending back up to the president´s requested level, providing for crucial
coastal restoration and hurricane protection.
Additionally, efforts by Congressman William Jefferson to increase the money
available for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) also failed on
similar partisan votes.  The additional funding for the program would have
allowed other states to meet the needs of their citizens while still letting
Louisiana receive the $4.2 billion in CDBG needed for its housing plan.
Congressman Melancon released the following statement: 
"Congress keeps saying it wants to help.  With our levee and housing
amendments, we had the opportunity today to give the people of Louisiana the
hope and confidence they need to return and rebuild.  But unfortunately, the
Congress decided to leave us with uncertainty and doubt as we continue to
wither on the vine waiting for the help we need. 
"Many of those ´No´ votes came from the very people in leadership who came
to the Gulf Coast to see firsthand the devastation.  It was just two weeks
ago that they left the desolate streets and splintered homes of Gulfport and
Chalmette and I have to wonder, did they forget what they saw so soon?
"With the next hurricane season around the corner, now is exactly the wrong
time to underfund levee protection.  As far as I´m concerned, today´s action
was a vote to leave South Louisiana underwater.  
"It continues to amaze me how some people in Washington keep making excuses
when it comes to helping American citizens on the Gulf Coast.  While we
continue to suffer in Louisiana, this Congress would like nothing more than
for us to say ´thank you, sir´ and sit down and shut up.  I will not sit
down and I certainly will not go away."