[StBernard] NEWS: Blanco upbeat after D.C. meetings

[Westley Annis]

NEWS: Blanco upbeat after D.C. meetings
She says outlook improves for La. aid 

Periodically, the press office will publish editorials, columns and news reports detailing Governor Blanco's work in various areas. 

Times Picayune
Blanco upbeat after D.C. meetings; She says outlook improves for La. aid 
Published February 8, 2007

By Bruce Alpert
Washington bureau 

WASHINGTON -- Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she feels "better about our prospects" of getting the new Democratic-led Congress to pass legislation to speed the state's hurricane recovery process after a second day of meetings with top lawmakers including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. 

Blanco, emerging from Reid's Capitol office Wednesday, said the Nevada Democrat agreed to push a stalled water resources bill that authorizes hundreds of millions of dollars in flood control and hurricane protection projects in Louisiana.

She also said that Reid seemed willing to look into a federal insurance mechanism to help states like Governor Blanco and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid discuss moving forward on Louisiana priorities like the Water Resources Development Act, legislation key to hurricane protection and coastal restoration.

Louisiana that face large-scale insurance policy cancellations after a major disaster. 

The Democratic governor also had meetings Wednesday with two members of the Democratic leadership team, James Clyburn, D-S.C., and Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., as well as House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who heads the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the water resources bill. 

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who accompanied Blanco for her meetings with Reid and Baucus, said it appears that the state's post-Katrina needs are getting a serious hearing from the new Democratic majority in the Senate and House. 

"The governor stated the case clearly and forcefully about the additional help that we need and cutting through the red tape that is slowing part of our recovery," Landrieu said. 

One proposal that Blanco and Landrieu discussed with Reid would be for Congress to waive a 10 percent matching requirement for federal emergency assistance, as it has for other emergencies such in New York after the 2001 terrorist attacks. 

The 10 percent match not only takes money away from a huge backlog of infrastructure projects in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana, Landrieu said, but adds to the paperwork requirements -- delaying release of housing recovery funds in the federally financed but state-administered Road Home program. 

Blanco is scheduled to meet today with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House Gulf Coast Recovery coordinator, Donald Powell. 

Also Wednesday, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to push for his backing to reverse a White House budget proposal to shift a $1.3 billion allocation for raising and armoring levees and installing pumping stations, primarily on the east bank of Orleans and Jefferson parishes, to cover shortfalls in hurricane-protection projects on the West Bank . 

Vitter said McConnell seemed sympathetic to his request. The senator is meeting with Republican and Democratic senators on the issue, and plans to meet with Reid, the Senate Democratic leader, in the near future. 

Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Kenner, meanwhile, asked Powell on Tuesday night to consider requesting extra money to secure levees in the New Orleans area in an emergency supplemental bill, expected this spring, rather than waiting for the regular budget process. Jindal said in an emergency bill, supporters of more levee funding won't be obligated to find budget offsets as they would need to do for regular budget bills. 

Powell wouldn't commit to the idea, although he reiterated that Bush fully intends to honor his commitments to provide the New Orleans area with world-class flood-control protection.

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org