[StBernard] US Senate passes WRDA Bill; Statement by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

[Westley Annis]

US Senate passes WRDA Bill; Statement by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco


BATON ROUGE - Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco issued the following statement today after the United States Senate passed the Water Resource Development Act of 2007 (WRDA) by a vote of 91-4. Last month, the House of Representatives passed another version of the WRDA Bill, and a conference committee will meet to reconcile differences in the two bills. 

Statement by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco:

"The passage of this bill is a great step for Louisiana towards making our coast safer and restoring our fragile wetlands. The WRDA bill authorizes $3.6 billion in critical restoration and protection projects for Louisiana, including the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane protection Project and closing the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, a commitment I secured while in Washington, DC in February working to advance my federal recovery agenda. The Governor's Office of Coastal Activities, the Department of Natural Resources, and Department of Transportation and Development worked closely with Senators Mary Landrieu and David Vitter on the priorities for Louisiana in this bill, and I thank them for their support and hard work on this measure. In particular, I'd like to thank Senator Landrieu for leading the negotiations to expedite work on the Corps comprehensive plan for increased protection and restoration for Louisiana. I look forward to continue working with them and the r! est of our Congressional Delegation as the House and Senate versions of this bill head to conference committee. Together, we can help ensure these critical projects get the green light from Congress."

###


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