[StBernard] EDITORIAL: Federal water bill critical to state

[Westley Annis]

EDITORIAL: Federal water bill critical to state

Periodically, the press office will publish editorials, articles and columns that feature Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's work in various areas. 

The Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Federal water bill critical to state
Published Thursday, September 27, 2007
Click here to read the article online. 

<http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070927/OPINION01/709270329/1014/OPINION> 



The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly has approved the Water Resources and Development Act. That is good news for Louisiana. The vote count, 81-12, is also good news. It means that there is enough support to override a threatened veto by President Bush. The House of Representatives also approved the measure by a margin that should make it veto-proof. 

The act would authorize $3.6 billion for flood-control, hurricane-protection and coastal-restoration projects. Benefits to Louisiana would include $1.8 billion for coastal restoration. The Morganza-to-the-Gulf storm-protection system for Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes would be allotted $886 million. The act also proposes 100-year flood protection, Category 5 hurricane protection and a federal commitment to 17 coastal restoration projects. 

Funds for Louisiana projects, like hundreds of others permitted in the act, would have to be obtained through yearly appropriations bills. 

U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who is a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that crafted the legislation, calls it the "single most important" legislation for helping Louisiana with its recovery from the 2005 hurricanes. Vitter also sat on the conference committee that reconciled House and Senate proposals. 

Gov. Kathleen Blanco is also lobbying for passage of the legislation. She has taken it to the highest level, telling Bush that passage is critical for Louisiana. Blanco argued for the bill last month when Bush visited New Orleans for the observance of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. 

Blanco has issued a statement saying the act "will authorize billions of dollars to strengthen Louisiana's levees and to protect our coast." She says Louisiana has waited years for such authorization and can't wait any longer. 

There has been an unusual waiting period. As U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., points out, a water bill is traditionally passed every two years, but no water legislation has been approved since Bush became president. 

The president objects to the cost of the act. The original Senate bill was for $14 billion, and the House bill was $15 billion. The bill passed by the Senate and House will cost $21 billion. 

One of the few senators voting against the bill was Russell Feingold, D-Wis., who claims it fails to provide proper oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He also objects to projects added to the original proposal. We understand Feingold's concerns, but he obviously has no understanding of how important the bill is to coastal protection and restoration, flood control and hurricane protection. 

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, says there is a bipartisan commitment to overriding the president's veto. Regardless of objections to the act by Bush or Feingold, passage is critical to the future of Louisiana. We hope the president chooses not to veto it. If he does, we support the bipartisan override. 



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