[StBernard] Rep. Melancon Secures $650, 000 for Iberia Parish Transportation & Community Projects

[Westley Annis]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon (D –LA) announced today that he had secured $650,000 for two projects in Iberia Parish.  The funding was included in the final House/Senate compromise on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations (T-HUD) Act of 2008 (H.R. 3074), which the House passed today by a vote of 270 to 147.  If the bill passes the Senate, it will next be sent to the President for his approval or veto.

 

“As more families move to Iberia Parish and our towns continue to grow and develop, the parish’s roads and infrastructure will need to expand,” Rep. Melancon said.  “This federal funding will help the community meet this demand and make New Iberia an even better place to live and raise a family.  I am pleased the House and Senate leaders included funding for these priorities in the T-HUD Appropriations bill, and I will continue to work in Congress to support projects that will improve quality of life for south Louisianians.”  

 

Rep. Melancon secured funding for the following projects in the final T-HUD Appropriations bill:

 

·        $500,000 for lane improvements to LA 675 in Iberia Parish.  This appropriation will begin funding a project to expand LA 675 from two lanes to five.  

 

·        $150,000 for Multi-use Conference and Emergency Operations Center in New Iberia.  This appropriation will help fund the planning, design, and construction of a multi-use Conference and Emergency Operations Center for the City of New Iberia, Iberia Parish, and surrounding areas.  

 

In addition to these two projects in south Louisiana, the Transportation and Housing Appropriations bill addresses the important challenges of keeping the U.S.’s transportation system safe and strong and ensuring that more Americans have adequate shelter.


 

The compromise bill invests: 

 

*	$40 billion in the nation’s highway system for construction of new roads, repairs and improvements; 

*	$1 billion to address deficient bridges across America; 

*	$195 million in emergency funds to complete Federal investment in the reconstruction of the I-35 bridge in Minnesota;

*	$3.5 billion for airport efficiency, modernization and safety grants; 

*	$110 million to provide access to air travel in rural communities;

*	$79.8 million to improve pipeline safety by funding additional investigators and needed research and development to protect against hazardous material spills.  

*	Sufficient funds to renew all current housing vouchers, and provides 15,500 new vouchers for veterans, the disabled, and low income families; 

*	Funds to alleviate problems caused by the sub-prime mortgage crisis by providing housing counseling to help homeowners stay in their homes; and 

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