[StBernard] eupdate 3 15 10

[Westley Annis]

e-update
3.15.10 

  

Last week I introduced an amendment in the U.S. Senate to make it easier for
communities in south Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast to receive federal
funds for critical restoration and hurricane protection projects.  I also
pushed back against some heavy-handed proposals from the Obama
administration that would fundamentally change the recreational and
commercial fishing industries, which are a vital part of Louisiana's culture
and economy. 


I've also been working on two key issues that affect Louisiana homeowners.
My Community Protection During Levee Recertification Act would prevent flood
insurance rates from being artificially increased under new FEMA flood maps
in areas where levees are being upgraded.  And I'm calling on two federal
agencies to fully investigate reports of deaths associated with the toxic
Chinese drywall that has caused problems for Louisiana homeowners who have
had to rebuild following our recent hurricanes. 


Read below to find out about how I'm fighting for you on these and other
critical issues.  

   David Vitter 

 P.S. - Please feel free to forward the newsletter to your friends,
neighbors and business associates and encourage them to sign up for their
own copy by visiting my Web site at http://vitter.senate.gov/. 

  

Speeding up funds for coastal protection 

  

In 2005, I helped create the Coastal Impact Assistance Program, which
directs a portion of funds from offshore energy production to coastal
restoration and hurricane protection projects.  While the program has
allocated some vital funds for these projects, it has also been hampered by
unnecessary layers of bureaucratic delays.  I recently offered an amendment
to remove these obstacles so that coastal communities in Louisiana and other
Gulf states can begin receiving these important grants in a more efficient
way.  Click here
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Multimedia.Video&Video
_id=4ebcdf95-0ed4-23b6-21e2-b5ed880f4c94&PageNum=1>  to watch video of me
discussing my bill on the Senate floor. 

<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=a5c7bfc8-911e-9383-e487-9677914c8615&Region_id=&Issue_id=

> 



Protecting the rights of louisiana sportsmen



This week, I sent a letter to President Obama and Administrator Jane
Lubchenco of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to express
my deep concerns about some actions that may threaten commercial and
recreational fishing in Louisiana.  President Obama has created the
Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, which is considering fundamental
changes to regulations governing the rights of ordinary citizens to fish in
the Gulf of Mexico.  I am strongly opposed to this change and will continue
to fight expansions of federal authority that would threaten the commercial
fishing industry and recreational fishing activities that so many
Louisianians enjoy.  You can read my letter to President Obama and
Administrator Lubchenco here
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=491ca45a-0e0c-2598-3e3f-31a372fff864> . 

<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.Articles&Con
tentRecord_id=aa3358f4-bc07-2119-528a-603e6f8b4470&Region_id=&Issue_id=> 


fighting for flood insurance relief 


Communities across Louisiana are facing challenges to make repairs and
upgrades to their levees required by new Federal Emergency Management Agency
flood maps.  These maps and levee certification play a critical role in
establishing flood insurance rates for Louisiana homeowners, and many
communities in Louisiana could soon encounter large increases in their
insurance rates if the FEMA flood maps are updated before the levee repairs
are completed.  This month, I introduced the Community Protection During
Levee Recertification Act to prevent changes to the current FEMA flood
insurance rate maps from being implemented in areas where there is an active
effort under way to fix levees.  You can read more here
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=1b50c4dc-9cad-f48b-ad9a-9d3ebd167d8d>  about my efforts
to address this problem across the state. 

<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.Articles&Con
tentRecord_id=aa3358f4-bc07-2119-528a-603e6f8b4470&Region_id=&Issue_id=> 


investigating the health risks of toxic drywall 


Following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike and Gustav, many Louisianans endured
the long process of rebuilding their homes.  Now, many of you are faced with
another disaster in the form of toxic drywall imported from China.  This
drywall has been linked to structural problems in many homes and health
problems for many residents.  There have even been reports suggesting that
the contaminated drywall may have contributed to at least ten deaths in
various states.  I recently sent a letter
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=2613fc58-ea75-4959-8912-be685085fd30>  to the directors
of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention urging them to fully investigate these reported
deaths so that we can understand the scope of the problem and have
confidence in the recommendations of federal agencies dealing with the
issue.