Issue Position: Hurricane Recovery

Issue Position

Issue Position: Hurricane Recovery

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were the worst natural disasters in our nation's history, killing thousands and forcing millions more from their homes. Entire communities have been wiped out.

I joined first responders in coordinating supplies down the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans and from the west bank to the inaccessible east bank. I went out in boats with courageous Louisianans working to care for and evacuate the thousands still stranded after the storms.

We must ask tough questions about the health of our infrastructure and emergency response capabilities. We now realize that coastal restoration projects matter not just for commerce, but safety. Hurricane protection projects and levee support and restoration projects carry with them life-saving consequences. We have always known these things along the Gulf Coast. Resources for these crucial projects are essential, and I have fought hard in Congress for our fair share of offshore drilling royalties.

I have cosponsored and voted for legislation bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to help Louisiana families devastated by the hurricanes and rebuilding communities but we still have a lot of work to do. I will continue to press the federal government to fulfill its commitment to helping Louisiana rebuild bigger and better than ever.

I continue to work on hurricane recovery and protection as much now as I did a year ago. I won't rest until we have the coastal restoration funds we need to ensure the safety of every family that wants to come home and rebuild, as well as completion of a comprehensive coastal restoration and hurricane protection system to protect our citizens and industry across South Louisiana.

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