Rep. Melancon Votes Again for Massive Hurricane Relief Bill

Press Release

Rep. Melancon Votes Again for Massive Hurricane Relief Bill

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon announced today he will vote in support of the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act (H.R. 2206), commonly referred to as the new Iraq/Katrina Supplemental Appropriations bill. The bill provides $6.8 billion in hurricane recovery and relief funding for Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states.

"Hurricane season begins in just a few weeks, and south Louisiana desperately needs the $1.3 billion in levee-building money contained in this bill so we can protect ourselves from future storms," said Rep. Melancon. "As we continue to recover from Katrina and Rita, we also need the billions in recovery funding included in the supplemental, including relief money for our shrimpers, schools, colleges and universities, and local governments in south Louisiana."

Rep. Melancon continued, "I am pleased the House leadership kept in this bill every dime in hurricane recovery money that was in the last supplemental Congress passed, and will keep fighting until a bill is signed by the President that gets the Gulf Coast the help we need and deserve."

Among the hurricane recovery needs Rep. Melancon had called for that are included in the new version of the supplemental bill are: funding for additional fisheries disaster relief, funding construction of the levee protection system on both the east and west bank in New Orleans and surrounding parishes, money for K-12 teacher recruitment and higher education assistance, the extension of a federal grant program for critically needed social services, and billions in funding for FEMA disaster recovery grants, with no local or state match required. Also included in the supplemental is language allowing Hurricane Katrina and Rita community disaster loans to be forgiven, an initiative Rep. Melancon has been working on with House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn and other Member of Congress from the Gulf Coast.

The bill also includes $95.5 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which is over $4 billion more than the President requested, and more than $5 billion to ensure that returning troops and veterans receive the health care that they have earned with their service. $3 billion is included for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, which have specially designed bottoms that help deflect the force of roadside bombs, the principal killer of U.S. forces in Iraq.

Finally, the bill includes provisions increasing the minimum wage by $2.10 over two years, to $7.25 an hour. It also includes a $4.8 billion package of small business tax relief, which is fully offset.

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