Gov. John Bel Edwards will make his first pitch to the new Congress for more federal flood aid this week even as New Orleans and southern Louisiana were left reeling from a nest of seven tornadoes that shredded neighborhoods Tuesday.
The USA Today Network of Louisiana reports Edwards travels to Washington, D.C., today to lobby for more federal funding and to participate in Washington Mardi Gras events.
He doesn’t have a meeting scheduled with President Donald Trump this trip, but his spokesman says Edwards is scheduled to meet with the president on Feb. 24 when the governor returns to Washington for the National Governors Association meeting.
“Once again our state has faced another round of severe weather that has destroyed homes and communities, but we will rebuild,” Edwards says. “The recent tornadoes throughout south Louisiana have only added to the ongoing hardships our people are suffering from following the March and August floods.
“Now more than ever we need Congress to make the relief dollars available to help Louisiana so that the rebuilding process can continue. I will make this case to our congressional leaders this week, and I look forward to working with them as we continue to rebuild and help the people of Louisiana.”
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., says if Edwards sets the table for the Louisiana delegation, the members will have the state’s back. “If he makes the case, we’ll carry the water,” Cassidy said in an interview today with the USA Today Network of Louisiana.
Louisiana has already secured $1.6 billion in federal relief, but Edwards says the state needs $2 billion more to make victims closer to whole.
