Gov. John Bel Edwards heads back to Washington D.C. today to continue his push for federal disaster aid for Louisiana, one day after the Obama administration asked Congress for $2.6 billion to help the Bayou State rebuild from last month’s disastrous floods.
As the Associated Press reports, a letter from White House budget chief Shaun Donovan on Tuesday asks Congress to “provide additional funding to address Louisiana’s unmet housing and infrastructure needs as soon as possible.”
The mid-August flood caused more than $8.7 billion in estimated damages to more than 20 parishes, in what has been described as the worst U.S disaster since 2012’s Superstorm Sandy.
More than 73,000 households have been approved for Federal Emergency Management Agency aid.
On Monday, Edwards upped his disaster aid request from $2 billion to $2.8 billion. The Democratic governor will meet with President Barack Obama and congressional leaders during his trip, making his plea for the recovery package he says is crucial to Louisiana’s rebuilding. He has the backing of Louisiana’s GOP-dominated congressional delegation.
While Edwards says he’s optimistic about getting aid from Congress, he acknowledges the difficulties in adding it into budget legislation targeted for passage this month, amid the ongoing partisan disputes of Washington D.C. in an election year.
“That is a hard nut to crack, so we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Edwards says.
Traveling with the governor are Republicans Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain. Edwards also is scheduled to meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.
On Tuesday, Edwards announced the creation of the Restore Louisiana Task Force, a 21-member group that will determine recovery needs, push for federal funding and set priorities for using the dollars Louisiana gets from Washington D.C. from both the August flooding and earlier flooding across north Louisiana in March.
Its role will be similar to the Louisiana Recovery Authority created after hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 to guide billions of dollars in rebuilding programs. The LRA wrapped up its work in 2010, but rebuilding programs it created are still ongoing. View a list of the Restore Louisiana Task Force members.
