Yesterday,
by a vote of 348-71, the House approved a measure to provide $19.1
billion for cleanup and rebuilding of the Gulf Coast in the wake of
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. H.R. 4939, “The Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane
Recovery,” passed six and a half months after Katrina hit the Gulf
Coast despite the efforts of key Republicans to remove Katrina funding
from the bill entirely.
The House bill includes welcome, if
belated, funding for housing, debris removal, and other critical needs.
But the package falls woefully short in providing the resources needed
to address critical barriers to Gulf rebuilding, and comes way too late
to help most survivors. What’s more, the House Republicans voted along
party lines to kill key amendments that would have boosted money for
stronger levees and rebuilding homes.
NO MONEY TO MAKE LEVEES SAFE:
With the 2006 hurricane season just 76 days away, House Republicans
killed an amendment to the bill that would have provided $430 million
to fortify levees in New Orleans to withstand a hurricane as strong as
Katrina (Category 3). The Army Corps of Engineers is now only
authorized to rebuild the city’s levees to Category 2 – even though
some experts predict the chance of a “major” (Category 3 or higher)
hurricane hitting in 2006 has increased by 18% over last year.
[SOURCES:
Baton Rouge Advocate, 3/17/06;
St.
Petersburg Times , 3/16/06]
WAY TOO LATE:
The House bill, passed over half a year after the hurricanes, comes too
late to help many Gulf survivors. For example, the measure includes
$4.2 billion in Community Development Block Grants to address housing
needs, including $1 billion for rebuilding affordable rental housing –
important because renters make up the bulk of storm survivors. But New
Orleans tenants have been facing evictions since October 2005, and the
House rejected an amendment that would have barred FEMA from evicting
residents from temporary housing until suitable alternatives are
available. What’s more, the Senate isn’t planning a vote on its version
of the package until May – 9 months after Katrina hit. [SOURCES:
Thomas , 3/17/06;
NY Times , 3/17/06;
Times-Picayune , 3/17/06]
PITS STATES AGAINST EACH OTHER:
The White House had targeted all of the $4.2 billion in housing
assistance for Louisiana, which bore the brunt of the 2005 storms. Yet
Republican leaders insisted the money be split with Mississippi and
Texas. Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-LA) amendment to add $2 billion to
meet Texas housing needs without short-changing Louisiana almost
passed, until Republican lawmakers twisted arms to defeat it. “This has
put us in a competition for the pittance, the few dollars,” said Rep.
Charlie Melancon. (D-LA). [SOURCES:
NY Times , 3/17/06;
Times-Picayune , 3/17/06]
IGNORES KEY BARRIERS TO GULF REBUILDING:
The measure does nothing to address many of the most urgent problems
that have stalled rebuilding in New Orleans and the Gulf. For example,
Congress has yet to allocate money for reviving the Gulf’s devastated
health care system. Out of 22 hospitals in New Orleans pre-Katrina,
only 7 are open now. There are no plans to re-open Charity Hospital,
the only facility aimed at serving poor residents and where 2/3 of
uninsured New Orleans patients received their health care. The bill
also includes little or no money for re-opening schools, cleaning up
soil and water toxins, and stimulating job creation – obstacles that
all need to be tackled if New Orleans and the Gulf are to come back.
[SOURCE:
Institute for Southern Studies , 2/28/06]
FAILS TO PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS: The
House also voted down an amendment to provide $50 million to help New
Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities organize elections. New
Orleans will be holding elections April 22, yet only 45% of residents
have been able to return thanks to lack of housing and jobs. 75% of the
displaced are African-American. Today, the U.S. Department of Justice
approved the April elections, despite a call from civil rights groups
urging the state to provide satellite voting centers and other measures
to reach displaced voters. [SOURCES:
Times-Picayune , 3/17/06;
Greater New Orleans Community Data Center , Feb. 2006;
Washington Post , 3/17/06]
Gulf
Coast officials were clearly dismayed by this latest example of
Washington’s response to the 2005 storms, which they have viewed as
slow and inadequate. Rep. Melancon (D-LA) expressed his frustration
about his colleagues this way: "They're hoping we disappear off the
radar screen. People who wear Christ on their sleeves and vote against
helping people are the biggest hypocrites."