Hurricane Recovery and Coastal Restoration
February 17, 2012
FEMA Thursday rejected Jefferson Parish's appeal of the federal agency's refusal to cancel $55 million in Special Community Disaster Loans. "By rejecting Jefferson Parish's bid for FEMA loan forgiveness, the Obama Administration has broken the promise made by Vice President Joe Biden who came to Louisiana and pledged that the loans would be forgiven," said Rep. Steve Scalise R-Jefferson.
December 6, 2011
... two bills circulating in Congress, both known as the RESTORE Act, propose to funnel 80% of those fines to the Gulf Coast to be spent on projects ranging from rebuilding damaged marshes to marketing campaigns aimed at bolstering Gulf tourism.A hearing on the bill is scheduled for Wednesday in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. A similar bill is being reviewed in committees in the Senate.
November 10, 2011
WASHINGTON -- Despite support from President Barack Obama and influential congressional Republicans, a bill that would channel 80 percent of BP oil spill fines to the Gulf Coast is far from enactment. Louisiana lawmakers remain upbeat, pointing to the bipartisan support for the legislation, approval by a key Senate committee and a scheduled Dec. 7 hearing on the bill in a House panel.