PRESS RELEASES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jenni Terry, 202-225-8490
May 8, 2007
Alexander Introduces Stand-Alone Legislation for Hurricane Recovery
Congressman Challenges Colleagues to Uphold Commitment to Gulf Coast
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman, today introduced legislation to provide hurricane relief funding to Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, using the original language included in the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007, which President Bush vetoed May 1.
Alexander, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, did not support the legislation because the bill also included a timeline for surrender in Iraq, a measure Alexander says undermines generals on the ground.
“After I opposed the supplemental bill requiring troop withdrawal in committee, House Majority leadership was quick to criticize my opposition to the bill, accusing me of not supporting Louisiana,” Alexander said.
“In truth, tacking hurricane funding into an emergency war supplemental that included a timetable for troop withdrawal was nothing more than a political maneuver to make opponents of the timeline look bad.”
“The people of Louisiana’s Gulf Coast are still struggling to recover every day, and using their need for additional funding as a bargaining chip was disgraceful. The Gulf Coast deserves a clean, stand-alone supplemental that would be devoted solely to healing the wounds in the region. The Louisiana delegation has worked hard to secure money for Louisiana’s coast – I now call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this Gulf Coast recovery bill.”
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