"I am pleased that President Bush made his 10^th visit to New Orleans so that he could witness the reality of our needs that remain unmet.  It is critically important that the President see our progress and assess those remaining needs so that he understands that New Orleans and Louisiana still have a long way to go in our rebuilding and recovery efforts.

“I appreciate the President’s commitment to his request for a $4.2 appropriation specifically for Louisiana and again, I urge my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to grant that request.  We also need to restore the $1.5 billion for levee reconstruction and improvements for New Orleans projects to ensure that our hurricane protection system continues to be funded to protect our citizens from further disaster. 

“The President’s support is necessary to further our goals in providing more federal funds to rebuild the Gulf Coast. In order for Louisiana to continue our rebuilding efforts, more money is needed. Our state has a sound rebuilding plan for our homeowners, businesses and hurricane protection system but we need the continued support of our President and Congress to make those plans a reality.”