Louisiana’s Senators Mary Landrieu (D) and David Vitter (R) have proposed legislation to provide about $250 billion in federal aid to help their state rebuild from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The massive, 10-year plan, contained in a bill introduced on September 22, includes about $180 billion in direct federal spending, Vitter said. The rest would represent the cost of various tax breaks. Already, Congress has approved $62.3 billion in post-Katrina relief aid for Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states. The Office of Management and Budget has said further spending would be requested.
The Landrieu-Vitter package would draw most of its funds from federal appropriations, but they also are seeking 50 percent of the revenue from oil and gas leases off their state’s coast, or about $3 billion and $4 billion annually. Those revenues would go toward restoration of coastal wetlands and barrier islands as well as infrastructure.
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