Watch Kennedy's comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today urged Congress not to forget Louisianians’ need for disaster relief aid in the upcoming government funding deal. Below are key excerpts from Kennedy’s remarks.

“No matter how many times you have been through a natural disaster, I can tell you, it doesn’t get any easier to see your home demolished, or to see your home flood, or to see your business blown away.

“And that’s why, as we’re working out a government budget deal—and I hope we can work out a budget deal—I want to make sure that Washington doesn’t forget about my people in Louisiana and forget about the other Americans who, through no fault of their own, have sustained damage from a natural disaster and need a little help.

“The storms and the floods that hit Louisiana in the last year-and-a-half are not just a distant memory for many of my people. Louisiana families are going to have to live with the consequences of everything the Gulf has been throwing at us for a while. That means broken buildings. That means wrecked homes. That means destroyed businesses. That means debris cluttering the streets. And that doesn’t even begin to describe the mental anguish of having a hurricane uproot your life, and your livelihood, and your kids’ education, and your ability to go to church on Sunday.”

. . .

“I urge my colleagues not to forget the people in Louisiana and the people of America who have suffered these natural disasters as we work out our budget.”

Video of Kennedy’s comments is available here.