WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) again urged President Biden to provide supplemental disaster relief for southwest Louisiana. The region is currently experiencing flash flooding even as recovery efforts from last year’s historic hurricane season are ongoing.
“I still don’t know why bad things happen to the good people of Louisiana, but I know they didn’t deserve the wrath of Hurricane Laura or Delta, and they don’t deserve the flooding being dumped on them this week. Southwest Louisiana has shown us its strength, and it is past time for the Biden administration to show them they’re not in this alone. President Biden needs to stop ignoring our calls for help and put resources to work in Lake Charles and the areas that are still recovering from Mother Nature’s heavy hand,” Kennedy said.
“I ask that President Biden provide emergency disaster appropriations to unleash the full resources of the federal government on behalf of families in Louisiana and to take action to protect life and property ahead of the next disaster. Our people desperately need these resources, and the federal government must not stand in the way,” he added.
“These include the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as other programs provided by the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Coast Guard, and emergency appropriations for federal highways,” wrote Kennedy.
The letter is available here.
Background:
Last year, five categorized storms hit Louisiana, affecting all 64 parishes. Hurricane Laura hit southwest Louisiana as a Category 4 storm and is one of the strongest storms to make landfall in American history. Hurricane Laura was the most expensive weather event of 2020, causing an estimated $19 billion in damages. Hurricane Delta added to the damage when it made landfall in the same area 42 days later.
- Kennedy wrote to Senate leadership, Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), in September to request that the Senate consider emergency supplemental aid to help Louisiana residents recover from Hurricane Laura.
- Kennedy wrote to President Trump in December for supplemental disaster funds to help Louisiana recover from extensive hurricane damage caused by the 2020 season’s storms.
- Kennedy has repeatedly pressed the White House for the disaster relief that Lake Charles and the surrounding areas need.
- Today, Kennedy criticized FEMA for trying to raise flood insurance premiums on Louisiana residents without explaining how those decisions have been made. FEMA is bypassing Congress to initiate Risk Rating 2.0, which is scheduled to go into effect for new National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies on Oct. 1, 2021. New rates for existing NFIP policyholders will go into effect on April 1, 2022. This rating system would change the way premium rates are calculated, potentially making flood insurance unaffordable for Louisiana families in flood-prone areas.
- Last week, Kennedy and Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) introduced the Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act, which would allow rural homeowners, renters and small businesses to more easily access disaster relief in the wake of a natural disaster.
