Mitch Landrieu: “I know the debate today and for the past several days has been focused on immigration. The Presiding Officer has been…”

“I know the debate today and for the past several days has been focused on immigration. The Presiding Officer has been active in the negotiations, and I commend him for his good work. It has been a tough debate on a very important issue--an issue of security, fairness, and justice. It is an issue of economics, and it affects all of our States. It affects what America stands for. We have spent an inordinate and appropriate amount of time on that subject. Tonight, I come to the floor to speak about another issue very close to my heart and to the people of Louisiana, particularly with regard to the closeness of the arrival of the hurricane season. It is hard to believe that we are about ready to face another hurricane season again. June 1, a few days from now, is the first official day of the hurricane season. It comes this year bringing a lot more fright and anxiety to the gulf coast because we were hit by a powerful series of storms last year that devastated parts of Florida and a great part of the gulf coast from Mississippi through the whole of south Louisiana, into the city of New Orleans and the metropolitan area, and then on into Texas. And two of those storms were the worst to hit the United States of America. The devastation and the amount of damage is still climbing. A report I saw today was that the damage is now $150 billion and climbing. Hurricane Andrew, which was the greatest storm to hit the United States and to hit your State, Mr.…”