Charlie Melancon: “Let me see if Congressman Jefferson and I can wrap it up. If you use the cost-ratio method that the Corps of Engineers…”

“Let me see if Congressman Jefferson and I can wrap it up. If you use the cost-ratio method that the Corps of Engineers used for projects, and what many Federal and State agencies use to determine whether there is value in investments into areas, the resources and the area that was destroyed, and this is just Louisiana, I am not talking about Mississippi and Texas and Alabama now. Thirty percent of the United States's energy comes from Louisiana offshore oil fields, straight through the state of Louisiana. 30 percent of the United States seafood comes through Louisiana. 42 percent of every commodity that is exported from this country goes through the Port of New Orleans. And that does not count the other three or four ports that are located on that river. This city, this region, this southern port of our country is an important part that needs to be revived, needs to be helped back along. We can put money into projects, as I said, rebuilding other countries when they are having problems. We have got to be able to do this for ourselves. There are a lot of folks that wrap themselves in the American flag and their politics, they are patriots, I am a patriot. There are a lot of people that espouse religion in their politics. And I say to those folks, what would Jesus do? I do not think that he would leave these people wanting.…”