Charlie Melancon: “what I have here today is a map of the gulf coast. It is not all-inclusive. Jo Bonner knows that. But from Galveston Bay…”

“what I have here today is a map of the gulf coast. It is not all-inclusive. Jo Bonner knows that. But from Galveston Bay to Mobile Bay has been a total disaster, and I am from a district that concerns me about New Orleans, but we keep talking only about Katrina, and we keep talking only about New Orleans. I am not saying we shouldn't. I am here today to say that with these natural disasters that we have had and the help that you in the Congress have given us, it is tremendously appreciated; however, immediately following those storms, coming to Congress and asking for help and, in recent weeks, bringing amendments and asking for additional moneys to build levees, and we have not even gotten to the coastal restoration issue. We were told that maybe we needed to have the authorization first. We were told to put it in the regular appropriations bill. We are here, and it didn't get into the regular appropriations bill. So I guess these projects in Cameron, LaFourche, Terrebonne, St. Charles and other parishes, inclusive of Plaquemines Parish, it was felt they should be excluded because there wasn't enough people to justify the cost.…”