Mary Landrieu

So, do you all want to stand on your suggestion that we just move the 250,000 people?

I do not want anyone to think there are just three canals in this region. That would be a huge mistake.

I think Senator Vitter and our whole delegation share this, we want a comprehensive system that keeps people in this area free from flooding to the greatest degree possible.

I think with the two of you Senators here, we should be able to get a lot of clarity.

With the canals closed under this plan and a storm sitting over the city dropping heavy rainfall, Orleans and Jefferson, which is about 1 million people roughly, close to 1 million people, are at risk of catastrophic flooding not from the…

We cannot afford another $40 billion or $50 billion or $80 billion mistake.

$40 billion worth of damage caused by the failure of this system.

It is only going to be a matter of time until a major storm hits Florida or some catastrophic flooding occurs in California.

We think this is about looking for a new engineering model that will work for the whole Country.

We want to build a better, stronger system with integrated flood control.

I am not sure that standard is necessarily accurate or something that we would agree with that you have outlined.

What comfort does that give the people of our region, that there will be no catastrophic flooding in someone's lifetime?

I believe that we have already authorized you to choose Option 2. I believe that is very clear.

$15 million to do a study?

It is not just puzzling, but it is aggravating, frustrating and frightening, actually, General, to the people that we represent.

We must build a better model. We must move in a new direction.

What I learned in The Netherlands is that people can live, safely and securely, below sea level and near the water.

If Hurricane Katrina taught us anything, we must coordinate and manage our outer hurricane protection with the interior drainage and flood control of the city.

We have got to change our direction.

The coast is in a state of crisis, losing 25 to 35 square miles of wetlands per year.

I want to say that discussing the status of hurricane protection and critical coastal restoration underway in South Louisiana is of extreme importance.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

It is essential that we do the right thing at this stage. Frankly, I am not into wasting hundreds of millions of dollars.

I am not going to take my eye off of this. And I stated that we are making some progress. But we have a long, long, long way to go.

Has the Department finalized the design and cost estimate for the New Orleans VA Hospital?