Mitch Landrieu: “Hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed the Gulf Coast's vulnerability to storms and flooding. With the help of generous…”

“Hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed the Gulf Coast's vulnerability to storms and flooding. With the help of generous Americans, the people of the gulf coast have been working hard over the last year and a half to rebuild their economy, their communities, and their lives. Since these devastating storms struck in 2005, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to better protect America's gulf coast. Yet Congress's failure to pass a Water Resources Development Act WRDA, has delayed much of the needed protection. Of all of the many worthy projects throughout the Nation awaiting WRDA passage, there is one hurricane protection project that stands out and cries for immediate congressional authorization with or without a WRDA bill. Accordingly, I am introducing legislation to singularly authorize this long overdue project known as 'Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Protection.' This project includes a series of levees, locks and other systems through Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes in Louisiana. When complete, the Morganza to the Gulf project will protect about 120,000 people and 1,700 square miles of land against storm surges such as those caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.”