Jeff Duncan: “the whole Nation has been saddened by the terrible and tragic events of Hurricane Katrina. Because of our great concern…”

“the whole Nation has been saddened by the terrible and tragic events of Hurricane Katrina. Because of our great concern about this, I would like to read a portion of a story the Los Angeles Times ran just 12 days ago on September 9. The Los Angeles Times said: ``In the wake of Hurricane Betsy 40 years ago, Congress approved a massive hurricane barrier to protect New Orleans from storm surges that could inundate the city. ``But the project, signed into law by President Johnson, was derailed in 1977 by an environmental lawsuit. Now the question is: Could that barrier have protected New Orleans from the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina? ``If we had built the barriers, New Orleans would not be flooded,' said Joseph Towers, the retired chief counsel for the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans district. ``Tower's view is endorsed by a former key Senator, along with academic experts, who say a hurricane barrier is the only way to control the powerful storm surges that enter Lake Pontchartrain and threaten the city.'' Still quoting the Los Angeles story: ``The project was stopped in its tracks when an environmental lawsuit won a Federal injunction on the grounds that the Army's environmental impact statement was flawed.…”