Press Releases

Congressmen Garret Graves (South Louisiana) and Cedric Richmond continue to stand up for Louisiana flood victims in the nation's capital, successfully inserting two recovery-oriented amendments into a disaster aid package being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives today.

The first amendment requires the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to waive a ban on duplicate assistance for grantees – authority now specified in federal law thanks to an enacted bill Graves wrote last year that fixed duplication of benefits. As introduced, this aid package included provisions that would have reinstituted duplication of benefits policy restrictions on some disaster victims.

"Three times last Congress, the House passed our fix to the flawed duplication of benefits policy before it was signed into law by the president. This amendment ensures compliance with the new law for this disaster relief package and reinforces our ongoing commitment to flood victims. We are not going to let this issue rest until victims get the help they deserve," said Graves.

The second amendment allows remaining Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds to be used to construct Corps of Engineers projects after disaster victims are provided assistance. The underlying bill prohibited the use of these recovery funds for Corps flood and hurricane protection projects but allowed virtually any other flood or hurricane protection project.

Graves continued: "The Corps has the most thorough, expensive and detailed project review process known to man. Why in the world would you prohibit recovery funds from being spent on projects that have made it through this painful review yet allow un-reviewed projects to be constructed? Our amendment fixes this discrepancy."

Click below to watch a video of Graves explain the amendments before the House Rules Committee yesterday.

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