Press Releases

Congressman Garret Graves (R-South Louisiana) made the following statement about the recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers action to reduce up to $68 million in interest obligations owed by Jefferson and Orleans Parishes as their share of construction costs for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Control Project.

“As I’ve stated since June, we are running through the tape. We will not stop fighting for Louisiana until the fight is through. Katrina was nearly 20 years ago, but so many have forgotten what our state stands to lose if we take our eyes off the ball, said Graves. “We have been dogged in our pursuit of forcing the federal government to live up to their commitment to make it right with the people of Louisiana and ensure that we don’t allow short-term thinking to stop us from protecting the ecological and physical viability of the state. If we take our eyes off the ball, we are doomed to see Katrina happen again.”

Background

In 2020, Graves authored a provision in the Water Resources Development Act which allowed the State of Louisiana to make accelerated loan payments owed to the federal government for the post-Katrina levee systems surrounding New Orleans in exchange for a complete forgiveness of interest owed on the projects. Graves’s efforts saved the state over $1 billion in interest. The second prong to the provision allowed for Orleans and Jefferson Parishes to request a renegotiation of their own repayment of costs associated with the SELA drainage project. Graves regularly engaged with the U.S. Army Corps, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and the Office of Management and Budget over the past four years to force the Biden administration to follow the law and provide relief to the parishes.

• A detailed history and explanation can be found in this October 30, 2024, U.S. Army Corps letter to Graves.
• Additional commentary on the importance of this effort can be found in this November 8, 2024, Sewerage and Water Board letter to Graves.
• A Graves-led delegation letter urging full implementation of Graves legislation can be found in this June 2, 2021, letter to the Corps and Dept. of Army.
• A Graves letter to the Dept. of the Army regarding their gross misinterpretation of the Graves legislation – and expected costly consequence – can be found in this September 15, 2023, letter to the Dept. of the Army with accompanying (1) Graves legislation and (2) CBO cost report.