Hurricane-damage supplemental relief bills OK’d

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-Napoleonville) helped pass two major House bills recently dealing with hurricane-damage relief for the Gulf Coast region of Louisiana.

Money from the bills, though, will benefit the Tri-parish area considerably less than it will the storm-ravaged New Orleans area, said Robin Winchell, Melancon’s communications director.

Melancon voted in favor of a House Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill March 23, which will send “$6.4 billion in disaster relief for hurricane recovery along the Gulf Coast,” according to a press release provided by the representative’s office. The bill passed the House by a single vote.

The representative voted “aye” on a voice vote last Tuesday to approve the Katrina Housing Tax Relief Act of 2007, which would allow low-income housing developers more time to construct rental units in Katrina-damaged areas.

The developers received higher federal tax credits under the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 to construct low-income housing “only if affordable rental units were built and inhabited by 2008,” the press release said. The act extends the deadline to Dec. 31, 2010. Voice votes are taken usually on “non-controversial” matters as “a fast-track way to get” legislation passed, Winchell said. The House approved the emergency supplemental on a more formal roll-call vote.

The supplemental bill, officially known as the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans Health and Iraq Accountability (Act), is controversial because the bill establishes dates for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.

“Supplemental (bills) are usually used to fund emergencies, things which can’t wait for” the regular budget, Winchell said.

The supplemental promises to benefit the Tri-parish area mainly with the $260 million included in the bill for fisheries and farm aid, she said.

The legislation has $120 million for fisheries assistance (which includes relief for the shrimp and menhaden industries), $100 million to aid citrus growers, $25 million to assist livestock owners, and $15 million for rice farms affected by saltwater.

The money for Louisiana agriculture and the fishing industry in the bill came about “as a result of Congressman Melancon talking to shrimpers and rice farmers,” Winchell said.

The aid is “specifically what people asked for,” she said. “They (shrimpers and rice farmers) say, ‘We’ve been overlooked,’ so Melancon asked Congress to include the money in the supplemental.”

The housing tax credits in the Katrina tax relief legislation will also help the Tri-parish area, Winchell said.

“Our area will stand to benefit by an increase in affordable housing,” she said. “If a developer wants to build, they could get tax credits.”

The U.S. Senate last Thursday passed a similar version of the House’s emergency supplemental legislation. The Senate’s Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill “includes more than $3 billion in key funding for hurricane recovery and other projects in Louisiana,” according to a press release issued by U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office.

The two bills will go to a conference committee, where a single version of the legislation will be produced for signing by President George Bush.

However, Bush has promised to veto any bill containing provisions for a removal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

“Much has been made of the language in this bill setting benchmarks for the war in Iraq,” Melancon said. “This language concerns me and I don’t support it, but I don’t believe there is anything in this bill that puts our troops in harm’s way.

“However, voting against this bill WILL put the people of south Louisiana in harm’s way,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Hurricane-damage supplemental relief bills OK’d