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On Friday, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) received confirmation from the White House that the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection Project will receive New Start Construction funding with approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
“The people of south Louisiana have worked hard to make the Morganza to the Gulf Project a reality for 13 years. It’s both smart and fair for the federal government to step up and help them complete this crucial hurricane protection initiative. I’m thankful to the White House and the Trump Administration for recognizing the value of safeguarding lives and property in Terrebonne Parish and surrounding areas. I’m also grateful to the Corps of Engineers for the time and talent they’re investing into Morganza to the Gulf,” said Kennedy.
As a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kennedy secured language in the Corps’ FY 2021 appropriations bill that directs the Corps to select at least one authorized storm protection project that had not previously been funded for construction.
Kennedy also advocated for the Morganza to the Gulf Project to be that selection. Morganza to the Gulf had been initially authorized in 2007, but had never received any Corps construction funding. After the president signed the funding bill into law last month, Kennedy worked with the administration to ensure that the Morganza to the Gulf Project would receive New Start Funding.
Background
The Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection Project is set to be one of seven new construction projects that the Army Corps of Engineers is directed to initiate as part of the FY 2021 funding bill. The project should receive a New Start designation, which will provide FY 2021 funding and better position the project to receive annual funding through the project’s completion.
Once constructed, the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection Project will protect a region in southeast Louisiana that has about 250,000 residents and some of the most important oil and gas, marine transportation and seafood support infrastructure on the Gulf Coast.
Southeastern Louisiana began taxing itself in 1992 for the dedicated purpose of hurricane protection and has already invested about $500 million to construct elements of the Morganza to the Gulf Project.
The state of Louisiana has also invested approximately $500 million to construct elements of the project.
