Will Levee Project Be in Bill?

By GERARD SHIELDS

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, said he has received assurances from House Democratic leaders that the $886 million Morganza-to-the-Gulf storm protection plan will be included in the Water Resources Development Act Congress is considering.

The 72-mile project would protect about 120,000 people in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. In a draft statement, the Bush administration said it opposes the project on environmental grounds.

“Authorization for the Morganza-to-the-Gulf has already passed the House of Representatives three times,” Melancon said in a statement. “Yet the people of Terrebonne and Lafourche are still waiting for hurricane protection because of political games and bureaucratic foot-dragging.”

U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Metairie, also issued a statement opposing the White House’s stance.

Committee ridiculed

National and state Republicans had a field day over the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing in New Orleans on city crime because U.S. Rep. William Jefferson,__D-New Orleans, was a “witness.”

The Republican Party of Louisiana and the National Republican Congressional Committee each issued statements ridiculing the committee, noting that Jefferson has been the target of a two-year FBI bribery probe. Jefferson has not been charged with a crime and has denied any wrongdoing.

Judiciary committee staffers said Jefferson wasn’t technically a witness but was invited to give remarks as a courtesy because the hearing was held in his district. Jindal, who represents the neighboring district, also was invited but could not attend.

No, no, Politico

U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, spent part of last week denying a report that he was part of a Republican ad hoc group negotiating with the White House on a compromise Iraq spending bill.

Boustany called the item in the Capitol Hill newspaper The Politico an “inaccurate characterization.”

“Our discussions were an open forum regarding our views on national security and foreign affairs,” Boustany said in a statement. “I will continue to discuss these issues with my colleagues to trade ideas and strategies on how best to assist our armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and enhance our diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.”

Hospital deadline

U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, is asking the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to hold Louisiana’s feet to the fire on its deadline to secure and approve its share of funding for the joint LSU-VA hospital in New Orleans.

In a letter to VA Secretary Jim Nicholson last week, Baker said the department should set June 28, the final day of the state legislative session, as the target. If the state misses the deadline, Baker is urging the VA to come up with an alternative plan.

“The time for verbal commitment has passed,” said Baker, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “We must move forward.”

Stem-cell absentee

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., missed a controversial vote last week to expand stem-cell research.

Landrieu was expected to support the measure that would extend the number of cell lines beyond the 19 already approved by President Bush. Bush has threatened to veto the legislation, which the Senate approved.

Landrieu was delayed on her returning flight from the funeral of former Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson so she was marked down as not voting. Landrieu did vote for what is considered a more watered-down measure which would allow only “naturally dead” stem cells to be used, legislation Bush supports. That legislation also was approved by the Senate.

After the vote, Landrieu took the floor and said she would’ve voted for the first measure had she been present.

Gerard Shields is The Advocates’s Washington correspondent.

(c) 2007 Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.