Washington, D.C. – The following is the statement of U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee Ranking Member, from today’s hearing on progress made on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) public assistance project backlog related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Watch Rep. Diaz-Balart’s statement on YouTube.
“It has now been four years since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and devastated parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama. Since that time, Congress has taken a number of important steps to strengthen FEMA and try to ensure that Louisiana and other states impacted by that hurricane can recover.
“Unfortunately, delays continue to persist and a significant amount of work is still left undone.
“I would like to recognize the efforts of Congressman Cao of Louisiana, a member of this subcommittee, who has worked tirelessly on this important issue. At his request, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Mica hosted two roundtables involving Members of Congress, FEMA, and state and local officials to discuss and find ways in which the process could move along more quickly.
“In response to the ongoing delays, FEMA established the Public Assistance Project Decision Team to work through many of these projects with Louisiana. To date, $7.8 billion has been obligated for public assistance projects in Louisiana with over $1.2 billion provided since February of this year. The ability of FEMA and state and local officials to work through eligibility issues has improved.
“While progress has been made, there are still a number of outstanding projects that have yet to be resolved. This issue is not only important to Louisiana, but to all States, particularly those that may see a large-scale disaster in the future like Katrina.”
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