Various Louisiana Congress and elected officials have issued statements after President Bush threatened to veto an important piece of legislation called the Water Resources Development Act, HR 1495.  Here are the written comments forwarded to Bayoubuzz both Wednesday and Thursday.  Rep. Baker’s comments were sent to Bayoubuzz on Thursday.   The reactions are from Democrats and Republicans.

Governor Blanco

Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco issued the following statement today after President Bush threatened to veto the Water Resources Development Act, HR 1495. The US House and Senate passed separate versions of the bill earlier this year, and just this week a conference committee worked out a compromise.

Statement by Governor Blanco:

"I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment expressed by Senator David Vitter regarding this veto threat. Louisiana has waited seven years for these projects critical to our fight to restore and protect Louisiana's coast. The WRDA bill secures billions of dollars in authorization for critical coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects, like Morganza to the Gulf hurricane protection and the Louisiana Coastal Area.

"With many coastal residents still rebuilding after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - still vulnerable to future storms, I fail to understand how President Bush can choose to abandon their protection. I urge our Louisiana Delegation to stand together and fight for Louisiana's future. Mr. President, our people are still suffering, and this WRDA bill shows them there is hope for the future. I ask you, do not dash their hopes."

By Rep. Richard Baker:

By an overwhelming - and substantially veto-proof - majority vote of 381-40, the U.S. House of Representatives voted late last night to pass a conference committee-approved final draft of the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA), legislation that promises historic investments of more than $3 billion for Louisiana flood control, hurricane protection, coastal restoration, waterway improvements, and ecosystem rehabilitation projects, including, on the local level, an authorization of $187 million for flood control projects in East Baton Rouge Parish.

U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, who serves as ranking member of the Water Resources subcommittee, and served as a House conferee on the House-Senate conference committee, praised last night's action by the House and the response it represents to a veto threat from the White House.

"With the incredible challenges facing Louisiana since Katrina and Rita, last night's vote is just an enormous step forward to getting authorization on projects like Morganza and the Louisiana Coastal Area, which represents the largest coastal restoration project in American history," said Baker.  "I can understand the fiscal concerns of the White House, but I think it's important for them to consider that because of the long time it's taken to pass this bill, it's really three WRDA bills in one.  I would also hope that the White House understands and respects just how vitally important the projects in this bill are for Louisiana, and I for one will fight to make sure a veto is not the last word on the subject."

Highest at stake in the bill - the first WRDA legislation in seven years - for post-Katrina and Rita Louisiana, is authorization of over $1.9 billion in funding and Corps work on numerous coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects in the Louisiana Coastal Area, as well as $886.7 million for hurricane and flood protection projects for the Atchafalaya Basin from Morganza to the Gulf.

On the authorization of $187 million for flood control projects in East Baton Rouge, Baker said:

"Between raising the authorization level and changing the cost-share formula, we're talking about a substantial increased federal investment and savings to the parish of $40 million for projects that mean greater safety to people and property."

Also, the bill includes language by Baker that would authorize the Corps for the first time to participate with other agencies to assess and seek solutions for the "hypoxia" problem or the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico impacting Louisiana fishing, which recent reports indicate is growing worse.  The provision would bring the Corps' unique expertise in wetlands, specifically nutrient filters that mitigate against hypoxia, and waterways that deliver the nutrients, to bear on a unified plan to deal with hypoxia.

New Baton Rouge-area projects included in the conference report:

St. Francisville Drainage: Authorizes the Corps to initiate improvements for flood-prone areas of the town.

False River: Expedites Corps work to address the siltation problem harming this vital Pointe Coupee Parish lake.

Intracoastal Waterway Stream Bank Restoration: Directs the Corps to address severe erosion problems on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near the Bayou Sorrel Lock in Iberville Parish.

Louisiana and Baton Rouge area projects in the WRDA bill include:

Louisiana Coastal Area: Authorizes $1.9 billion, which represents the largest coastal restoration project in American history.

Morganza to Gulf: Authorizes the $886.7 million project for the area between the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers from the Morganza Floodway in Pointe Coupee Parish to the Gulf Coast and including the watershed area that makes up most of Acadiana. Project authorizes the Corps to conduct massive, extensive flood and hurricane protection; wetlands, natural resource, wildlife habitat, ecosystem conservation; and to help facilitate recreational, commercial, and sportsman activities.

East Baton Rouge Riverfront:  Expands a 1998 authorization for the Corps' riverfront work in West Baton Rouge Parish now to include East Baton Rouge Parish and West Feliciana Parish.

University/City Park Lakes: Authorizes the Corps to expedite this dredging and ecosystem restoration project.

East Baton Rouge Parish Flood Control: Authorizes a new, higher level of $187 million. The bill language also changes the federal cost share from 65/35 to 75/25.  The higher authorization, combined with the cost-share change, will provide a $40 million rise in federal investment and savings to the parish.

Bayou Sorrel Lock: Authorization to reconstruct the $100 million lock in Iberville Parish, a critical choke point for the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

Bayou Plaquemine: Saves the city of Plaquemine $400,000 toward this $2 million project that provides environmental enhancement of Bayou Plaquemine by increasing the dissolved oxygen and lowering the temperature of bayou waters which are currently experiencing habitat degradation.

Watershed Management programs: Provides technical, planning, and design assistance to non-federal interests for carrying out watershed management, restoration, and development projects at the Amite River Basin and East Atchafalaya River.

Flood mitigation priority areas: Provides technical, planning, and design assistance to non-federal interests for carrying out flood mitigation, restoration, and development projects in Ascension, EBR, Iberville, Livingston, and Pointe Coupee parishes. Here the Corps is authorized to conduct projects that reduce flooding while trying to restore rivers to their natural condition.

EBR, Livingston, and Ascension parish wastewater - Increases authorized funding level from $20 million to $35 million.

Plaquemine sanitary, sewer and wastewater infrastructure improvements:  Authorizes funding level of $7 million.

Hypoxia: Authorizes the Corps to begin working with other federal, state, and other agencies

By Rep. Charlie Melancon

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA), made the following statement today after President Bush issued a veto threat against the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA).   The House-Senate compromise bill, which should pass both chambers in the next few days, includes authorization for over $2 billion in projects for south Louisiana, including full authorization for the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane and storm protection system, $1.9 billion for a comprehensive federal coastal restoration plan, closure of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, and channel deepening at the Port of Iberia.  The bill also authorizes numerous other water resource projects throughout the country.

Rep. Melancon made the following statement on the President's veto threat:

"I am extremely disappointed the President has indicated he would deny the people of south Louisiana critical levee and coastal restoration projects with his threat to veto WRDA.

"By saying 'no' to Morganza, the President is ignoring the 120,000 Americans in Terrebonne and south Lafourche who currently have no defense against storms and are like sitting ducks in the path of the next killer hurricane. 

"By saying 'no' to closing MRGO, the President is ignoring the people of St. Bernard and New Orleans who had their homes and communities destroyed in large part because of this hurricane superhighway. 

"And by saying 'no' to the almost $2 billion in coastal restoration projects this bill authorizes, the President is ignoring all of the people of south Louisiana, and the vital role they play supplying this country with energy, seafood, and other resources.  "

"For too long, Louisianians have been asked to wait patiently while the federal government hemmed and hawed over passing WRDA.  Building levees, restoring our coastal wetlands, and closing MRGO are not projects that we can afford to put on the back burner while people in Washington debate year after year whether to get involved.

"I encourage the President to reconsider his position on WRDA.  However, if he chooses to continue to ignore south Louisiana's needs, I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to stand firm and override his veto." 

Included in the bill the President has threatened to veto is full authorization for the Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico Hurricane and Storm Protection System.  This 72-mile system of levees, locks and floodgates will provide hurricane and flood protection to about 120,000 people and 1,700 square miles in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes who currently have no hurricane protection.  Congressman Melancon has made Morganza to the Gulf one of his top priorities in Congress, and has secured assurances from his leadership that this vital project would not be removed from WRDA bill.

WRDA also authorizes approximately $1.9 billion for the Corps of Engineers to carry out the comprehensive program for the restoration of the Louisiana Coastal Area.  This program will help restore populated and coastal areas significantly impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and will help in preventing future damage from hurricanes and storm surge, by slowing the continuing land loss, and replenishing the coastal marshes of southern Louisiana.  The bill also authorizes the Corps to integrate into this comprehensive program the findings of a current Corps study for "category 5" protection for coastal Louisiana. 

Finally, WRDA deauthorizes and calls for the physical closure of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet ("MR-GO"), the 76-mile ship channel through St. Bernard Parish that has been dubbed the "hurricane highway."  Rep. Melancon has long advocated in Congress for the complete closure of MR-GO because of the environmental degradation it has caused in St. Bernard Parish and the threat it poses to the parish's residents. Shortly after the Katrina, Rep. Melancon worked in Congress to pass legislation to stop any further dredging of the MRGO to ensure that the channel could begin to silt in while the Corps came up with a plan for the MRGO's long-term future. 

Congress is supposed to pass a new WRDA bill every two years.  However, no new WRDA bills have been signed into law since 2000 because the House and Senate have repeatedly been unable to reach a compromise on the legislation since then.  As a result, many vital projects in south Louisiana have been stalled, awaiting authorization from Congress.