Congress authorized almost $1.5 billion in flood aid for Louisiana before leaving town for the holidays in December, bringing the state's total federal flood recovery funding to about $1.9 billion. But state officials say the state needs at least $2.8 billion, according to a report in the New Orleans Picayune (see: "Louisiana doesn't get all the federal flood recovery money it wanted," by Julia O'Donoghue).
"It's unclear what would be left off undone if the state ends up short hundreds of millions of dollars in recovery funding," the paper reported. "Gov. John Bel Edwards has set up a flood task force to craft a strategy for spending the federal dollars, but it hasn't approved a full plan yet. The governor has also made it clear that he's not finished seeking support from Washington D.C."
"Make no mistake, we will return to Congress in the spring to ask for additional assistance to complete our package," the governor said. "Louisianians deserve nothing less than a full recovery, and my administration won't stop until we are able to secure that."
