Congressman Kevin Brady (TX08) :: Press Release :: Brady Leads Texas Delegation in Support of Texas Hurricane Recovery Request

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) led the Texas House delegation in submitting a letter to House Appropriations Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA) and Ranking Member David Obey (D-WI) requesting that Texas' nearly $2 billion in hurricane recovery needs be included in the House version of the upcoming hurricane supplemental appropriations package. The appropriations package totals nearly $20 billion and was submitted to Congress by the White House in early February.

"Texas has documented nearly $2 billion in hurricane recovery needs from both hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As a delegation we are committed to pursing Texas' needs, through every possible channel in Washington until our state receives its fair share of federal recovery funding," said Brady whose Eighth District communities sheltered many of the Hurricane Katrina evacuees in the weeks before Hurricane Rita's 120 plus mile-per-hour winds devastated their own homes and businesses.

The $2 billion request includes funding for housing assistance, public safety, uncompensated health care, critical infrastructure repairs, rural disaster assistance, community and economic redevelopment funding, as well as other needs.

Texas House members signing the letter today included Representatives Ted Poe, Louie Gohmert, Ruben Hinojosa, Al Green, Gene Green, Sam Johnson, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Shelia Jackson - Lee, Chet Edwards, Kay Granger, Michael McCaul, Mike Conaway, Joe Barton, Ralph Hall, Ron Paul, Charlie Gonzalez, Lamar Smith, Tom DeLay, Kenny Marchant, Michael Burgess, Solomon Ortiz, Henry Cuellar, John Carter, Pete Session, and John Culberson.

The letter sent to Chairman Lewis and Ranking Member Obey also offers to work with the Appropriations Committee to identify legislative language to allow for maximum flexibility of current funding streams as well as identify proper placement of Texas' long term hurricane recovery needs in regular appropriations vehicles.

A detailed summary of Texas' hurricane supplemental funding request follows.

§ $ 322.0 million - Housing Assistance -- Funds are needed to provide housing assistance to Texas residents whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Rita, and to the nearly 400,000 residents of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who continue to reside in Texas on a temporary basis. Part of these funds would be appropriated, and part awarded by means of tax credit. Appropriated monies would come from HUD, USDA and CDBG monies to be added to or reallocated under the President's proposal. A one-time low-income housing tax credit allocation of $45.0 million is not included in this proposal but is necessary and being negotiated through Ways and Means.

§ $ 47.0 million - Public Safety and Homeland Security -- This money is needed to assist local governments in areas with large numbers of Katrina evacuees in maintaining public safety upon the termination of FEMA reimbursement. A portion of this money could also be used to replace damaged police, fire and EMS equipment and repair local government facilities damaged by Hurricane Rita.

§ $ 125.8 million - Uncompensated Care and Mental Health Services-- The funds would cover the cost of uncompensated health care for victims of Hurricane Rita, and for Katrina evacuees after the expiration of the Medicaid waiver. It would also fund long-term care costs for Katrina evacuees remaining in Texas, as well as mental health services for those affected by Hurricane Rita.

§ $ 470.4 million - Critical Infrastructure Repairs-- These funds would assist local governments and utilities in paying for unreimbursed repair costs for Hurricane Rita damage.

§ $ 412.6 million - Educational Services Reimbursement -- Texas should be reimbursed for costs associated with providing education services to students who are in Texas as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Monies would also be used to repair public and higher education facilities damaged by Hurricane Rita.

§ $ 63.8 million - Transportation -- This money is needed to repair bridges and highways damaged by Hurricane Rita, as well as ports and channels.

§ $ 59.0 million - Navigation and Waterway Maintenance -- This money would be used by the Corps of Engineers for maintenance related to erosion, waterway dredging and other related services.

§ $ 170.0 million - Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Disaster Assistance -- This includes funds for non-FEMA reimbursable rural debris removal, assistance to agricultural areas hard-hit by Rita, especially timber and rice producing areas, and other unreimbursed repairs to rural and agricultural infrastructure caused by Hurricane Rita.

§ $ 115.0 million - Social Services and Emergency Assistance -- These monies would be used to provide case management, direct client services, emergency assistance and other social services to persons affected by Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

§ $186.1 million -- Community and Economic Redevelopment -- This includes workforce training funds for Hurricane Katrina evacuees and those affected by Rita, along with funds for bridge loans and grants for small businesses affected by Rita.