With its response to Hurricane Katrina under attack on Capitol Hill, the Bush administration is seeking $19.8 billion more to help the Gulf Coast rebuild. The Feb. 16 request includes about $7.2 billion for construction and related work and $9.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
President Bush’s new proposal includes $4.2 billion in Community Development Block Grants for Louisiana, which got $6.2 billion in such aid in December. The new grants would be “for flood mitigation through infrastructure improvements, real property acquisition or relocation and other means to reduce the risk of future damages and loss,” the Office of Management and Budget said. New Orleans-area levee and canal improvements would receive about $1.5 billion.