Gov. Edwards urges White House to 'carefully consider' budget cuts that could threaten disaster ...

[TexasTowelie]

Gov. Edwards urges White House to 'carefully consider' budget cuts that could threaten disaster recovery, prevention

Gov. John Bel Edwards is asking the Trump administration to consider the impact that the Republican president's budget proposal could have on Louisiana's flood recovery efforts and projects that could prevent future natural disasters for the state.

"I would urge the administration to carefully consider how each of these proposed cuts in the budget blueprint will impact real citizens in potentially life-saving ways," Edwards wrote to the White House this week. "Our statewide recovery is dependent upon support of the federal government."

President Donald Trump unveiled his "budget blueprint" last week – a 53-page summary document that calls for the defunding of a program that has been used as a vehicle to fund disaster recovery efforts, as well as deep cuts to the Army Corps of Engineers that could threaten future projects in the state, including the Comite River diversion project.

"On more than one occasion, Louisiana – possibly more than any other state – has relied on the Corps to help us rebuild and keep our citizens safe," Edwards wrote to White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, noting the significance of Hurricane Katrina and the August floods.

Read more: http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_af7c5e5e-0f42-11e7-8e14-0b2c9d247bbf.html