Feingold to Propose Housing-Assistance Bill for Katrina Survivors

[Bob Geiger]

A lot of somber things will be said by politicians today as we observe the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's horrible strike on Louisiana and Mississippi -- heck, George W. Bush will even be in New Orleans to feign concern -- but I'm hoping that residents of the devastated area and all Americans are watching closely to see who's actually doing something beyond today to help Katrina's victims.

While Bush will be back in New Orleans to try to wash away his administration's pathetic and incompetent response to the hurricane itself and the 365 days of inaction that have followed, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) is going to mark the return of the Senate (from August recess) next week, by proposing legislation to address some of the real housing issues still faced by survivors of Hurricane Katrina

Feingold will introduce the Gulf Coast Housing Accessibility Act, which will attempt to bring immediate and long-term assistance to those who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina.

“Over the past year, in my listening sessions in Wisconsin, I have heard from many people upset with the federal government’s response to Katrina and their emotional pleas to not forget about the people who lost their homes, their communities and their way of life,” Feingold said. “We must do all we can to help survivors of Katrina return to the lives they once knew. That’s why I’m introducing this legislation to try to offer some level of immediate assistance to working families, seniors, people with disabilities and other survivors of the hurricanes who just want a place to call home.”

Feingold’s legislation contains the following key elements to help lower-income Katrina survivors get back on their feet by first securing a stable place to live:

• Project-based housing vouchers -- $200 million -- to help make a percentage of the Gulf Coast’s reconstructed housing available to working-poor families, seniors, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable residents. These vouchers will help make new and rebuilt housing damaged by the 2005 hurricanes affordable to low income individuals and families wishing to move back to the Gulf Coast.

• More Flexible Disaster Assistance. The Feingold bill would offer flexibility for FEMA to provide more secure and reliable housing to displaced residents of the 2005 hurricanes and future disaster survivors and offer protections to low-income renters.

• Housing Assistance Reorganization. Feingold’s legislation would transfer funding for remaining temporary rental assistance programs from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Disaster Voucher Program. By moving these funds for transitional housing to HUD, the government will be able to provide displaced families still receiving housing assistance with better options to meet their long-term housing needs.

Feingold’s bill is supported by a wide array of advocacy groups including the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Louisiana Advocacy Coalition for the Homeless, Louisiana Permanent Supportive Housing Coalition and the Louisiana/Biloxi Branch of the NAACP.

It will be very interesting to see what level of GOP opposition arises to Feingold's legislation, given that it is designed to help low-income families -- the vast majority of which are Democratic voters -- move back home to Louisiana, a state that Republicans can turn permanently red if they can keep Democratic voters from returning to the state.

But they'll have strong opposition in the stalwart Feingold.

"On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we remember those who lost their lives, their homes, and their communities to the hurricane," said Feingold on Monday. "Katrina’s devastation was one of the most tragic episodes in our nation’s history and as the people of the Gulf Coast face the challenge of rebuilding, we must not let them face it alone."

"One year after Katrina, we must rededicate ourselves to helping the people of the Gulf Coast make it home again."

You can read more from Bob at BobGeiger.com.

[KamaAina]

1. Go Russ! But why would this be coming from a senator from Wisconsin?

Why not from a senator from one of the affected states? Then again, three of the four are repukes, and since Trent Lott can probably afford to rebuild his own porch :P , that pretty much leaves Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA).

So, Mary, I put the question to you: How come your colleague from Wisconsin is willing to go farther than you are to help the people in the region you represent?

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. More to the point: Why has it taken a full year?

This is something that should have been proposed the moment the disaster's scope was known, not as part of the anniversary.

And where the bloody hell are the Congresscritters from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama on this, anyway?

[emmadoggy]

7. I agree with both of the above.

It's great that Russ is standing up and doing this - doing SOMETHING! But what are the reps from those states doing?? Why has it taken a YEAR to do this?? Did everyone just forget about the debacle?? There just doesn't seem to be one damn thing about this tragedy that was done right.
Just looking at this ONE single issue, it's still amazing to me that the Bush administration and the Repubs STILL garner as much support as they do. :(

[annabanana]

28. It SHOULD be coming from 100 Senators!

There is no such thing as an invincible State.

[blm]

38. Legislation was passed - see karynnj's post below. BushInc isn't exactly

implementing the legislation.

[crsharick]

3. Go to Camp Democracy and speak out!

Learn more on c-span in 15 minutes.

Watch Camp Democracy's Press Conference on C-Span Today, August 29, from 6-7 p.m. ET

http://www.c-span.org

also here: www.campdemocracy.org

[Balderdash]

4. This could come in handy

My grandson and I are stuffed into my nephews house with his 4 kids and I can't afford to rent
any place on the North Shore. Everyone came here from NOLA because we didn't have as much
flooding over here and the rich NOLA folks are buying up everything and rental prices are through
the roof. Trying to get in touch with FEMA is a damn joke, still.

[slestak]

5. Goodluck to you, balderdash

as for GOP opposition, considering this bill is designed to help lower-income folks get back to NOLA, I'll say this gets shot up faster than faces during a Dick Cheney hunting trip.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

9. Hi Balderdash, ...Out of concern and curiousity...

After tragedies like Hurricane Katrina and September 11. 2001, there's always been an outpour of generosity from fellow Americans. Did any help come your way from public donations?

Best Wishes to you and your family. :grouphug:

[Balderdash]

15. Thanks for your concern

I know that lots of people in America and the world have made donations but I don't know how to check or where to even start.

:grouphug:

[Just-plain-Kathy]

16. Balderdash....

Start a thread...somebody here might be able to point you in the right direction!

Please start a new topic. :pals:

[blm]

6. I hope he has good luck with it - the Kerry legislation passed but Bush

has ignored it, it included housing needs.


09/09/2005
John Kerry Offers Major Package of Legislation to Help Small Businesses, Others Devastated by Hurricane Katrina




WASHINGTON - With estimates that more than 400,000 jobs will be lost as a result of Hurricane Katrina, Senator John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) today unveiled a package of emergency economic aid and federal assistance for small businesses and others reeling from the destruction in the Gulf Coast.
“It is clear that our government failed the people of the Gulf Coast. In time, those responsible will be held accountable for what has gone right and what has gone wrong. Right now, we need to make up for lost time and help any way we can, and that means targeting the fastest relief possible,” said Senator Kerry. “Every small business we can help will help a hard-working family start to put the pieces of their lives back together. We should help small businesses rebuild themselves and these communities.”

Senator Kerry is the Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee. He will offer this small business-related relief package today with his colleague Mary Landrieu (D-La.) as an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill currently pending in the Senate. A vote on the measure is expected next week. Kerry authored a similar assistance package to small businesses recovering in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

One of the most far-reaching pieces of the Kerry relief package will give small businesses across the country access to low-interest disaster loans to cope with the increased costs of oil and gas. This will especially benefit farmers, truck drivers and others whose livelihood relies heavily on the price of gas.

In addition, the Kerry relief package also provides small businesses in the Gulf Region: · Access to short-term loans that will be rapidly approved to help businesses that are waiting for SBA loan approval begin rebuilding immediately

· A two-year assumption of payments and interest on loans provided through the Small Business Administration (SBA) for working capital and fixed asset loans, known as 7(a) and 504 loans, to help small businesses that are unable to make payments with their existing loans

· A two-year deferral on the interest and payments for SBA disaster loans · Access to 30 percent of all federal contracts and 40 percent of subcontracting dollars · Expanded Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) status, which gives small businesses in the area a preference when bidding on federal contracts

· Increased counseling and business assistance provided through the SBA’s entrepreneurial development centers, including Small Business Development Centers, SCORE, Women’s Business Centers, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers

· Greater opportunities for small construction companies to receive SBA bonding assistance, which is a type of financial loss insurance on the contract

· The ability to refinance existing disaster loans and existing business debt with low-interest disaster loans

Kerry is offering additional hurricane-response legislation, including:

Improve Coordination, Planning, and Execution of Disaster Plans: Senator Kerry is offering legislation to improve several steps, including formalizing the National Guard’s role in the homeland security mission, by creating a Standing Joint Task Force commanded by a National Guard officer responsible for coordinating preparedness and response between the national, state and local governments involved. Given the National Guard's unique responsibilities to both federal and state governments, it is well-positioned to coordinate the planning and execution of disaster contingencies whether caused by an act of nature or an act of terrorism. Moreover, the Department of Homeland Security currently lacks a deliberative planning process, like that used in the Department of Defense, which is essential for disaster response.

FEMA Regional Emergency Evacuation and Preparedness Centers: The response to Hurricane Katrina has revealed serious shortcomings in planning and infrastructure for disaster preparedness and relief. Thousands of displaced Americans are living in sports arenas and National Guard armories. Instead of relying on ad hoc solutions and improvisation, the federal government should establish regional facilities to help prepare the federal response and assist the citizens affected by disasters - whether natural or man-made. In the event of disaster, these facilities will provide temporary or, if necessary, long-term shelter for displaced persons. Medical supplies and facilities at each site can treat people in need of care. Functional spaces, including the capacity for plug-and-play data and communications networks will facilitate the provision of all types of disaster relief services.

Helping Deployed National Guard and Reserve Troops: Tens of thousands of troops have been called up for service in Afghanistan, Iraq and now the Gulf Coast. Many of these troops are in the National Guard and Reserves, and when they’re called to active duty, they and their employers struggle financially. Senator Kerry’s proposal would provide tax credits to small businesses employers of National Guard and Reserve members called up to help lessen the burden on small businesses, our troops and their families.

Help Youth Rebuild Their Communities: YouthBuild is a federal program that helps disadvantaged young people learn responsibility, leadership and a skill by working with their peers to build homes in their communities. YouthBuild is an ideal program to help the young people of the Gulf Coast, who will need employment and whose community has been severely damaged. Senator Kerry strongly believes the recovery effort in the Gulf Coast could be dramatically helped by an expansion of the YouthBuild program in the region, and his legislation expands the program as part of the long-term response and recovery effort.

Providing Housing as Part of Long-Term Recovery: Senator Kerry believes that the federal government should take an active role in the rebuilding of the thousands of homes and apartments destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Two housing production proposals he has authored are ideally designed to help those in the Gulf region who have lost their homes. First, the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act will create an affordable housing production program for those who most need assistance. Second, the Community Development Homeownership Tax Credit Act will encourage the construction and substantial rehabilitation of approximately 500,000 homes for low- and moderate-income families in economically distressed areas over the next 10 years. Both bills can provide critically needed housing and help the long-term recovery of the region.

[karynnj]

14. Look at the date on this - 09/09/06

Kerry got this together quickly.

Was this the legislation that ultimately involved Kerry, Snowe, Landrieau and Vitter. (It was Kerry, then Kerry/Landrieau, then Kerry/Snowe, then Snowe/Kerry then as part of the price of passing it - Snowe/Vitter? (It was weird the last change happened as it was voted on - apparently some Republicans demanded that significant change.

If this is passed, wouldn't it be easier to demand it be done - than re-invent the wheel? The use of youthbuild sounds like a fantastic idea with so many below the poverty line youth who would likely love to get jobs that result in their becoming skilled workers. (This program was explained at one of the 2004 campaign events - Kerry has pushed for funding for it for years - because he was impressed that it worked.

[blm]

19. You have a typo - should be 9-09-05

You're rightr about how the GOPs coopted Kerry's bill and even forced his name off the bill in exchange for their votes. Dusgusting.

[Sugarcoated]

21. How did they force Kerry's name off the bill???

Those fucking weasels! I hope Russ gets out there on the yak circuit and pushes this cause the repub-weasels are gonna try to slime it, too.

[blm]

22. Look at karyn's post above.

Kerry crafts and submits the bill - he gets a GOP co-sponsor to help push it, Olympia Snowe, Landreiu comes on with additional needs based on her state's focused needs, and by the time the GOPs are done holding their support for ransom, Kerry's name is off the bill.

Kerry has always been gracious about legislation and has often demurred from taking credit if he could trade credit for action. Surprisingly, Biden made this interesting point in 2004 about Kerry in one of his appearances.

[Sugarcoated]

23. He's a gentleman for sure

But I'm tired of that. I like Kerry, but I want Dems to show they have a set.

[blm]

24. Having a set means pursuing the toughest investigations even when many

in your own party want you to stop.

Having a set does NOT mean holding up legislation that is crucial and necessary to hundreds of thousands of people while you assert your right to top billing. Especially in a GOP controlled Senate.

That's the way the Senate works whether people want to deal with that fact or not.

[Sugarcoated]

25. You have to be a good politician, too

and sometimes Kerry isn't.

[blm]

27. Fortunately for this country, Kerry usually put politics aside in pursuit

of what is right.

Clinton the politician closed the books on IranContra, BCCI and Iraqgate for political reasons - how did that work out for the country and for the people in the World Trade Center and their families? How did that work out for the Mideast? How did that work out for the Democrats?

[Sugarcoated]

29. So . .

it's Clinton's fault again. :P

[blm]

30. in one way, I can laugh along with that old joke, but, the tragic reality

is, YES - Bill Clinton screwed this country and the world over when he made that fateful decision in 1993 to not pursue the crimes of BushInc and instead, closed the books on all of it.

There would have been no GOP majority in Congress, no impeachment, no Bush even allowed near the WH let alone inside it, and no event like 9-11, and no war in Iraq.

[Sugarcoated]

32. But hasen't every President

Dem or 'Con, done that for the corrupt administration before it? For the sake of the country, of course . . . :eyes:

[blm]

33. No. Bush2 allowed investigations of Clinton's pardons and the trashing of

the WH balderdash concocted by Rove to drive down Clinton's poll numbers and rally the media and the casual citizen around Bush.

Seems only GOP administrations have wrangled the breaks.

[Sugarcoated]

34. Yes

the 'cons finally got a Democratic President they could get some traction on. Clinton pardoned Bush Sr.'s Iran Contra involvement, so what did he get for it?

The nicer we are the harder they ream us. I'm done with the gentlemanly approach.

[blm]

35. I think there's more to it than that with Clinton. Read his book. He never

even makes one mention of BCCI, even though it was a five year investigation that was taking place right before he took office and factored into Bush's stream of bad headlines that helped GET Clinton into office.

Doesn't that strike you as odd, considering that Clinton was known for being such an avid student of geopolitics and governance?

[Sugarcoated]

36. I am no fan of Bill Clinton

He's better than any Republican out there, but again, I'm not a Clinton fan.

[blm]

37. I used to be - then I read his book.

There were too many glaring omissions about seriously important events that would pass by a casual observer of government.

Those of us who had been waiting to hear fuller stories and details about some of his decisions and efforts regarding some serious matters were left disgusted.

[karynnj]

42. What does good politician mean

Here he put together (with his staff) an execellent relief package in a matter of a couple of weeks. He worked with Snowe to make it acceptable to the Republicans. Sounds like a pretty good stateman and politician to me. Having his name taken off didn't change the fact that he authored most of it.

How is the Feingold bill - which is less comprehensive and offered nearly a year later good politics, while the work that Snowe, Kerry and Landrieau did bad politics?

If Kerry is such a bad politician how did he win first the Lt Governor and then the Senate seat in MA - where he was not the media or party favorite either time? How did he beat the most popular politician in the state in 1996? How did he win the nomination for President in 2004 - with neither media or party support? He can't be all that bad.

[karynnj]

41. It wasn't a case of being a gentleman, though he is one,

it had to do with his willingness to put meaningless personal glory - his name on a bill - aside to get it past with far over the 50 votes needed. Kerry's comments on the Senate floor and in the SBC that had anything to do with New Orleans showed that he very genuinely cared that people get the help they needed. I'm sure the bigger disappointment to him was that in spite of it passing the Senate and house - Bush has not acted on it.

Kerry has also commented that even though money was put into funds that could be used to give loans to small businesses over half of the people in New Orleans have been turned down - and this is for essentially a last resort type of loan. Small businesses are needed to revive the area as they great many jobs.

What would you have wanted. Kerry to go to the news media, which covered him so well in 2004, and said - "This is my bill. My names stays on it and I hope any Republican that votes against it is held accountable." As a Kerry supporter, I would have questioned his priorities. This was politics - and he put the country first.

It is also not the first time - Kennedy and Kerry wrote the S-Chip legislation that became Kennedy/Hatch.

[karynnj]

31. You're right

I was amazed how quickly he got this together. The GOP Senators who forced his name off were pigs. He wrote most of it - who else would have put in Youthbuild.

[DallasNE]

8. Compare And Contrast

The visionless George W. Bush goes to New Orleans for a photo op and offers platitudes about how much he has already done when only a block or two from the photo op location mountains of debris still waits to be hauled off.

Then contrast that with the comprehensive bill that Russ Feingold will propose when Congress returns from their August break. This is exactly what is needed for Democrats to take to the voters over the next 70 days. Bush failures followed by empty platitude contrasted with real help for real people. I like that picture.

[Vidar]

10. Applauding Russ yet again.

[DWilliamsamh]

11. Russ remains a stand up guy... With IDEAS:

Now lets watch the Republicans torpedo it. No doubt they will do so while repeating the mantra that "Democrats have no ideas."

[bobbolink]

12. Hurrah for Russ!!! Glad he's taking this on! Now, do more!!

What about the rest of us?!

Obviously, I'm glad he's doing this.

But... there's a bit of a problem with only designating housing for "disaster" -- There's A Huge Disaster In This Country, And It's CAlled Homelessness!!!

What about the rest of us, who desperately have needed housing for a long time now? Could we matter, too, pleeeeez?

There's a horrible shortage of low-income housing in this country. What will it take to get attention for that?

The Katrina disaster just made low-income housing that much more impossible to find for those of us who weren't in Katrina, but need housing nevertheless.

Surely it's possible to focus on more than one group at a time....

Come on, Russ -- I'm sure your state has a need for low-come housing, also!

[peacetalksforall]

13. Feign Concern - what a fitting two words. Here today, gone tomorrow.

Forgotten. Less government wins - unless Feingold wins.

Less Government - that's where it is with stingy, inward, me me me Republicans.

Go Russ!

[madrchsod]

17. he should be the next president but he`s got one big problem

he`s a real democrat

[NVMojo]

18. just watched the HBO Katrina special, I still feel ashamed ...

go Feingold.

[hashibabba]

20. Bobbolink, Bush cuts 50% of housing assistance in his

FY2007 budget. How's that for help with low-income housing? My county has already closed the program down to new applicants since last year's cuts. MD supposedly closed its program down, too. That's our compassionate conservative president.

[JPZenger]

26. Man in Charge of Reconstruction Has Little Relevant Experience

Since last October, the Federal official in charge of Katrina rebuilding in the Gulf has been Donald E. Powell. All of his experience has been in banking and banking regulation. He does have the credential of being from rural Texas. He has no experience in relief or physical reconstruction.

Official bio:

Federal Coordinator of Gulf Coast Rebuilding
"Donald E. Powell was named by President Bush as the Federal Coordinator of Gulf Coast Rebuilding on November 1, 2005. He has been tasked with developing a long-term rebuilding plan for the region in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, coordinating the federal efforts and helping state and local officials reach consensus on their vision for the region.

Prior to his new appointment, Mr. Powell served as the 18th Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). He served in that role from the date of his Senate confirmation on August 29, 2001 until November 15, 2005.

In his FDIC role, immediately after the hurricanes hit the Gulf, Chairman Powell took quick and decisive action to assist banks and their communities. The FDIC, working closely with the other banking regulators, helped banks resume operations and provided around-the-clock information to consumers about how to access needed cash. The Chairman visited the area and met with bankers to see firsthand what challenges the Gulf region faces as it begins the rebuilding process.

A life-long Texan, Powell has close to 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to becoming FDIC Chairman, Powell was President and CEO of The First National Bank of Amarillo, which he started in 1997"

[Doctor_J]

39. Will the GOP filibuster, or attach to it a tax break for the billionaires?

Who says there's no suspense?

[rrasile]

40. filibuster?

Hell a bill like this has no chance. It won't get any further then C Span.
Get out and vote, we need some power in Washington to beat those pay to play comics.

[karynnj]

43. As BLM posted, a bill that mandated

building housing in New Orleans was written immediately after Katrina and with a huge amount of effort it was passed both houses of Congress. Wouldn't it be better for Democrats to insist that the bill that already passed Congress be implemented.

The bill - offically sponsored by Snowe/Vitter was mostly authored by Kerry, who allowed his name to be removed to gain passage.