Congressman Charlie Melancon introduced Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar during his visit to an offshore energy services
company in Harvey, Louisiana to underscore job creation as a major goal of
President Obama's proposed Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas development
strategy. The Secretary's visit followed up on the President's announcement of major offshore development plans in the Gulf of Mexico as part of a
comprehensive approach to increase the nation's energy security.
Farm Day, held this year in Thibodaux, is an annual forum Rep. Melancon organizes to provide information for farmers and ranchers in south Louisiana about current legislation and policies in Washington affecting agriculture. The focus of Farm Day 2009 was the implementation of the new Farm Bill, which became law in May 2008, including the new sucrose-ethanol program. Many sugar producers in south Louisiana are still unsure of how this new program will affect their industry, so Rep. Melancon invited Barbara Fesco from the USDA to Farm Day to listen and answer questions from farmers. As in years past, Farm Day 2009 brought together experts and policymakers with those in south Louisiana who are most affected by agricultural policy.
During the April District Work Period, Congressman Charlie Melancon traveled over 2,200 miles around south Louisiana visiting with hundreds of constituents. While home, Rep. Melancon held several town hall meetings, hosted Farm Day 2009 in Thibodaux, visited with artists at the Terrebonne Association for
Retarded Citizens in Houma, and much more. Congressman Melancon said, "These visits are my favorite part of the job, and I only wish I
could spend less time in Washington and more in Louisiana."
U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon joined Homeland Security
Secretary Janet Napolitano and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun
Donovan on their tour of New Orleans
to assess the region's hurricane recovery progress. Donovan announced HUD's
acceptance of the state of Louisiana's
$438 million plan to support long-term disaster recovery following hurricanes
Gustav and Ike. Secretary Napolitano announced FEMA's approval of $12 million
dollar's in additional funding to help repair the St. Bernard Parish Water
Treatment Plant.
In July , Rep. Melancon lead a Congressional delegation through the gulf states that were effected by Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, and Ike. The trip included gulf coast area Congressman and woman along with the current leadership of the 110th Congress.
In October, Rep. Melancon had the privilege of joining about 100 of Louisiana's World War II veterans who were visiting Washington, D.C., to view the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery. These brave veterans were the first group flown to D.C. by Louisiana Honor Air, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide every WWII veteran in Louisiana the opportunity to visit their World War II Memorial for the first time.
As part of this memorable day, the group visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, where several of the veterans and Congressman Melancon presented a wreath from the group to honor all of the courageous men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country's freedom.
In August, Rep. Melancon led a Congressional delegation of approximately 15 House members, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, to New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish to view the progress of hurricane recovery and meet in person with Louisianians who are still rebuilding after Katrina and Rita.
As part of the three-day trip, Rep. Melancon organized a Hurricane Recovery Policy Conference in New Orleans where the visiting Members of Congress discussed the recovery with state leaders, local experts, and city and parish elected officials. The Members and local participants planned how they could work together to improve and speed up Louisiana's recovery from the storms in areas where it is still struggling.
The Delegation also visited the Lower 9th Ward, toured the St. Bernard Health Center, visited a rebuilt New Orleans school, and toured the New Orleans levee system, with stops to view the MR-GO and the damage it has caused, as well as the new 17th Street pump station. The Delegation also visited a woman in Chalmette who is rebuilding her severely-flooded home and has been living in a FEMA trailer on her property in the meantime.
In June, Rep. Melancon met with a group of shrimpers in Chalmette and listened to their concerns. In May, Rep. Melancon voted for legislation in Congress that provided $110 million in fisheries disaster assistance for Gulf Coast shrimpers and fishermen. This funding included $85 million for fisheries disaster assistance programs, including the first substantial direct relief for shrimpers since the 2005 hurricanes, and additional funding for debris removal, mapping, and improved forecasting for maritime navigation.
Recently, Louisiana learned that because more homeowners are qualifying for the Road Home rebuilding program than was estimated and their award grants are bigger than was anticipated, the program could be facing a multi-billion dollar shortfall.
As a first step toward filling the Road Home shortfall, Rep. Melancon asked for a meeting in Washington between Governor Kathleen Blanco and members of the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives. In June, Governor Blanco, LRA Director Andy Kopplin, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and I met in Washington to discuss the anticipated Road Home shortfall and how Congress and Louisiana can work together to make sure the program is fully funded.
This meeting was a major step forward in finding a solution to the Road Home shortfall. The House leadership gained a greater understanding of Louisiana's needs and committed to supporting the Road Home with additional funding.
In May, Rep. Melancon had the privilege of joining about 100 of Louisiana's World War II veterans who were visiting Washington, D.C., to view the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery. These brave veterans were the first group flown to D.C. by Louisiana Honor Air, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide every WWII veteran in Louisiana the opportunity to visit their World War II Memorial for the first time.
As part of this memorable day, the group visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, where several of the veterans, Congressman Melancon and Congressman Boustany presented a wreath from the group to honor all of the courageous men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country's freedom.
Rep. Melancon remarked, "I am grateful to Louisiana Honor Air and our veterans for allowing me to share in this moving experience. They reminded me once again why these brave men and women truly are 'The Greatest Generation.'"
In April, Rep. Melancon visited the St. Bernard Health Center in Chalmette. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed St. Bernard Parish's only hospital, local doctors and healthcare workers opened the St. Bernard Health Center to provide basic healthcare to the people of the parish. Since the storm, this temporary clinic has been housed in a series of trailers located next to the WalMart Super-Center on W. Judge Perez Drive and provides primary care for residents of the parish.
In August of 2007, Rep. Melancon brought a Congressional delegation, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, to the Health Center to highlight the need for more federal funding to rebuild the healthcare system in St. Bernard (see Gulf Coast CODEL picture gallery).
Rep. Melancon shares a few pictures of beautiful and scenic south Louisiana. For more information about the Third Congressional District, including the many festivals and tourist attractions in south Louisiana, click here .
