Nearly $400 Million in South Louisiana Priorities Funded in Spending Plan, Through Graves-Supported Priority Projects

BATON ROUGE, LA - U.S. Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) announced today key projects across Louisiana that will receive nearly $400,000,000 through the Army Corps annual spending plan which determines funding amounts for flood control, hurricane protection, coastal restoration, and port/navigation projects.

Graves worked to secure these resources to bolster our resiliency and lower flood insurance rates. This funding from the Corps builds on the $2.5 billion secured in the September 2021 Graves-supported Hurricane Ida recovery legislation. Graves also just authored billions in new flood protection and water infrastructure investments that is expected to become law later this year. A number of the projects being funded were not included in President Biden's budget submitted to Congress but will now be funded as a result of efforts in Congress.

Graves statement:

"This spending plan is another major breakthrough for our resiliency projects and incorporates much of our feedback. We're proactively securing more federal funding, breaking through logjams, and holding the Corps accountable in delivering on time the hurricane and flood protection our communities deserve. It does no good boasting about Louisiana's great assets - our rivers, ports, seafood, people and more - if our communities are constantly vulnerable to flooding. Things need to change and that is why in the last few years, we've secured record investments - over $6 billion - in new flood control, coastal restoration and hurricane protection funding for south Louisiana. There is no question that these cumulative investments will make Louisiana stronger and safer and reduce flood insurance rates for thousands across south Louisiana."

Major investments Graves pushed during the funding process:

• Morganza to the Gulf:$19,333,000 for the design of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway East Floodgate, a design that will be replicated for the West Floodgate.
• Mississippi River Dredging (Baton Rouge to the Gulf):$169,525,275
• Houma Navigation Canal: Over $10,000,000 to begin design to deepen the Houma Navigation Canal to its new authorized depth of 20 feet and to dredge the navigation channel to the proper depth.
• Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Study: $5,000,000 to begin a landmark study which is expected to revolutionize the management of the Mississippi River- preventing increased flows and flood threat to Louisiana.
• Gulf Intracoastal Waterway: $54,928,085 for dredging and maintenance of this east-west inland waterway.

Graves also supported funding for various construction, dredging, and maintenance needs:

• Atchafalaya Basin Floodway:$2,297,000
• Atchafalaya Basin: $32,235,000
• Baton Rouge Harbor, Devil's Swamp: $1,260,000
• Bayou Cocodrie: $48,000
• Bonnet Carre: $4,685,000
• Lower Red River, South Bank Levees: $140,000
• Mississippi Delta Region: $1,940,000
• Old River: $19,370,000
• Tensas Basin, Red River Backwater: $2,990,000
• Port Fourchon: $300,000
• Port of Iberia: $1,200,000
• Calcasieu River Pass (dredging and construction): $46,896,425
• J Bennett Johnston Waterway: $2,250,000
• Marsh Creation in the Barataria Bay (BUDMAT): $6,000,000
• Southwest Coastal Hurricane Protection: $10,000,000

Additional funds were also announced to maintain existing projects:

• Atchafalaya, Bayous Chene, Bouef, Black: $14,230,000
• Barataria Bay Waterway: $100,000
• Bayou Bodcau Waterway: $1,144,000
• Bayou Lafourche, Lafourche Jump Waterway: $285,000
• Bayou Pierre: $33,000
• Bayou Segnette: $25,000
• Bayou Teche, Vermillion River: $50,030,000
• Bayou Teche: $50,000
• Caddo Lake: $186,000
• Freshwater Bayou: $1,880,000
• J Bennett Johnston Waterway: $28,714,000
• Lake Providence Harbor: $1,832,000
• Madison Parish Port: $208,000
• Mermentau River: $6,130,000
• Mississippi River Outlets, Venice: $12,615,000
• Wallace Lake: $158,000
• Empire to the Gulf: $10,000
• Intracoastal Waterway to Dulac: $15,000

Graves has also pointed out several times the Biden Administration is withholding funding from energy producing areas: "Last year, the Biden Administration prohibited funding for any project that could be construed as "lowering the cost of consumption" of gasoline and natural gas. Essentially, this would have defunded critical flood control, hurricane protection, coastal restoration, and river dredging projects in Louisiana and driven-up gasoline cost. This would have violated the law and undermined the role of Congress. And as Americans experience record-high energy costs, this would have further impacted our national security, critical energy infrastructure, and access to reliable and affordable energy." For example, the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection project in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes had funding cut in President Biden's budget. These funds were restored by Congressmen Graves and Scalise.

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