Senator Mary Landrieu: News Articles

Senate bill would extend chemical security rules

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 8 – Four members of the US Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee introduced bipartisan legislation to extend by 5 years existing federal regulations on chemical plant security.

Refiners and petrochemical plant operators have expressed concern that proposals for new chemical plant security requirements ignore a program that has not been fully implemented while attempting to indirectly impose new environmental regulations.

Sens. Susan M. Collins (R-Me.), Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.), Mark L. Pryor (D-Ark.), and George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) said their bill, S. 2996, would give the US Department of Homeland Security sufficient time to fully implement standards that it developed in 2007.

Collins, the bill’s primary sponsor and the committee’s ranking minority member, praised DHS for its work in developing a comprehensive chemical security program.

“This industry is vital to our country’s economy and important to advancements and innovations, but it can also be a dangerous threat in the event of a terrorist attack,” she said. “That is why it is critical that we enable [DHS] to continue this important work. The legislation passed by the House of Representatives would unwisely bring this progress to a screeching halt.”

In her floor statement introducing the bill, Collins said DHS’s Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) establish 18 risk-based performance standards covering items such as securing the perimeter and critical targets, controlling access, deterring theft of potentially dangerous chemicals, and preventing internal sabotage.

“CFATS, however, does not dictate specific security measures,” she continued. “Instead, the law allows chemical facilities the flexibility to choose the security measures or programs that the owner or operator of the facilities decides would best address the particular facility and its security risks, so long as these security measures satisfy the department’s 18 performance standards.”

Phased implementation
She said since 2007 DHS has hired and trained more than 100 chemical facility field inspectors and headquarters employees and hopes to employ 260 more by the end of fiscal 2010. DHS also has received more than $200 million to date to support CFATS, she indicated.

Collins explained that to determine which facilities posed the highest risks, DHS first required chemical plants possessing certain threshold quantities of specified chemicals to complete an online security assessment called “top-screen.” Based on this assessment and any other available information, DHS then determined whether a facility presented a high security risk level and preliminarily divided such plants into four tiers of escalating risk.

While all covered facilities must satisfy DHS’s performance standards, security measures sufficient to meet them are more robust in higher tiers, Collins said. For plants that qualified as “preliminarily high risk,” DHS required preparation and submission of security vulnerability assessments that enabled the department to more accurately identify each plant’s risk and assign final risk tier rankings. Based on those rankings, facilities must develop site security plans and submit to inspections or audits to ensure compliance, the senator said.

DHS employees involved in CFATS have processed a tremendous amount of information in relatively short time, she noted. “According to the department, since establishing CFATS, it has reviewed almost 38,000 Top-Screen submissions and notified more than 7,000 facilities of their high-risk designations and preliminary tiers,” she said.

As of December, however, CFATS covered only 6,000 facilities, according to Collins. “Some facilities closed; others made material modifications that altered their risk profile,” she said. “Of those remaining, the department has assigned final tiers to almost 3,000, including all of the facilities in Tiers 1 and 2, and is now reviewing their site security plans.”

‘Swap horses’
DHS has received generally positive reviews as it has implemented CFATS in partnership with the private sector, and the program has been praised as a model for security-based regulation, she continued. “Notwithstanding the department’s success in the program and the considerable costs that facilities have incurred in complying with it, some now want to ‘swap horses in midstream’ by radically overhauling the law,” said Collins, adding that a bill the House passed in November would dramatically alter CFATS’s nature and stop its progress dead in its tracks.

She and the bill’s three co-sponsors were particularly critical of the House measure’s provision requiring the use of inherently safer technology (IST) in CFATS Tier 1 and 2 plants. “IST is an approach to process engineering involving the use of less dangerous chemicals, less energetic reaction conditions, or reduced chemical inventories,” Collins said. “It is not, however, a security measure. And because there is no precise methodology by which to measure whether one technology is safer than another, an IST mandate may actually increase or unacceptably transfer the risk to other points in the chemical process or elsewhere on the supply chain.”

Forcing chemical plants to implement IST could wreak economic havoc on some facilities and affect availability of several commonly used end products, she warned. A mandatory IST program could encourage chemical companies to move their operations overseas, she added.

“To be clear, some owners and operators of chemical facilities will want to use IST. But the decision to implement [it] should be that of the owner or operator, not a Washington bureaucrat,” Collins said. “In fact, the evidence is quite compelling that many chemical facilities, based on an assessment of many complex factors, have already taken steps to avoid the use, storage, and handling of extremely dangerous chemicals in favor of safer alternative processes. [DHS’s] own data indicate that nearly 1,000 facilities voluntarily adopted safer alternative processes.”

The House bill also includes provisions directing the US Homeland Security Secretary to establish new risk-based performance standards and allowing third-party lawsuits against DHS over CFATS’s implementation, she said. S. 2996, in contrast, would not only continue work already under way but also establish a voluntary chemical security training program for federal, state, and local governments; chemical industry employees; and government and non-government responders, and a voluntary program to test these capabilities, Collins said.

Two victories for Landrieu

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

After celebrating "one of the greatest weekends in the history of New Orleans," Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) was losing her voice Monday.

Not only did her beloved Saints win the Super Bowl, but she was still celebrating with her brother, Mitch, the newly elected mayor of New Orleans.

“It was a huge weekend,” Landrieu said in a telephone interview with POLITICO. “I’m just a little hoarse. But my happiness will make up for my hoarseness.”

“The margin of victory ... was beyond what any of us had imagined,” she said of her brother’s victory. “Now we have a great quarterback in city hall. Not just in the dome.”

Both Landrieus received multiple offers to fly to Miami to watch the Super Bowl, but they "decided we wanted to be in the city with our extended family,” the senator said.

At game time, more than 60 family members gathered at Landrieu’s younger brother’s home, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and rebuilt exactly how it had been before the storm. The home, she said, “has become a symbol in our family.”

After the big win, the family filed into the street for an impromptu parade and lit fireworks, the senator said.

Landrieu said she would be at the airport to greet the Saints when they flew home.

Monroe Fire Department to get $176,000 in funding, Landrieu announces

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., announced Friday that the Monroe Fire Department has been awarded $176,000 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Monroe Fire Department will use the funding to enhance the new fire station’s exhaust systems.

“A healthy and safe community starts with providing our first responders all the necessary equipment and resources to carry out their jobs,” Landrieu said in a prepared statement. “In Monroe, that starts with a new fire station. These FEMA grants that I was proud to support will greatly increase the safety of the city of Monroe, reducing response time during emergencies and better protecting the citizens in the community.”

Last fall, Sen. Landrieu wrote a letter in support of this grant being awarded to the Monroe Fire Department. The source capture exhaust systems that will be purchased with grant funds will help to clear the diesel fumes out of the fire stations.

Senate bill aims to boost small business contracting

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Civilian agencies might soon be required to set aside a percentage of funds from multiple-award, multiagency contracting vehicles for small businesses.

The provision, included in the 2010 Small Business Contracting Improvements Act introduced by Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, on Thursday, would require agencies to reserve for small firms a yet undetermined portion of orders placed against federal supply schedule, multiple-award and other governmentwide acquisition contracts. The Office of Management and Budget's administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy would be responsible for writing guidelines to implement the change.

The measure also depends on a variety of tactics to put large and small contractors on a level playing field. For example, it would take the biggest swipe to date at contract bundling -- a maneuver in which several small and common procurements are combined into one large acquisition. Bundled contracts generally are out of reach for small businesses.

Before bundling any contract worth more than $2 million, agencies would have to conduct market research, identify alternative contracting approaches, and justify that the consolidation is necessary and would save taxpayers substantial money. In addition, agencies would be required to publicly disclose all bundling decisions.

The bill would not apply to Defense Department contracts, which made up the majority of the government's $523 billion in contract spending in fiscal 2009. Much of the language has been introduced before, but failed to garner significant support.

Still, Landrieu and Snowe said the legislation would help the government meet its obligations to small businesses. For the past three years, federal agencies have fallen slightly short of the governmentwide goal of awarding 23 percent of all contract dollars to small firms. And, while small firms captured a bigger dollar amount in fiscal 2008 than in 2007, they still earned a smaller share of total contracting dollars.

"By increasing contracts to small businesses by just 1 percent, we can create more than 100,000 new jobs -- and today, we need those jobs more than ever," Landrieu noted.

Snowe said she is "confident that this legislation will result in the changes necessary to reduce fraud and waste while paving the way for the federal government to maximize the use of America's innovative small businesses in the contracting arena."

The bill also would establish a joint venture and teaming center at the Small Business Administration that would, on a pilot basis, provide technical support and grant funding to associations and businesses interested in joining together to bid on larger contracts.

The act appropriates $5 million in grants annually through fiscal 2015, but SBA would be forced to use its existing staff to run the new Center for Small Business Teaming, according to a Senate source familiar with the bill.

SBA declined to comment on the bill.

In addition, the legislation would end SBA's Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program. Established in 1988, the initiative assesses the ability of small businesses to compete successfully in certain industry categories without set-asides. It also uses targeted goaling and management techniques to enhance small businesses participation in 10 other industry categories.

Snowe reportedly asked for the repeal, but her office did not respond to a request for comment on the program.

Other provisions in the act would:

Establish guidelines for reviewing and evaluating subcontractor participation on prime contracts.
Mandate speedier payments to small business subcontractors that have successfully completed work on behalf of the prime contractor. The government would be able to withhold funds from contractors that fail to pay their subcontractors.
Direct OFPP to issue guidelines on how employees can purchase more goods from small businesses with government-issued credit cards.
Require agencies to include meeting small business contracting goals in the performance evaluation of contracting and program personnel.
Develop training programs for contracting and enforcement personnel based on small business size standards.
Call for SBA to conduct a detailed review of the size standards for small businesses and make appropriate changes.
Establish a presumption of loss to the government when a large business performs a small business contract.
Require the Government Accountability Office to study the effectiveness of SBA's mentor-protégé program.

Landrieu pushes for more aid for Haitian orphans

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON - Sen. Mary Landrieu joined other lawmakers Tuesday to press for better coordination between the U.S. and Haiti to help orphaned Haitian children find new homes.

“American hearts are open. Their homes are open to children who have lost everything,” said Landrieu, a Democrat.

A bipartisan group of about 40 lawmakers is calling for the federal government to reduce bureaucratic red tape so more Haitian children can be adopted by families here. The lawmakers also urged passage of a bill proposed by Landrieu that would set up an office within the State Department to help orphans in other countries.

Lawmakers also called for federal officials to provide more security for orphans waiting to leave Haiti and join families in the United States. They also pressed for more help for thousands of orphans who will be left in Haiti.

“We need a strategy to deal with it,” said Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo.

Landrieu said the United Nations estimated there were 300,000 orphans in Haiti before the earthquake, and that number has surely grown.

The earthquake in Haiti killed more than 100,000 people and left many children without parents.

Landrieu, a long-time advocate of adoptions, said the children should be placed in homes, not orphanages. The first priority is to place them with family members, if possible, she said.

“They don’t deserve life in an orphanage,” Landrieu said.

Lawmakers related the stories of several U.S. families who are waiting for Haitian children they have adopted. Landrieu pointed to a picture of twin boys whom David and Rebecca Erickson of Shreveport are in the process of adopting.

The Ericksons began working in 2003 to adopt the brothers, now 11.

“We’ve just been hoping and praying that it would work out. It just never did,” said Rebecca Erickson. She said one problem was verifying that both the boys’ parents were dead.

The couple was still waiting when the earthquake took place.

The Ericksons, who have three children, were relieved to learn the twins were safe, even though the second floor of their orphanage had collapsed. They were also excited about a recent announcement that federal homeland security officials would help push through adoptions that were underway before Jan. 12.

Since the earthquake, “the opportunity for these children to get adopted is quicker,” said Erickson. “It’s amazing that it’s happening. I’m excited about the possibility of getting them home.”

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida blamed much of the adoption delays on red tape made worse by the disaster.

“Bureaucracy does get in the way,” he said.

Landrieu said Haitian officials may be ill-equipped to deal with orphaned children, and the U.S. shouldn’t wait for them to take the initiative.

“We’ll be waiting for the next 50 years,” she said. But she acknowledged that most of the bureaucratic delays originate in the U.S.

Landrieu said the U.S. and Haitian governments should work together to speed the adoption process.

“Give these children a chance to live... with families who will love them and nurture them as their own,” she said.

Children's needs shouldn't fall through the cracks during a disaster

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

SENS. MARY LANDRIEU (D-La.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) introduced a bill this month that seeks to ensure that the needs of children are met in the event of disaster. Ensuring children's well-being requires special consideration that until now has been an afterthought.

The first three sections of the Child Safety, Care and Education Continuity Act would provide an array of financial assistance to schools and students from pre-kindergarten through college in the event of an emergency. There would be tuition reimbursement for displaced students. Funding would be provided to school districts that take in students from disaster areas. College loan requirements could be waived or modified for students or schools. And many rules regarding child care and Head Start would be waived in an effort to hold the safety net in place. These provisions would kick in only if 10 percent or more of students enrolled in public or private elementary school in the affected state were displaced for more than 60 days after a presidentially declared disaster.

Probably most important is a provision on emergency planning for child-care centers. We were alarmed to learn from a report by Save the Children in June that 29 states, including Virginia, don't require licensed child-care facilities and schools to have both evacuation and reunification plans. In our area, only Maryland has both. The District mandates only an evacuation plan. This legislation would require federally funded child-care centers to develop emergency plans for evacuation, reunification and special needs. With 67 million children under the age of 18 in schools or child-care centers across the country on any given day, this is vital.

The legislation acts on many of the recommendations issued by the National Commission on Children and Disasters in September. The body was established by Congress in 2008 to look at the gaps in planning, response and recovery related to children that were exposed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The commission has succeed in getting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse local and state governments for the costs of training, planning and purchasing equipment for children. In addition, shelter designs and supply lists have been changed. Areas will now be designated for families with children and will be furnished with diapers, formula, cribs, baby wipes and other essentials.

The Landrieu-Alexander bill shows that more needs to be done. We hope Congress will move on this quickly in the new year. Emergency preparedness won't be complete without thinking of children.

SBA extends pilot loan program for small business exporters

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Small Business Administration has extended its Export Express pilot loan program for another year.

The pilot had been scheduled to end Dec. 31, 2009. Through the program, small business exporters and lenders benefit from a streamlined approval process for loans of up to $250,000. The number of Export Express loans doubled this year, and the SBA wants more time to analyze and refine the program.

Exports by small businesses grew to $475 billion in 2007, up 58 percent from 2002, according to the Commerce Department. The 250,000 small businesses that export account for nearly 30 percent of all U.S. exports.

Legislation introduced Dec. 9 by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., would increase the limit on Export Express loans to $500,000. The bill would increase the maximum size of conventional SBA trade loans from $2 million to $5 million.

The Small Business Export Enhancement and International Trade Act also would increase the number of SBA export finance specialists and direct the SBA to hire an associate administrator to carry out its trade programs.

"This bipartisan legislation will ensure that small businesses seeking to export their goods and services will have access to the resources they need to successfully expand into foreign markets," said Landrieu, who chairs the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

Snowe and Landrieu also introduced legislation that would create an assistant U.S. trade representative for small business, who would ensure that the interests of small firms are represented in trade negotiations and U.S. trade policy.

Landrieu supports health-care bill

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON — In a critical move for passage of the U.S. Senate health-care overhaul, Louisiana U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said Tuesday that she will support the bill.

Landrieu, a moderate, was considered one of a handful of Democratic senators whose backing was necessary if a bill is to be passed. Although she still wants to see a report on the final costs of the measure, the package has her endorsement, Landrieu said.

“I’m ready,” Landrieu said.

Landrieu’s decision comes at a time when U.S. Senate leaders are still trying to corral the 60 votes needed to pass the legislation. On Tuesday, they also gained the support of Independent U.S. Sen. Joe Leiberman, of Connecticut.

Leiberman threatened to hold out if a proposal to allow people 55 and older to buy into Medicare were included. Landrieu had opposed the measure because it contained a public option — the government-run insurance program — that was removed.

The announcements left Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, of Nebraska, as the lone holdout. Nelson wants to continue to allow insurance companies to be exempt from anti-trust laws. He also wants to increase restrictions on abortion coverage.

Last week, Landrieu joined with nine other moderates and liberals in negotiating an alternative that includes expanding Medicaid, the insurance program for the poor, and creating a system that calls for the agency that administers federal employee health benefits to oversee a new system of national health insurance plans.

“While many of us expressed cost and bureaucracy concerns about early drafts of the health-care reform legislation, it is clear that the product the Senate is debating is a dramatic improvement,” Landrieu said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is hoping to get the bill passed by Christmas. Democrats met Tuesday with President Barack Obama, who said the senators were “on the precipice” of a historic accomplishment that has vexed presidents and Congress for generations.

If approved, an estimated 30 million uninsured Americans would get coverage, Democrats estimate.

“I told my former colleagues today … that we simply cannot allow differences over individual elements of this plan to prevent us from meeting our responsibility to solve a longstanding and urgent problem for the American people,” Obama said after the meeting.

The Senate bill contains a proposal to create insurance “exchanges” through which consumers could shop for policies. In addition, hundreds of billions in subsidies will be dedicated to defray the costs of insurance for families of four with incomes of up to $88,200 a year.

The legislation in its current form blends private and public approaches, expands coverage, and increases choice and competition, Landrieu said. Landrieu said even without the public option, 900,000 Louisiana residents who do not now receive coverage could get it. Another 558,000 could qualify for a subsidy to help them afford coverage, she said.

“The bill is greatly improved from the time it came over from the House,” Landrieu said.

Landrieu, who chairs the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, also said small businesses will be aided through available tax credits to make premiums for employees more affordable.

“These are monumental gains that will help restore fiscal responsibility to a system that has run amok with waste, fraud and abuse,” Landrieu said. “While there is some work to do, I am confident that we have found enough common ground for the Senate to seize this historic opportunity.”

Also on Tuesday, the U.S. Senate blocked an amendment that would have allowed prescription drugs to be imported from Canada and elsewhere. The 51-48 vote that needed 60 was a particular setback for Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, who campaigned on the issue in 2004.

Vitter, who co-sponsored the amendment, took the Senate floor Tuesday calling on colleagues to support it.

“Every year, Americans spend hundreds of billions of dollars on prescription drugs and every year, prescription prices have continued to skyrocket,” Vitter said. “Americans should not have to choose between their life-saving medicine and other basic needs like food or other bills.”

Many amendment opponents raised concerns that the practice would increase the safety risks of Americans. Landrieu voted against the amendment. Though she said lifting the restriction would lower prices, Landrieu feared opposition to the proposal would sink the passage of the health-care bill.

“Normally I would support it,” Landrieu said. “But it will take down the bill.”

The U.S. House approved its version of the bill earlier this fall, and final negotiations between the two houses would follow a vote in the Senate.

The legislation would be financed by about $460 billion in cuts in projected Medicare payments to health-care providers over a decade. It also includes higher payroll taxes on individuals making more than $250,000 annually and higher taxes on high-cost insurance policies, drugmakers, medical device makers and others.

A measure of the men

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The story goes that years ago a young New Orleans congressman, a newly elected Reaganite and foe of the Democratic leadership, was seeking federal assistance to refurbish the sadly neglected streetcar line in New Orleans.

As a member of the minority party, he was frustrated at not being able to get an important project for his city done, one justified financially and in terms of restoring the troubled city’s fortunes. He explained the problem to his New Orleans colleague one day on the floor of the House.

Lindy Boggs told the young Bob Livingston that she would see what she could do.

She calmly walked up to the imposing dais, where the equally imposing Thomas P. O’Neill was presiding as speaker and leader of the Democratic majority. She quietly whispered in her old friend’s ear about New Orleans’ need for federal transit assistance.

One need not ask whether the assistance was granted, across party lines in the House and across generations in New Orleans’ political leadership. The streetcar line, despite its battering from Hurricane Katrina, remains today one of the nation’s signature cultural and transportation assets.

That was only one of many times that Boggs and Livingston served the people of Louisiana in tandem until the elder Democrat left the House. Livingston went on to serve as a highly successful chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

The moral of this story: What would the Louisiana delegation have said if a blowhard Republican officeholder or commentator had made vicious aspersions about Mrs. Boggs’ morals? That she had traded her vote for a project in her home state as though she were a prostitute?

Again, the question is answered by asking it.

The gentlemen of the delegation, without regard to party or residence, would have responded with indignation. A public hanging of the miscreant would have been thought appropriate, but averted by a fulsome and abject apology.

That is why we have trouble understanding why there is not more of an outcry against the aspersions by prominent Republican commentators Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh about U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.

Was her vote in a key procedural matter bought, for a clause benefiting Louisiana’s interests, in the manner of a fallen woman?

Of course not.

She was doing what senators ought to do, on a health-care-related issue in a health-care-related bill. Landrieu. a Democrat, was asked to seek help from the Senate by Louisiana’s Republican governor.

The attacks on Landrieu didn’t come from obscure people but from commentators who have asserted their own leading role in the Republican Party, who are fawned over at conservative political events, and who are seen as kingmakers.

That Gov. Bobby Jindal and U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., have talked all around the “prostitute” question is a measure of a sad decline in manners, not just in discourse.

We commend the Republicans with more guts, and more class.

“That sort of language is inappropriate. Differences can be expressed without the use of degrading insults,” U.S. Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, R-New Orleans, said in a statement. U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, also issued a statement deploring personal attacks.

Cao holds the seat once graced by Boggs; Scalise serves from the district once represented by Livingston.

We are pleased to see that the great city of New Orleans sent the two gentlemen to the House.

Natural Gas: Cheap, Clean Energy that's Made in America

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

This week, the world will be watching America’s participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. As our nation works to reduce climate-altering emissions and plans for a low-carbon energy future, many Americans may be surprised to learn that a key piece of the puzzle — a clean, reliable and readily available energy source — is right here under our feet: natural gas.

America is experiencing a natural gas revolution. Prices are 33 percent lower than they were last year, and the industry is producing significantly more gas, thanks to technology that has uncovered enormous new supplies of natural gas.

The United States has three times the amount of natural gas it thought it had in 1966 — and 40 percent more than just a few years ago. In fact, more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas is estimated to be available; at present consumption levels, that’s enough to heat all U.S. households for the next 519 years. In northwest Louisiana alone, the Haynesville Shale reserve has 251 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, almost 11 times the amount consumed by Americans last year.

More Americans are embracing this clean energy source. More than 20 percent of our electricity is generated by natural gas, and it is an important feedstock in chemical and fertilizer production. Natural gas eliminates soot, for cleaner diesel fuel, and is used as a raw material in lightweight cars, wind-power blades and solar panels.

This new abundance and growing demand present our country with a unique opportunity. With proper support from the federal government, natural gas will help us meet several immediate challenges confronting the United States:

Improving our environment. Natural gas must be a part of any plan to reduce America’s carbon emissions. Not only is it produced in accordance with the strictest environmental standards in the world, but it is also undeniably one of the cleanest fuels in existence. Use of natural gas simultaneously addresses several environmental concerns, including smog, acid rain and greenhouse gas emissions. Put simply: Natural gas should be the bridge to a low-carbon energy future while playing a key role in developing the next generation of energy, such as solar and wind power.

Enhancing our energy security. America simply cannot allow foreign countries to meet our nation’s increasing demands. The federal Energy Information Administration estimates that if the natural gas industry had access to more federal lands — areas that are now off limits — America could supply 98 percent of its own natural gas needs by 2030. And keeping the money it takes to produce and consume natural gas within our borders would provide natural gas companies with capital to make the necessary investments in our energy future.

Strengthening our economy. A reliable, affordable supply of U.S. energy has a profound impact on every sector of our economy, from shipping to trucking, agriculture, chemicals, manufacturing and textiles. With production in 33 states, the natural gas industry is also critical to employment. Some 1.3 million people are directly employed by companies that drill, ship and supply natural gas to U.S. consumers. Almost 3 million Americans work in positions that support the development of domestic energy. And technological advancements have led to additional discoveries of natural gas reserves that could grow employment opportunities in nontraditional producing states, such as New York and Ohio.

To raise the profile of this clean energy source and promote its many benefits, we recently formed the Senate Natural Gas Caucus. This group will educate members of Congress and the public about energy and manufacturing issues related to natural gas and provide a forum for members to exchange ideas and influence national policy.

To stabilize our energy future and put thousands of unemployed Americans back to work, we must work together — across party lines — to block attempts to levy burdensome taxes on gas producers, provide incentives for coastal states to tap their gas production potential through a fair revenue-sharing scheme and ensure that climate change legislation does not unfairly penalize this burgeoning industry.

This will provide natural gas companies the freedom to continue their cutting-edge research and production of this clean resource even when prices are low. Positive changes to national policies will result in a stronger economy and a healthier environment.

Through our bipartisan leadership of the Senate Natural Gas Caucus, we will urge our colleagues not to compromise America’s economic and energy security. The opportunity is too great, and our energy and environmental challenges are too urgent, for us to fail to work together.

Landrieu votes in favor of heath care

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu has emerged as an influential moderate in the national debate over health care reform — a fact made evident Saturday evening as political observers closely watched Landrieu’s cloture vote.

After days of uncertainty, Landrieu ultimately cast a vote in favor of cloture for the Senate’s version of the health care bill — a key vote the Democratic Party needed to move the bill forward. Opponents back home seized on an opportunity to criticize Landrieu’s vote, with the Louisiana Republican Party expressing disappointment and the “tea party” movement mulling a shot at recalling the Democratic senator.

The cloture motion passed on party lines, 60-39, with one Republican Senator not voting. Louisiana’s Republican Sen. David Vitter voted against the procedural motion.

Landrieu expressed reservations about portions of the health care bill despite supporting the procedural measure to move the bill forward. Landrieu and other Democratic moderates have relayed skepticism about including a public option in a health care bill.

“My vote should in no way be construed by the supporters of this current framework as an indication of how I might vote on the final bill,” Landrieu said in a statement on the floor of the Senate on Saturday. “My vote is a vote to move forward, to continue the good and essential and important and imperative work that is underway.”

Landrieu was one of a handful of Senators closely watched by members of both parties and identified as a crucial swing vote. Landrieu was the second to last Democratic holdout during Saturday’s Senate debate, slightly alleviating a tense, cliff-hanger atmosphere hanging over the evening vote.

The Louisiana Republican Party quickly blasted out a news release, eager to jump on the opportunity to cast Landrieu as a loyal Obama-supporting Democrat who supports “socialized medicine.”

“[Landrieu] could have killed the bill today, but instead she will show her true allegiance lies not with the citizens of Louisiana but with the liberal Democrats in Washington who are intent to expand the size and scope of government by bankrupting our country,” Roger Villere, chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, said in a statement.

Critics also seized on language Landrieu secured in the bill giving Louisiana $300 million in additional funding to help defer the effects of budget shortfalls.

Conservative and nationally recognized news aggregator Drudge Report trumpeted a headline reading “The Louisiana Purchase — $300 million for my vote!”

Landrieu was blunt about requesting the funding in her midday statement Saturday.
“It is not a $100 million fix, it is a nearly $300 million fix,” she said. “I am proud to have fought for it.”

But she insisted the $300 million was not the reason she ultimately voted for cloture.
“The reason I am moving to the debate, as I expressed in this statement, is that the cost of health care is bankrupting families and it is bankrupting our government,” she said. “We cannot afford the status quo.”

Saturday was the second weekend health care vote to attract national attention — the first coming when the House voted for its own version of Democratic-led reform, and Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, R-New Orleans, was the only Republican to support the bill.

“The tea party movement is very disappointed in the way Sen. Landrieu handled the situation,” said Robert Gaudet, national tea party organizer and founder of the Bossier tea party organization. “She certainly didn’t vote in a way that her constituents want.”

Gaudet said the movement was going to consider options to move forward Sunday night, convening meetings with their legal team to determine how to proceed with a potential recall measure against Landrieu.

“Retaliation is not what we’re about — we’re about pushing things forward in the right direction,” Gaudet said. “Removing people from office through the right channels is our right.”

Geothermal energy emering as another alternative

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

BATON ROUGE — A process that relies on heated, pressurized water to create significant amounts of energy from either natural or manufactured sources continues to gain momentum in south Louisiana.

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded $5 million in federal stimulus money Monday to Louisiana Geothermal, an up-and-coming company that boasts it will be able to produce enough energy within the next two years to power all of Cameron Parish.

In fact, research suggests there’s enough of the alternative-energy source there to last more than 130 years.

In this case, geopressured energy, one of a group of potential power sources classified under the geothermal umbrella, is derived from hot, pressurized waters trapped deep in the earth’s sedimentary formations. The water, heated by the earth’s natural processes, can be used to generate electrical power.

Scientific research, some of it sponsored by the federal government, suggests that the area around Turtle Bayou Gas Field in Terrebonne Parish could potentially hold similar promise as a geothermal energy source.

In Cameron Parish, locals have known that a geopressured-geothermal system existed in Sweet Lake since the 1980s, but only recently have investments started to surface to support what’s being called the Sweet Lake Geopressured-Geothermal Project.

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana, is among the lawmakers pushing the issue in Washington for the Bayou State.

“Louisiana may be sitting atop a mother lode of clean, renewable energy if we can successfully harness the earth’s natural heat through geothermal energy,” Landrieu said.

George Jordan, president of Louisiana Geothermal, added that the political climate couldn’t be better for the state to embrace this new energy source, especially since other states are already ahead of the curve.

“We believe that this grant, combined with current national support for developing clean, renewable energy, provides Louisiana Geothermal with a cost-effective opportunity to develop this new energy,” he said.

The federal funds will be used to pay for a portion of the total costs associated with the Sweet Lake Geopressured-Geothermal Project. The project will include the drilling of a well, as well as the construction of a new geopressured power plant.

This is one of 11 projects selected for the development of new low-temperature geothermal fields nationwide.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently estimated that geothermal energy projects similar to Louisiana Geothermal’s could supply as much as 10 percent of America’s electric power within the next 20 years — an extraordinary potential, given that geothermal resources currently supply only a fraction of a percent of U.S. electricity needs, Landrieu said.

On the horizon, there may be other opportunities for Louisiana to explore more geothermal projects.

For instance, the Haynesville Shale in north Louisiana is positioned to become the nation’s top-producing natural gas field within the next six years.

But when the shale eventually plays out and producers make their exit, state officials contend the same gas wells could potentially become a source for electrical production thanks to the heat that’s trapped in the Earth.

Additionally, geothermal energy has become a buzz phrase in the oil-and-gas industry, since geothermal energy can be captured through traditional processing operations.

About five years ago, Enterprise Products’ natural-gas-processing plant in St. Mary Parish, a facility known as Neptune that employs people from the Houma-Thibodaux area, launched such a project that has since gained national recognition.

Engineers at the Neptune plant oversee a 4.5-MW Ormat Energy Converter that generates electrical power by capturing waste heat produced by a pair of gas turbines.

Today, the $4 million converter — the first of its kind in the U.S. — is producing a significant portion of the plant’s energy needs. There’s even a steady flow of excess power being churned out that is exported and sold to the local energy company in the region.

When the state Legislature meets next year, there’s a chance that the industry issue could become a policy issue.

That’s because neighboring states like Texas have already jumped on the technology bandwagon and are offering companies tax exemptions for producing geothermal energy in association with oil and gas production.

Landrieu Cosponsors Bill to Bolster Reservist Employers and Military Families

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON- United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., cosponsored a bill introduced by Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., to extend through next year a tax credit for small businesses that pay the salary differential to reservist employees called up for active duty. This small business tax credit provides incentive for small employers to eliminate any pay gap between civilian and military pay. The bill comes as the nation honors its veterans.

"Our soldiers put their lives on the line each day to protect our country," Senator Landrieu said. "As they keep us secure, we must keep them secure. Yet, as these soldiers serve millions of miles away, the families they leave at home often suffer as reservists take a pay cut. This tax credit has helped small businesses pay the salaries of reservist employees called to active duty and must not expire. Our brave soldiers should not be penalized for their dedicated service, nor should the small business owners who want to help their employees, but who are already suffering in these harsh economic times."

The bill extends for one year a provision that provides small businesses with less than 50 workers with a 20 percent tax credit of the salary differential they pay for reservist employees called up for active duty, with a maximum tax credit of $4,000. Without this legislation, the tax credit would expire January 1, 2010.

FDA Backs Off Oyster Plan

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration -- under pressure from politicians and the shellfishing industry -- said it will reconsider its plan to halt distribution and consumption of untreated oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico during the warmest months of the year.

Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu announced the development on Friday. Earlier in the week, she and other members of the Louisiana congressional delegation told the FDA they would pursue a "legislative solution" if the agency did not relax the proposed restrictions.

"The FDA's decision today is a major win for our oyster industry and all of Louisiana," Landrieu said. "By reversing course, the FDA has acknowledged that its original plan was unreasonable and that we need a commonsense approach to protecting the small number of at-risk consumers.

"I commend Commissioner (Dr. Margaret) Hamburg for listening to Louisianians' unified voice and for being willing to partner with the industry to find a path forward that does not put oystermen out of business," she said.

That path, Landrieu said, involves working with the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Commission to implement a 2001 plan designed to minimize the threat posed by a virus that can be carried by oysters.

The virus is blamed for about 15 deaths in the United States each year, though most of the victims suffered from ailments that compromised their immune systems.

Rep. Charlie Melancon, who also attended the FDA meeting, characterized the initial plan as overkill.

“Banning fresh Gulf oysters in the name of food safety is like killing a fly with a sledgehammer,” Melancon said. “Now it appears the FDA is coming to realize the harm this ban could have on Louisiana and is reaching for a fly swatter instead."

Landrieu pushes for increased domestic oil and gas production

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

WASHINGTON – U. Sen. Mary Landrieu highlighted the need to expand domestic energy exploration during a Senate committee hearing Tuesday.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee conducted the hearing on the role of natural gas in mitigating climate change.

Landrieu, D-La., who has long advocated expanded domestic oil and gas production, cited the continually increasing assessments of oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico and expanded gas plays throughout the country as compelling reasons to expand production.

“There is generally a lot more oil and gas domestically than we acknowledge, and we fail sometimes to realize the dynamic and exciting changes in the industry that are providing more supply,” Landrieu said. “I am an unabashed advocate for more domestic drilling of oil and gas, not because I think it solves all of our nation’s problems, but because I think the American people have a right to benefit from resources that they own.”

In the past 33 years, estimated oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of Mexico have increased from 5 billion barrels to more than 30 billion barrels.

During today’s hearing, Landrieu addressed concerns about oil exploration’s impact on the environment.

“Drilling-related spills are less than one percent of spills in the ocean; tankering of oil is 4 percent; runoffs from boats and jet-skis is 32-percent, and natural seepage is 63 percent.”

Landrieu also pressed the need to diversify energy sources, particularly by expanding the use of natural gas.

Last week, Landrieu joined Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., in the formation of the bipartisan Natural Gas Caucus, which will work to highlight the positive aspects of natural gas in the United States.

“A reliable and affordable supply of U.S. energy is the backbone of a healthy U.S. economy and a cornerstone of our nation’s employment base,” said Landrieu. “As we transition to more clean-burning, low-carbon fuels, natural gas must be part of the equation. It is an ideal energy to both produce and consume.”

Landrieu vows to fight proposed ban on untreated oysters

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

HOUMA -- U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu vowed to fight a new FDA proposal that would ban the sale of raw Gulf of Mexico oysters that are not treated for potentially harmful bacteria.

This Food and Drug Administration regulation would adversely affect the state’s oyster industry and could cripple many south Louisiana restaurants that feature oysters on their menus, Landrieu, D-La., said Tuesday.

She cited industry figures that say Louisiana's oyster industry employs 3,500 Louisianians and has an estimated $318 million impact on the state.

“While the FDA’s goal of protecting consumers from oyster-related illnesses is necessary, this regulation is not the appropriate response. The FDA’s plan would severely burden Louisiana’s oyster industry, putting independent fishermen and mom-and-pop oyster dealers out of business at a time when our economy is facing many challenges,” Landrieu said in a news release. “I will work with other members of the Louisiana delegation to fight this proposal and to protect our oystermen and related industries that are so critical to our state’s economy.”

Last year, the U.S. recorded more than 87 million cases of food-related illnesses, 371,000 hospitalizations and 5,700 deaths. However, only 15 people, all with pre-existing conditions died from eating raw oysters last year, she said.

“The FDA has bigger fish to fry and should let our seafood industry continue to educate consumers about the risks associated with eating raw products," Landrieu said. "Imposing burdensome federal regulations that may take away 3,500 much-needed jobs in Louisiana is not the answer."

Landrieu recalls Kennedy's concern in time of Katrina

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy was the first of her colleagues to contact her when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

"He said Vicki (Kennedy's wife) was just hysterical and that he was beside himself at the devastation," said Landrieu, D-La., when recalling the conversation. "The first thing he said was, 'What can we do to help?'"

Landrieu reflected on her relationship with Kennedy, D-Mass., during a Monroe Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Wednesday.

"I was heartbroken when I heard of his death," she said. "People really don't realize what an extraordinarily personable and gentle person he was.

"One thing that so surprised me when I first met him was his generous spirit and his willingness to share."

Landrieu said Kennedy spearheaded a school voucher program following Hurricane Katrina so more than 300,000 displaced children could attend school.

"It was the first stand-alone voucher program of its kind, and he did it even though he opposed school vouchers in general," Landrieu said.

"I think he was without peer in the Senate," she said. "Sen. Kennedy was one of the finest men and public servants I have ever known. I have the deepest respect for him and his service to Massachusetts and our nation."

LINK TO ARTICLE

How We Can Achieve Bipartisan Health Reform

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

We refuse to let partisanship kill health reform -- and we are proof that it doesn't have to.

As 12 U.S. senators from both sides of the aisle who have widely varying philosophies, we offer a concrete demonstration that it is possible to find common ground and pass real health reform this year. The process has been rocky, and slower than many had hoped. But the reports of the death of bipartisan health reform have been greatly exaggerated. Now is the time to resuscitate it, before the best opportunity in years is wasted.

Democratic activists have long campaigned for universal coverage and quality benefits. Republican activists zero in on empowering individuals and bringing market forces to the health-care system. Our approach does both. In our discussions on the Healthy Americans Act, each side gave a bit on some of its visions of perfect health reform to achieve bipartisanship.

The Democrats among us accepted an end to the tax-free treatment of employer-sponsored health insurance; instead, everyone -- not just those who currently get insurance through their employer -- would get a generous standard deduction that they would use to buy insurance -- and keep the excess if they buy a less expensive policy.

The Republicans agreed to require all individuals to have coverage and to provide subsidies where necessary to ensure that everyone can afford it. Most have agreed to require employers to contribute to the system and to pay workers wages equal to the amount the employer now contributes for health care. The Congressional Budget Office has reported that this framework is the only one thus far that bends the health-care cost curve down and makes it possible for the new system to pay for itself. It does this by creating a competitive market for health insurance in which individuals are empowered to choose the best values for their money and by cutting administrative costs and spreading risk across large groups of Americans.

First, we allow all Americans to have the same kind of choices available to us as members of Congress. Today, more than half of American workers who are lucky enough to have employer-provided insurance have no choice of coverage. Members of Congress who enroll their families in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program often have more than 10 options. This means that if members of Congress aren't happy with their family's insurance plan in 2009 or insurers raise their rates, they can pick a better plan in 2010. Our plan would give the consumer the same leverage in the health-care marketplace by creating state-run insurance exchanges through which they can select plans, including their existing employer-sponsored plan.

Beyond giving Americans choices, our approach also ensures that all Americans will be able to keep that choice. We believe that at a time when millions of Americans are losing their jobs, members of Congress must be able to promise their constituents that "when you leave your job or your job leaves you, you can take your health care with you." Our approach ensures seamless portability.

Our point is not that our framework is the only way to reform the system or to reach consensus. But our effort has shown that it is possible to put politics aside and reach agreement on reforms that would improve the lives of all Americans. Insisting on any particular fix is the enemy of good legislating. A package that will entirely please neither side, but one which both can agree, stands not only the strongest chance of passage but also the best chance of gaining acceptance from the American people.

We didn't undertake this effort because we thought it would be easy; in fact, we started working together because we knew it would be hard. Passing health reform is going to require that we take a stand against the status quo and be willing to challenge every interest group that is jealously guarding the advantages it has under the current system, because health reform isn't about protecting the current system or preserving the advantages of a few. We can't forget that we are working on life-and-death issues facing our constituents, our families, our friends and our neighbors.

It's time to stop trying to figure out what pollsters say the country wants to hear from us and focus on what the country needs from us. The American people can't afford for Congress to fail again.

Ron Wyden is a Democratic senator from Oregon. Robert F. Bennett is a Republican senator from Utah. The other authors of this op-ed, and co-sponsors of the Healthy Americans Act, are Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Michael D. Crapo (R-Idaho), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

Federal government may expand teachers' merit-based pay program

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

THIBODAUX--A federal program to reward teachers with more pay for better work could soon get more money than ever before.

President Barack Obama wants to revitalize the Teacher Incentive Fund as part of his “Race to the Top” education initiative. A Senate plan to help that along is supported by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans.

The fund gives money to state and local school districts to study or start programs that reward teachers for rising student achievement.

Some educators say performance-based pay is a way to improve the quality of teaching and produce better students.

“It provides incentives for going above and beyond,” said Terrebonne schools Superintendent Philip Martin. “It provides rewards for those who have tangible, objective, measurable achievements with students.”

The president seeks to direct another $487 million to the program, nearly 5 times the amount given in any previous year.

In a recent letter signed by 9 other senators, Landrieu asked the Senate Appropriations Committee approve the new money.

Seeded with $99 million of federal money in 2006, there was only enough money for 34 of about 150 program applications.

Another $97 million received in 2008 was enough to allow those programs to continue.

Landrieu and other supporters say an influx of new money will allow the program to expand.

Martin has already launched a performance-based program to begin this fall in the Terrebonne school system. This “merit-based pay” program will reward all the employees at schools showing increased student test scores.

Martin said he “absolutely” supports the federal government directing more money toward such programs.

Lafourche schools officials have looked into performance-based pay and found “drawbacks,” said school system spokesman Floyd Benoit.

He said those drawbacks included complications like determining how to evaluate student performance or who would perform the evaluations.

Benoit said the Lafourche School Board would be interested if federal money became available to develop a performance-based pay program.

Opposition to performance-based pay comes largely from teachers’ organizations, when it is linked standardized test scores such as the LEAP.

“They don’t tell us everything about our students’ abilities,” said Joyce Haynes, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators.

Haynes said using the performance-linked pay models like those found in business should not be used. She said when it comes to educating children, there are too many parameters for that kind of system to work.

Les Landon, public relations director for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, said teachers must be part of the discussion on a fair evaluation method for performance-linked pay.

“If this money is going to be based on one test--which is the case now, one high-stakes test judges every student--then we’re absolutely against it,” he said.

Lake foundation leaders urge members to continue battle to salvage vanishing coastline

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Even as the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation celebrated the 20 years of activism that helped to save its once-sullied namesake, organization leaders exhorted their members Monday to refocus on the even more critical battle of salvaging Louisiana's vanishing coastline.

"We've come a very long way, but the biggest challenge is yet to come," foundation Executive Director Carlton Dufrechou said during his biannual state of the basin report. "You've helped us save our lake. Please help us now to restore our coast."

It is an effort that is being stymied now by the choke hold of red tape that keeps the Army Corps of Engineers from swiftly starting restoration projects that can help protect from killer storm surges, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu told a large group of foundation members gathered in Metairie.

Bureaucracy in the current process also prohibits state and local entities from doing any of the critical work, even when they can do it faster, the state's Democratic senator said.

"More than the money, the big challenge is integrating the planning and construction," Landrieu said. "If we can reform the corps -- it takes them too long, and it's too expensive--we'll (develop) the more integrated system that will save the coast."

Landrieu said it literally will take an act of Congress to get the coast rebuilt before it's too late, and she's now drafting a bill that she hopes will do just that.

The still-unnamed legislation will create a paradigm shift in the way coastal restoration projects are identified, planned and constructed. She said she hopes to greatly reform the corps' role in the process, as well as replace the politics of coastal restoration with science.

"We're going to have to do these (projects) in an efficient, cost effective and expedited way," she told the group. "This is the great work of our life...We have no choice. This is a matter of life and death. There is no Plan B."

Dufrechou said the lake foundation must bring the same grit and focus to coastal restoration that it brought to lake restoration when the nonprofit organization was formed to clean up the 621-square-mile lake that had become so filthy that the first ban on swimming was announced in 1962.

The foundation had helped drive such a wide range of improvements that by 2006, the lake was removed from the Department of Environmental Quality's "Impaired Waterbodies List," and earlier this year, the swimming portion of the Ochsner Ironman competition put 2,500-plus swimmers in the lake to race 1.2 miles from Bayou St. John to Pontchartrain Beach.

"We've got to do this thing much like we did restoration of the lake," he said. "We started on a shoestring and widespread support grew."

Had the foundation waited on support from the federal government, Lake Pontchartrain might today still spike fecal coliform bacteria counts of 10,000 colonies, instead of the less than 200 colonies that makes for such good swimming today, he said.

"We have to again take the bull by the horns and do more on a local basis," Dufrechou said. "Coastal restoration isn't rocket science. All we need to do is prioritize restoration projects that mimic nature and rebuild our natural lines of defense."

In addition to great marks for Lake Pontchartrain, water quality of the Tchefuncte and the Bogue Falaya rivers has improved so much that both also are being removed from the Impaired Waterbodies List.

The pair joins not only Lake Pontchartrain, but the Tangipahoa River in being delisted for fecal coliform, which is an indicator of sewage contamination.

"The short story is the lake is doing great, but our coast is falling apart," Dufrechou said. "We must apply this kind of focus and determination to our coast."

Senators target millions for local levees

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

HOUMA — Louisiana’s two U.S. senators say they have included $8 million for local levee and dredging projects in a bill winding through Congress.

The money is now in the Senate’s Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which passed the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday.

The bill is expected to head to the Senate floor for a vote later this year.

“We have made a substantial commitment to flood-control and storm-mitigation efforts in Louisiana,” said U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. “There are still many more projects to fund, and federal, state and local governments must work together to channel resources to the most-essential projects. But the legislation passed today is a good start.”

A total of $5.8 million will help raise the Larose-to-Golden Meadow hurricane-protection levee.

That money will go to the Army Corps of Engineers, which is now studying if it’s feasible to bring the levee up to a 100-year level of protection. That would protect the communities inside the system from all but the strongest storms.

“This funding will help improve hurricane protection for citizens who live along Bayou Lafourche and for the fisheries, oil and gas and other industries based in this area,” said U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La.

No money was included for Terrebonne’s Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane-protection project. The corps is re-evaluating costs and working to update designs to post-Katrina hurricane-protection standards.

Local levee officials are working on their own scaled-down version of Morganza along the federal system’s proposed route.

“We are also working to advance Morganza to the Gulf, which is being re-evaluated due to cost overruns,” Landrieu said. “It is important that Congress continues to support this project to ensure it moves forward in a swift manner. Louisiana’s coastal communities cannot afford further delay on Morganza-to-the-Gulf and other key initiatives.”

Officials also wrote in $2.5 million for dredging and maintenance of the Houma Navigation Canal, used by local oilfield fabricators to move large structures in and out of the Gulf of Mexico. The money will be used to dredge the channel to its federally authorized 15- to 18-foot depth.

“The Houma Navigation Canal plays a key role in the local economy,” Vitter said. “These funds are needed to ensure that ships, barges and other vessels can access this important channel.”

Barksdale ramp funding a step closer

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Barksdale Air Force Base, recently named home of the new Global Strike Command, moved a step closer to securing funding for ramp improvements with inclusion of $12.8 million for construction for the 2nd Bomb Wing.

The money is in the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed Tuesday, a release from Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, states.

“To ensure that Barksdale remains one of the finest military installations in the nation, Congress must make investments to strengthen the base’s worn infrastructure,” she said in a release. “During inspections, Barksdale has received poor marks for its ramp used to park 2nd Bomb Wing aircraft. This $12.8 million will be used to address the problem and ultimately prevent expensive damage to engines of bombers and jets operating out of Barksdale.”

The funding also was championed by the state’s junior senator, David Vitter, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, which has jurisdiction over the Air Force and Department of Defense. Last month, he ensured the project was in the 2009 National Defense Authorization bill.

Now, the military construction and National Defense Appropriations bills will go the Senate floor for consideration.

The $12.8 million will support a fifth phase of replacement of ramps that are for the most part about 50 years old. Landrieu said weather and heavy use have caused the concrete to crack and chip, resulting in objects that can be sucked into jet engines causing damage and down time for maintenance.

The measure also directs the secretary of Defense to provide Congress with a detailed barracks capacity and modernization status report. A provision also will enhance blind veterans outpatient programs.

Overall, the legislation provides almost $134 billion in total funding for military construction, veterans affairs and related agencies.

Sen. Mary Landrieu Speaks; 3,427 Receive Degrees at LSU's 268th Commencement Exercises

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu delivered the commencement address and 3,427 students received degrees during LSU's 268th commencement exercises held May 15.

Landrieu addressed the graduates at the main commencement ceremony, where degrees were conferred for all students, and Ph.D. candidates were recognized individually.

Separate diploma ceremonies for each college followed the main ceremony, at various times and locations across campus. At those ceremonies, every student was recognized individually.

Some 411 students graduated with honors, including 44 who received University Medals for graduating with the highest undergraduate grade-point averages. University Medalists were recognized at a special ceremony at the LSU Faculty Club on Thursday, May 14.

The oldest graduate was 70 and the youngest graduate was 20, receiving graduate and undergraduate degrees, respectively. The May 2009 graduating class represented 60 Louisiana parishes, 44 states and 52 countries. Fifty-six percent of the graduates were women, and 44 percent were men.

The Honors College produced 118 graduates. Forty-four, who received Sophomore Honor Distinction and completed the upper-division honors program, graduated with College Honors. Seven, who completed the upper-division honors program, graduated with Upper Division Honors Distinction.

Also during the main ceremony, LSU Chancellor Michael Martin recognized the LSU class of 1959 and the Golden Tigers, or those who graduated at least 50 years ago. LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman James P. Roy conferred degrees, and LSU Faculty Senate President and Professor of English Kevin Cope served as mace bearer.

The processional and recessional music was provided by the LSU Commencement Band, conducted by Director of Bands Frank B. Wickes. Leanne Pettit, candidate for Doctor of Musical Arts, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the LSU alma mater. The invocation and benediction were by Rabbi Corie Yutkin.

Lt. Col. Phillip Pugh Jr., professor of military science, recognized 23 newly commissioned Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC cadets who graduated. The cadets were officially commissioned at a separate ceremony on Thursday, May 14, at 10 a.m. in the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes.

LSU Alumni Association President and CEO Charlie Roberts welcomed the graduates to the association, and LSU System President John V. Lombardi delivered closing remarks.

Posthumous degrees were awarded to Luke Stewart Bashore, Bachelor of Mass Communication, and Chandrasekar Reddy Komma, Ph.D., biochemistry. Relatives of Bashore, who was a native of Fork Union, Va., will his degree during the Manship School of Mass Communication’s degree ceremony. Komma’s widow, brother and sister-in-law travelled from Kurnool, India, and accepted the degree during the main ceremony.

Twenty-five students were also honored with the Distinguished Communicator Award, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation. These students earned this honor by meeting high standards set by faculty in various colleges and by the LSU Communication across the Curriculum, or CxC, program. The students earned high grade-point averages in communication-intensive courses – based on written, spoken, visual and technological communication – and have built digital portfolios, displayed as public Web sites, that include their communication projects from courses, internships, leadership roles and public service. Names of the distinguished communicators can be found at http://appl003.lsu.edu/UNV002.nsf/(NoteID)/24C21B7CA622E9388625744900778407?OpenDocument.

Three members of the USA Today All-USA College Academic Team received their degrees as well: Brian Goh of Baton Rouge, who was one of 20 students nationwide to earn first-team honors, and John Casey of Mandeville and Michael Rhea of DeRidder, who were named to the second team. Goh and Casey are also recipients of the national Barry M. Goldwater Scholar award, presented to students who excel in the academic fields of science and engineering. Goh is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, while Casey is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering and Rhea with dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and international studies.

For a list of other noteworthy graduates, including Uyanga Erdenebold, who overcame blindness to receive a Master of Library & Information Science degree, LSU’s first graduate of the School of Coast & Environment and WNBA star Sylvia Fowles, see an accompanying release.

The names of students who received degrees can be found at http://www.lsu.edu/commencement/grads.html. This list is for May graduates who have authorized the release of their names.

For more information on commencement, visit http://www.lsu.edu/commencement.

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu Introduces Foster Care Legislation in Conjunction With Lifetime Original Movie "America"

Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In conjunction with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute's (CCAI) screening of the Lifetime Original Movie "America," U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) will introduce the Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009, which seeks to connect foster children with caring mentors. At the request of Senator Landrieu and the CCAI, Lifetime Television and Sony Pictures Television will hold a private screening of the critically acclaimed film on Wednesday, May 6, at 5:30 pm at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. Special guests scheduled to attend the event include Senator Landrieu, "America" star/executive producer and Emmy Award winner Rosie O'Donnell, and three-time Emmy Award–nominated executive producer Larry Sanitsky. May is National Foster Care Month.

"After seeing 'America' on Lifetime in February, I wanted to screen this important film for other members of Congress and foster care advocates in our nation's capitol," Senator Mary Landrieu said. "'America' is a powerful movie that does a great job highlighting some of the perils facing our nation's foster youth — especially those who are on the cusp of aging out of the system — and how critical it is for these young people to have caring mentors while in foster care. With the legislation we are introducing, we are taking steps to ensure that."

O'Donnell executive-produced and starred in the powerful film, which premiered on Lifetime Television on February 28, 2009, and was watched by 3.2 million viewers. Upon seeing "America," Senator Landrieu, a board member of the CCAI, urged the Coalition to host a screening on Capitol Hill for members of Congress, Congressional staff, and foster care and adoption advocates.

In addition to child foster care, Lifetime Networks' advocacy initiatives span a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Over the past 25 years, the company's advocacy activities have played integral roles in securing the passage of five major bills into law, including legislation that combats human trafficking, prevents sexual assault and provides services to victims of domestic violence.

O'Donnell will next be seen on July 26 as a guest star in the third episode of Lifetime Television's all-new comedic drama series, "Drop Dead Diva," premiering on the number one women's network this summer.

About the Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009
The Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009 proposes to connect children in foster care with responsible caring adults by authorizing $15 million to establish statewide foster-care mentoring programs, providing $4 million to begin a national public awareness campaign for mentor recruitment programs and allowing loans up to $20,000 in federal student loan forgiveness for those who volunteer to mentor a child in care.

About the Movie
Based on E.R. Frank's book of the same name, "America" takes viewers on the emotional journey of the novel's title character, 17-year-old America, as he navigates the United States foster care system. O'Donnell leads the movie's cast as a therapist who gives America the support to deal with his troubled past and find the courage to survive against all odds. Newcomer Philip Johnson makes his acting debut in the title role alongside Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award–winning actress Ruby Dee ("American Gangster," "Decoration Day").

"America" reunited O'Donnell with three-time Emmy-nominated producer Larry Sanitsky ("The Last Don," "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All," "Paris Trout") and writer Joyce Eliason ("Gracie’s Choice"), with whom she worked on the 2005 CBS telefilm "Riding the Bus with My Sister." Multiple Emmy Award winner Yves Simoneau ("Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," "Napoleon") directed the Sony Pictures Television film.

Synopsis
Dr. Maureen Brennan (O'Donnell) has spent her career counseling teens as a therapist at Ridgeway, a residential treatment facility for foster kids who are on the cusp of "aging out" of the "system." Her newest patient is 17-year-old America (Johnson), a withdrawn and troubled boy who has been in foster care since infancy. As a youngster, America initially found stability in the arms of Mrs. Harper (Dee), an elderly nanny to one of his foster families. A few days before the start of kindergarten, though, America is reunited with his birth mother, only to be abandoned yet again and left at the mercy of an imperfect system. After years of sexual abuse, America is full of anger and confusion, and attempts suicide, landing him at Ridgeway. There, Dr. Brennan slowly helps him open up about his painful past and provides him with the support and courage to reclaim his life before the system turns its back.

About the Production
"America" was produced by The Sanitsky Company in association with Sony Pictures Television for Lifetime Television. Sanitsky and O'Donnell served as executive producers. Simoneau co-produced and directed from Eliason and O'Donnell's adaptation of the story from E.R. Frank's novel, "America." David Rosemont (Lifetime's "Sex & Lies in Sin City: The Ted Binion Scandal," "The Company") was the producer.

About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform: broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution. In addition to one of the industry's largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed prime-time dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT is also a leader in the field of international television production, with over 9,000 hours of programming in 13 local languages in over 30 countries. To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT's worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in Sony Pictures Entertainment's (SPE) long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with over 50 networks in more than 130 countries reaching almost 400 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE's premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT is a part owner of cable channel GSN; FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service; and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States, and for Sony Music Entertainment. Sony Pictures Television (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

About the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute
The Congressional Coalition and Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that strives to be an objective, educational resource for information critical to advancing the efforts of federal policymakers on behalf of children in need of homes. Our mission is to raise awareness of the millions of children around the world in need of safe, loving and permanent families and to eliminating the barriers that hinder children from realizing their basic right to a family. We achieve this mission through five core programs, all designed to provide an up-close and personal experience with issues that affect orphans and foster youth.

About Lifetime Television
Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multimedia company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (which includes myLifetime.com, Mothersclick.com, Lifetime Games, Roiworld.com and DressUpChallenge.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

Photography is available at www.lifetimepress.com.

U.S. veterans department to spend $8.3 million in Louisiana

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to spend $8.3 million on medical facilities and cemeteries in Louisiana.

The money is part of the stimulus package approved by Congress.

Most of the money -- or about $6.7 million -- will go to upgrading the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport. Also, the agency plans upgrades at the VA medical centers in Alexandria and New Orleans.

Also, $74,000 will be spent on maintenance at the Alexandria National Cemetery in Pineville, on the Massachusetts Monument in the Baton Rouge National Cemetery and at Port Hudson National Cemetery.

Sen. Mary Landrieu's office announced the spending plans Monday.