Letter to the Hon. Barack Obama, President of the United States - Waive the Cost Sharing Requirements for Disaster Assistance on Flooded Areas in Louisiana
Letter
Dear President Obama,
Following historic flooding in Louisiana, it is critical that the federal government maximize aid to the thousands of people who have lost their homes, businesses, and even loved ones as a result of this disaster. That is why I was concerned to learn that the federal disaster declaration for the areas in Louisiana affected by the recent flood may leave the state responsible for 25 percent of certain eligible costs. Under the Stafford Act, you have authority to waive this cost-sharing requirement for certain types of assistance so that the federal government covers 100 percent of the total eligible costs. As the people of Louisiana begin the long process of clean up and recovery, I urge you to waive the cost sharing requirement so that the already burdened state of Louisiana does not have to use any of its already limited funds. In the event your authority to waive the cost-sharing requirements is limited, I urge you to work with Congress to provide you with such authority.
As you may know, most of the residents of the 60,000 homes that sustained damage in Louisiana were told that they did not need flood insurance and they are now left with little to no means to rebuild their homes and their lives. Due to the low rates of flood insurance coverage, the bulk of recovery funds will need to come from federal disaster assistance and we cannot expect the state, which has experienced such devastation, to pay a quarter of that cost. The federal government should not impose any additional financial burdens on the state of Louisiana as it is reeling from the economic problems caused by this disaster. I stand ready to do everything in my power to work with you to ensure that Louisiana receives 100 percent of the federal funding for which it is eligible. As Congress prepares to consider the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program I hope that you will join me in considering reforms to the Program so that our nation's homeowners, renters, and businesses are better protected in the face of disaster.
Thank you for your consideration of this important request.
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