Durbin and other Senate Leaders to Visit Gulf Coast Region

DURBIN AND OTHER SENATE LEADERS TO VISIT GULF COAST REGION

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Assistant Democratic Leader, will join U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on a bipartisan Senate delegation to the gulf coast on Friday, September 16th.

"It is important to see first-hand what is being done to help and to understand what aspects of the federal response still need to be improved," said Durbin. "In the coming months, Congress will be faced with proposals to improve conditions in the Gulf Coast. I hope to return from this visit with a better understanding of where we are in the relief process and what challenges still lie ahead."

A delegation of 14 senators will be traveling to sites in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama that were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. In addition to Senators Durbin, Frist and Reid, the delegation will include Max Baucus (D-MT), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Joe Lieberman (D-CT), James Inhofe (R-OK), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Shelby (R-AL) and John Warner (R-VA). While in Louisiana, the members of the senate delegation will meet with Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and David Vitter (R-LA).

The delegation will leave Washington on Friday morning and return Friday evening. Details regarding the delegation's itinerary will be made available as soon as the schedule has been finalized.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=245760&&