Breaking news from John Byrne of Raw Story:
Dem leader Reid, Louisiana senator Landrieu to unveil Katrina bills
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), joined by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA, will unveil their legislative agenda to tackle relief for Hurricane Katrina today …
Democratic aides tell RAW STORY the plan will focus primarily in the areas of health care, education, housing and financial relief.
“During what will be the Senate’s third day of legislative business without passing a single measure to provide immediate relief to the victims and survivors of Hurricane Katrina, Democratic Leader Harry Reid will be joined by Senator Marry Landrieu, Members of the Democratic Leadership, and Ranking Members to unveil the Katrina Emergency Relief Plan,” … […]
In an earlier plan … Senate Democrats outlined areas they wanted to focus on (such as]:
Ensuring health care for all displaced victims
- Immediate access to Medicaid …
- No need to prove residency or assets
- No copayments
- No penalties for failing to sign up for Medicare Part B in time.
Getting victims housing
- Emergency housing vouchers for displaced victims
- Expedited application procedures with no red tape.
- No tenant contributions until they find work.
- Tax incentives for private families to take in victims.
- Identify federal facilities that can house victims.
- Relief for homeowners facing threat of foreclosure
P.S. This will include all affected regions, not just the top half of Louisiana, as did Bush’s Aug. 27 orders to FEMA (Crooks & Liars) to protect “Upsidedownland” (image below). Then there’s brilliant, ragin’ columnist Chris Floyd:
While giving FEMA full responsibility for coordinating all disaster relief efforts in “those parishes in the path of the storm,” the Aug. 27 declaration leaves out the specific parishes in and around New Orleans and along the coast — the very areas mostly likely to sustain the most catastrophic damage. [..]
On Monday, Aug 29, Bush issued another declaration, which again declares “a major disaster in the State of Louisiana,” and this time does include all the coastal and NO-area parishes. But the specifics of this declaration deals only with making federal relief funds available to individuals and state and local governments, not coordinating relief efforts. … From “A Curious Lacuna” at Floyd’s blog
