From an email (thanks, Fergie!)

Right this very second, in the back rooms of congress, IMPERATIVE legislation on federal assistance to the gulf for levee rebuilding and business, personal reconstruction assistance is hanging in the balance.

HR 2863 - a Defense Spending Bill - is slated to go to a bicameral conference committee tonight or tomorrow. Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi (chairman of the senate appropriations committee) is trying to attach an amendment to the bill which will fund the reconstruction of the levees, among other funding for reconstruction of the gulf area.

Full information about efforts here:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1134633664141790.xml

Senator Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi) is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and is trying to get a Supplemental Spending bill as an AMENDMENT tacked onto a Defense Spending bill (the full bill is called HR 2863) passed through his committee and onto the full senate. This AMENDMENT to HR 2863 contains earmarked funds to repair the currently defunct levees in SE Louisiana back to a Category 3 and put a hefty down payment on a category 5 infrastructure.

But this REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN is running into resistance from the republican caucus and the White House. On the GOP House side, Rep Bobby Jindal (R-Lousiana) is pushing the amendment there as well and also meeting resistance. The resistance from the White House is over disclosures that the US Army Corps of Engineers will have to provide as part of the rebuilding process.

I've called Congressman John Lewis (D-Atlanta) and Senator Chamblis (R-Georgia) and Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia) to let them know that I favor their support for these efforts. It took me all of about 2 minutes to make the phone calls - without pressure from ALL parts of the country, this bill will not pass.

DO YOU LIKE COFFEE? New Orleans is the #1 port of entry for coffee beans and the #1 roasting center IN THE COUNTRY.

DO YOU SUPPORT U.S. EXPORTS? New Orleans is the #1 port of embarkation for products from the mid-west and mid-south to be EXPORTED for sale. Grain and Poultry Shipments are almost at a standstill until these critical ports are rebuilt and protected. This is about you!

GASOLINE - 'nuff said. 25% of oil is refined here.

YOU MUST CALL - DO NOT EMAIL!

Find your Congressperson here: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
You'll need your zip+4 - find that here: http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

Find your Senators here:
http://senate.gov