Texas lawmakers seek to corral more supplemental funds

As Congress prepares to consider $92.2 billion in supplemental aid for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and hurricane aid, the White House and congressional leaders are encountering resistance from rank-and-file members.

Louisiana lawmakers, in line for $1.4 billion to rebuild New Orleans levees, want an additional $800 million for that purpose. Senior Republicans in both chambers are weary of four years of funding military operations through emergency supplementals, and in the Senate there is discussion about shifting defense funds to border and port security.

Farm-state senators, chafing at being repeatedly turned down for agriculture aid to deal with drought, frost and flooding in the Midwest, are preparing a multibillion request to Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., while others are eyeing a boost in food aid to East Africa.

But perhaps the most vocal criticism has come from President Bush's home state of Texas, where lawmakers want $2 billion, arguing they have been left out of the Gulf Coast rebuilding effort. The Texans note that out of $11.5 billion in Community Development Block Grants to aid uninsured homeowners in the previous supplemental, just $74.5 million went to Texas.

The administration's new request contains $4.2 billion in CDBG money, but it is all earmarked for Louisiana. "It's totally inadequate, so I'm very concerned about it, and hope that something can be worked out that would be more equitable," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. "I imagine it would be moving money around within the allocation since so much went to Louisiana."

Texas GOP Gov. Rick Perry has sent lawmakers an 80-page color booklet titled "Texas Rebounds" that details the $2 billion his state needs, and Texans in both chambers are taking the request to the Appropriations Committees.

A letter asking House Appropriations Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., for the funds -- a spokesman said he had received the letter but would not comment further -- was spearheaded by Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, whose district sheltered large numbers of the estimated 400,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

"Out of nearly $100 billion for disaster relief in the Gulf Coast, we think $2 billion is a very small and reasonable request," Brady said in an interview. Others signing the letter include House Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas, and GOP Reps. Tom DeLay, Pete Sessions and Sam Johnson.

Nearly $500 million would be for critical infrastructure, including $369 million to reimburse Entergy Corp. for emergency electric service provided to 286,000 customers. The state would be reimbursed for $412.6 million in education costs, including $12.6 million for damages to Lamar University caused by Hurricane Rita. There is $367 million for housing assistance, $186.1 million for economic development, and $170 million for timber, rice and other agricultural producers.

Despite prodding from Hutchison and others, state officials did not submit the $2 billion request until last month and on the same day OMB formally submitted its $19.8 billion hurricane supplemental package to Congress, an aide to a Texas lawmaker acknowledged. An OMB spokesman said "Texas will receive its appropriate share" of the money.

He noted the state suffered about 4 percent of the storms' total damage, mostly from wind, which is covered by homeowners' insurance, unlike flooding. The state has received $2.2 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, the spokesman said. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., whose state suffered catastrophic flooding, was taken aback by the Texans' request. "I'm not sure they've visited Louisiana," he said.