D.C. Xmas

That's my guess anyway. I can't imagine that Congress will get it's friggin' act together before the end of this week.

The Times-Picayune:

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., reiterated her threat to keep Congress in session through the Christmas holiday if it doesn't come up with more money to address the damage left by the storm.

She called for passage of the $35 billion hurricane assistance package proposed by Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. before Congress adjourns. She is pushing for $2.9 billion to rebuild the damaged New Orleans' hurricane levees and place a "down payment" of $500 million to $1 billion on bigger levees capable of withstanding the 18-foot storm surge of a Category 5 hurricane. She also called Tuesday for $1.8 billion in educational assistance for displaced school children and $11 billion in block-grant financing for rebuilding storm-damaged areas.

"We've got to get help to homeowners and the private sector," Landrieu said. "The Cochran proposal gets money to real people and real businesses.

Mary's letter in The Times-Picayune:

The $7 billion in tax credits for Louisiana's two million hurricane-affected citizens pales in comparison to the $37.1 billion in property damage inflicted upon our state by the hurricanes and levee breaks. It seems even smaller standing next to the other $87 billion in tax cuts currently championed by those who claim our nation can't afford to help Gulf Coast Americans.