WASHINGTON, D.C.—House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the following statement after bipartisan House passage of H.R. 4, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which includes the Disaster Recovery Reform Act. This is the most impactful infrastructure legislation Congress has taken up this year because it invests in America’s airports, improves passenger protections and strengthens America’s competitiveness in the aviation sector. It is especially meaningful for Louisiana as it includes significant FEMA reforms that focus on helping communities mitigate disasters before they strike and providing relief for Louisianans affected by the 2016 floods.
“Airports are a critical mode of transportation, and making sure they are operating at their highest capacity with passenger safety at the forefront is incredibly important. In Congress, we promised to work with President Trump to modernize our country’s infrastructure, and this bill is a big step in the right direction,” said Whip Scalise. “The disaster recovery component of this legislation is especially critical for Louisiana. In 2016, tens of thousands of Louisiana families were affected by flooding, and many of these families and small businesses have had difficulty in recovering because of harmful federal rules and regulations. Fortunately, the legislation we passed today fixes a number of these problems, including the so-called ‘duplication of benefits’ issue that has penalized thousands of people still trying to recover from the floods. Additionally, the bill allows FEMA Hazard Mitigation funding to be used towards Corps of Engineers projects, providing additional funding to help move the needle on vital flood protection projects in Louisiana. I’m proud to have helped lead this bill to final passage and urge the Senate to take it up quickly so that we can get it to the President’s desk to be signed into law.”