Federal Katrina Relief Spending Tops $30 Billion

As U.S. Liberals Guide Deborah White correctly points out, President Bush failed to use the words "Katrina" or "coalition" in his State of the Union Address. "Tens of billions to rebuild the lives of Iraqis, and billions more for the people of Afghanistan. $500 billion for the Iraq War," writes White. "But George Bush apparently has nothing for the people of New Orleans."

Actually, by January of 2006, Congress had approved over $85 billion in direct spending and about $8 billion in tax relief for the devastated region. Through Jan. 19, 2007, more than $30 billion of those funds had been spent in Louisiana alone for recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. According to FEMA, the funds are being distributed "through Public Assistance programs, awarded to citizens through Individual Assistance, settled through National Flood Insurance claims or loaned through the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA)."

As to why President Bush failed to mention the coalition of countries fighting alongside the U.S. in Iraq, as Deborah White points out, "If there ever was a substantial coalition to fight the Iraq War, there is none now."

Also See:
Iraqis Worried Katrina Costs Will Hurt Them
Bush Acknowledges Government's Katrina Failures
Two Words Missing: Katrina and Coalition (US Liberals)