NPR News, Classical and Music of the Delta
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Congressman 'Can No Longer Be Trusted' On Flood Aid

twitter.com
Gov. Edwards claims that US Rep. Garret Graves can not be trusted to convey accurate information

Gov. John Bel Edwards is accusing a Baton Rouge congressman of spreading myths about flood recovery money and leading a partisan effort that could harm Louisiana's long-term rebuilding.

The Democratic governor's office released a memo Thursday saying Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves "can no longer be trusted" to convey accurate information about Louisiana's recovery from last year's flooding.

The memo came a day after Edwards attended a congressional hearing in which GOP members of Congress, including Graves, blasted Louisiana's response to the floods.

Graves said Thursday that Louisiana has $1.6 billion in federal aid "at its disposal today" for flood victims that the Edwards administration isn't spending.

Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo said Graves' information is inaccurate and the federal government hasn't yet released the money to the state.