Yesterday, U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee (SBC), hosted the Honorable Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Honorable Julian Castro, Secretary of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in South Louisiana as they toured the flood-impacted areas in Livingston, Ascension, and East Baton Rouge parishes. During the visit, Vitter urged SBA and HUD to provide additional recovery resources, including opening more recovery centers for businesses, families, and individuals. Click here for more information.

“Seeing the devastation first-hand makes a huge difference in making sure HUD and the SBA’s recovery assistance is more effective and useful for the families and businesses devastated by this ‘one-in-a-thousand-years’ flooding disaster,” said Vitter. “While I was certainly pleased to host Administrator Contreras-Sweet and Secretary Castro in Louisiana, the disaster portion of this flood event is far from over—as many folks are displaced and in need of immediate assistance. As we shift our focus toward recovery and rebuilding, I know that Administrator Contreras-Sweet and Secretary Castro will be great partners in our recovery efforts. I’m also ready and eager to continue working with my colleagues in Congress and with President Obama to make sure we get the help we need to get back on our feet again. It will certainly be a long road, but we will recover.”

Click here to see remarks from Chairman Vitter, Administrator Contreras-Sweet, and Secretary Castro on yesterday’s visit.

Chairman Vitter and Administrator Contreras-Sweet survey flood damage with Denham Springs, La. Mayor Gerard Landry and Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks.

Yesterday, Chairman Vitter and Administrator Contreras-Sweet visited the SBA Business Recovery Center in Baton Rouge, toured the flood damage in Ascension Parish and Denham Springs, and participated in a roundtable to discuss recovery efforts with local business owners and elected officials in Walker.

Joining Chairman Vitter, Administrator Contreras-Sweet, and Secretary Castro were U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), U.S. Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), Secretary of State Tom Schedler, Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeffrey Wiley, East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden, Denham Springs Mayor Gerard Landry, Walker Mayor Rick Ramsey, and Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks.

Click here for more information on yesterday’s tour of flood-impacted parishes in Louisiana.

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