Landrieu Threatens White House to Get Levee Funding

The Louisiana senator says she will hold Bush’s executive-branch nominees hostage until he agrees to more funding for the Katrina-ravaged state.

(This was the woman whom Anderson Cooper famously chewed out, saying she was out of touch in the wake of the hurricane. Guess she toughened up since then.)

The Hill:

Landrieu threatens blanket holds to get levee funding
By Jonathan Allen

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) threatened yesterday to hold President Bush’s executive-branch nominees hostage until the administration agrees to a series of demands that would increase funding for coastal Louisiana.

In a letter sent to Bush yesterday, the Louisiana Democrat threatened to place holds on the president’s nominees, raising the prospect that the Senate could be tied in knots as Bush tries to fill a variety of vacancies, including the top jobs at the Interior Department and the Office of Management and Budget.

“Because this is literally a life-or-death situation for the people of my state, I am compelled to notify you that I will exercise my power as a member of the Senate to stop further consideration of all executive appointments until significant progress is made on such a request and commitment,” Landrieu wrote.

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