Disaster aid issue still not resolved
Thousands of 2016 Louisiana flood victims continue to wait for President Donald Trump to sign a waiver so they can be eligible for disaster aid. Flooded homeowners who took out Small Business Administration disaster loans remain ineligible for grant dollars, because of the federal government's duplication of benefits policy.
Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves is trying to get these flood recovery checks out.
"This group of career bureaucrats in federal government are opposing an effort to make changes," said Graves.
Congress approved a law in October to allow Louisiana flood victims who got an S-B-A loan to also be eligible for federal grants through the Restore Louisiana program. But Graves says there's a disagreement among bureaucrats over whether the president also needs to sign a waiver.
"I've literally called some of the top people in the White House told them this is ridiculous and you have to get this fixed," said Graves.
Graves says he's heard from the White House that this issue should be resolved shortly. He hopes so, because it's incredibly frustrating.
It's estimated about 6,000 Louisiana households who have been impacted by the rule.