Congressman posts Louisiana's gain from recovery act

As the U.S. Senate debates the economic stimulus bill passed by the House of Representatives last week, Congressman Charlie Melancon released a list of investments that could be made in Louisana if the bill passes.

Aware of the concerns of many on the right side of the aisle, Melancon stressed his conservative credentials in releasing the list:

“Like many Louisianians, I was concerned the some of the spending in this bill appears to be for non-emergency purposes, and I worked with the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition to get some of those provisions stripped from the bill. No bill will ever be perfect, but it’s important that we take decisive action to help our economy recover, and the good in this bill far outweighs the bad. The Recovery Plan is a solid combination of targeted investments and tax relief needed to get our economy moving again, and I feel we must support it. ”

Louisana's education portion of the stimulus bill passed by the House includes:

• Aid to high-need schools: $269 million over two years. (Title I funding, click here for district by district breakdown)
• Education for disabled children: $217.5 million over two years. (IDEA funding, click here for district by district breakdown)
• Schools: $383 million for modernization, renovation and repair. (Click here for district by district breakdown)
• Educational technology: $18.5 million.
• College loans: $427 million for Pell grants.