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 News from Around the Americas | January 2008 
Bush to Set North America Leaders Summit in New Orleans
 Bill Walsh - New OrleansNet
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| | A chihuahua named Zoe wears goggles during the Mystic Krewe of Barkus Mardi Gras parade in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 27, 2008. (Reuters/Lee Celano) | | |
Washington - In a nod to the hurricane recovery along the Gulf Coast, President Bush is expected to announce tonight that New Orleans will host the annual summit of North American leaders in April.
A senior White House official said Bush chose New Orleans to honor the "resilience" of Gulf Coast residents and the outpouring of volunteerism that has flowered in the areas hardest hit by the 2005 hurricanes.
He is expected to discuss the hurricane recovery and announce the summit during his State of the Union address tonight. New Orleans trumpeter Irvin Mayfield has been invited to sit in Laura Bush's guest box for the address, Bush's last as president. Mayfield is scheduled to play a concert earlier in the evening at the White House.
The annual North American Leaders Summit is a high-profile opportunity for the elected political leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada to discuss mutual economic and security issues. The first was held in Texas in 2005.
The last was held in Quebec, Canada in 2007. It attracted about 1,200 labor and environmental activists protesting the meetings between Bush, Mexican President Felipe de Jesús Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Falling more than two and a half years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the region, the summit is likely to refocus international attention on the slow pace of the recovery and also serve as an economic boost for the city. Bush called Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin today to let them know.
"The governor believes this is a clear sign that New Orleans is open for business and will be an incredible host for an event of such economic and international importance," said Melissa Sellers, press secretary for the governor.
The decision by the White House to host the summit in New Orleans comes just months after the Presidential Debate Commission passed up the city's application raising questions about whether the city had recovered sufficiently.
The Bush Administration and Congress have appropriated about $110 billion worth of federal funds for recovery along the Gulf Coast since the storms. Bush recently announced he would seek an additional $5.7 billion as the federal share of enhancing New Orleans area hurricane protection to withstand a 100-year storm. |
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