BATON ROUGE – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited Alexandria, where he spoke at the monthly luncheon of the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce. He highlighted opportunities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to build roads, extend broadband, and bring good-paying jobs to the region.
“People here have a vision to make Cenla a better place to live and work,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We’re helping by expanding broadband, authorizing I-14, and working to prevent flooding. That will benefit the entire region and build an economy for 2050.”
As of late last year, $20 million has come to Rapides Parish from the National Highway Performance and Surface Transportation Block Grant programs in the U.S. Department of Transportation. That includes over $6.2 million for the LA 8: LA 119 to LA 1 project, and over $5.5 million for the US 71/LA 1028-5: Lee Street to Andrews Street project. Over $2.3 million has been granted to the Alexandria International Airport and over $1.7 million to the Esler Regional Airport. Additionally, multi-million-dollar grants have been given to the City of Alexandria and Town of Woodworth for safe natural gas pipelines.
In May, over $1.7 million in Brownfield Cleanup Grants were issued for the region, including over $1.2 million to clean up the 1-acre Former Rush’s Cleaners Site. Finally, $65 billion was included in the IIJA for rural broadband across America, which will benefit rural areas throughout Cenla.
He was welcomed to the chamber by Ms. Deborah Randolph, President of the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“Senator Cassidy continues to be a tireless advocate for central Louisiana,” said Ms. Randolph. “He is working to protect energy jobs and build infrastructure and we appreciate the opportunity to work with him to enhance the economy and quality of life in our region.”
Earlier, Cassidy visited Cleco’s headquarters in Pineville, where he met with employees on how he’s working to protect their jobs and make Cenla a better place for their families.
“We had a great town hall with Cleco’s employees, touching on issues important to us all,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Everyone there is committed to our state.”
Among other topics, Cassidy spoke with Cleco’s employees about the economy, Social Security, immigration, and foreign policy. Cassidy was welcomed to Cleco headquarters by Mr. Bill Fontenot, CEO of Cleco.
“Thanks to Senator Cassidy for taking time to meet with our executive leadership team and visit with our Pineville employees,” said Mr. Fontenot. “His insights and support on federal energy policy and its opportunities are invaluable. The Senator is always there for Cleco, and we are grateful for his dedication and leadership.”
###