ALEXANDRIA – This afternoon, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) spoke at the North Rapides Business and Industry Alliance’s (NRBIA) monthly meeting, where he touted the benefits of his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for central Louisiana, including a $1.35 billion investment into the GUMBO 2.0 broadband program that was announced alongside Governor Jeff Landry last Monday.
“I had a great meeting with local officials, speaking about how the bipartisan infrastructure bill has helped their communities and how they operate,” said Dr. Cassidy. My goal is to serve.”
The GUMBO 2.0 broadband program will expand high-speed Internet access to 100,000 homes, including 60,000 in rural parishes. It will also expand access to 35,000 businesses and 4,000 “community anchor institutions,” such as schools or hospitals. It will create 8,000 to 10,000 new jobs and increase Louisiana’s GDP by $1.3 billion.
There are other benefits from the IIJA coming to central Louisiana. Just this year, $1.29 million was awarded to clean up a 1-acre brownfield in Alexandria, $500,000 was provided for the Rapides Parish Policy Jury to update its existing airport master plan study, and $384,000 was sent to the Rapides Area Planning Commission to improve transportation options for senior citizens, the disabled, and those in rural communities. Additionally, the IIJA authorized the I-14 corridor, which will run from Georgia to Texas and include stops in Leesville and Alexandria.
Cassidy also spoke on his efforts to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which reduce Social Security benefits for state and local government retirees. He is proposing to repeal those provisions as part of a broader Social Security reform package that will prevent an approximate 21% cut in Social Security benefits in nine years. At the NRBIA’s monthly meeting, he was thanked for his efforts by State Representative Mike Johnson, who serves as Speaker Pro Tempore in the Louisiana House of Representatives.
“We thank Senator Cassidy for attending our monthly meeting today to discuss the needs of central Louisiana, including infrastructure and making Social Security fairer for our retired teachers, firefighters and government workers,” said Speaker Pro Temp Johnson. “Specifically, the announcement of the GUMBO 2.0 broadband program by Governor Landry last Monday, which Senator Cassidy helped finance, will connect rural parts of this region to high-speed broadband, helping our schools, hospitals, and small businesses. Senator Cassidy’s leadership in helping make this happen is much appreciated.”
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