BATON ROUGE – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) reviewed hurricane damage in Tangipahoa Parish with Parish President Robby Miller. They discussed what Tangipahoa Parish needs to recover from Hurricane Ida.
“Great tour of Tangipahoa Parish with Parish President Robby Miller and his staff. Saw the tree damage, the damage to the power lines, but also saw the recovery taking place. Challenges before us include completing recovery but building in resiliency. Tangipahoa Parish needs disaster recovery aid, but also our bipartisan infrastructure bill,” said Dr. Cassidy.
On Wednesday, Cassidy spoke on the Senate floor about the need to pass disaster supplemental aid and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Cassidy renewed his calls for disaster supplemental relief for southwest Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Ida, the fifth most powerful storm to ever hit the United States. He also urged Congress to prepare for future hurricanes by supporting the infrastructure bill.
Since Hurricane Ida, Cassidy has reviewed damage or met with officials in Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany and Terrebonne Parishes, to assess their needs. He also took an aerial tour with the U.S. Coast Guard after the storm.
On September 3, Cassidy met with President Biden in St. John Parish and urged him to support disaster supplemental aid for those affected by the hurricanes of 2020. The White House Budget Office then issued a formal request asking Congress for that support.
Cassidy and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation pushed to add Hurricane Ida to the list of natural disasters from which Louisiana needs assistance.
Background
Before Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana, Cassidy joined the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to request a Major Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Ida, a request President Biden granted.
In January, Louisiana requested $3 billion to address unmet recovery needs after Hurricane Laura. Cassidy and Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation have previously called on Congress to support disaster relief for southwest Louisiana. On September 2, they added Hurricane Ida to the list of hurricanes from which Louisiana needs help recovering.
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