METAIRIE – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) toured a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Houma. He met with constituents at the center and listened to what they need to continue toward their recovery.
“You can drive through the bayou and see the spectrum of the recovery,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Some places have completely recovered, and some places are without electricity. Our commitment is for long-term recovery so that all places end up better off.”
Additionally, Cassidy had several meetings today in Houma, including with Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, and Lee Shaffer, Assistant Director of Catholic Charities and Disaster Response Teams. They discussed their response to Hurricane Ida and their future needs.
“We are greatly honored that Senator Cassidy took time out of his busy schedule to visit with us today,” said Bishop Fabre. “As Bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, I feel it important to keep our elected leaders informed of the efforts happening here in South Louisiana as we continue on our long journey ahead. While we have marked over six weeks since Hurricane Ida’s landfall, so much around us is still complete destruction.”
Added Bishop Fabre, “While we continue to serve the people of our diocese, our parishes and schools are trying to recover from the damage Ida inflicted upon our buildings. With 36 of 39 church parish locations suffering damage, many of our parishes are worshiping in alternative venues, under tents, and in other places. The spiritual health of our people is vitally important to me and my brother priests. The church is here for them through this time and will continue to lead our people, support our people, and pray with them.”
Since Cassidy’s last visit to Terrebonne Parish on September 10, Congress passed into law a continuing resolution that includes disaster supplemental aid to help Louisiana recover from Hurricane Ida, as well as the hurricanes of 2020 and winter storms of 2021. This happened after Cassidy demanded such a bill on the Senate floor and secured the President’s support for aid to Louisiana, when he traveled to St. John Parish.
Additionally, Cassidy helped write the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which would give Louisiana billions of dollars for roads and highways and make available billions more for resiliency, broadband deployment, and improvements for ports and airports. The bill passed the Senate 69-30, and is awaiting a vote in the House.
Background
Cassidy previously joined the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to request a Major Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Ida, before the storm struck. The request was approved on August 29.
Cassidy has also repeatedly urged lawmakers to approve disaster supplemental aid for Ida and other natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. He spoke on the need for such assistance on September 21 on the Senate floor. Since those remarks and the passage of the continuing resolution, funds have been released to help Louisiana recover from both Ida and hurricanes in 2020.
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