LAFAYETTE – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) spoke before the Rotary Clubs of Crowley and Rayne, and hosted a rural community funding summit in Rayne, to highlight the opportunities available for communities in Acadia Parish to benefit from his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“Part of my goal in writing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill was to help growing communities in Acadiana prevent flooding, improve highways, fix water and sewage problems, and connect their towns to high-speed broadband,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Working in partnership with mayors and police jurors, we help get them the resources to meet these needs and keep making Acadiana a place where our children want to stay.”
Since the IIJA was passed in August of 2021, millions of dollars have been spent on projects that benefit residents of Acadia Parish, including over $54.8 million for slab repair in the I-10: Jeff Dav PI-I-49 project. Additionally this year, over $349,000 was awarded to install landslide perimeter fencing and access gates at the Le Gros Memorial Airport in Crowley, and over $928,000 was granted for flood mitigation elevations in the parish. Surrounding parishes have also received money to make improvements to their infrastructure.
Cassidy has visited Acadiana multiple times, including in July to Acadia Parish to meet with mayors from Crowley, Duson, Elton, Estherwood, Kaplan, Lake Arthur, Maurice, Rayne, Vinton, and Welsh. At both the Rotary meeting and the rural community funding summit, he was welcomed by local leaders.
“We appreciate Senator Cassidy visiting us today and speaking to the Crowley and Rayne Rotary Clubs, along with the Crowley Lions Club and others,” said Ms. Katie Chiasson, member of the Crowley City Council and board member for the Rotary Club of Crowley. “It was good to get updates from him on infrastructure, insurance and other important issues.”
“I appreciate Senator Cassidy bringing representatives of federal and state agencies to our region to discuss how mayors, police jurors and city council members can access the funds from his infrastructure bill,” said Mr. Chuck Robichaux, mayor of Rayne. “Our constituents want better roads, cleaner water and more jobs in our communities. We also want to make sure that the benefits of high-speed broadband come to Acadiana. I appreciate Senator Cassidy’s leadership on these topics and look forward to working with him in the future.” Robichaux co-sponsored the rural community funding summit with the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Louisiana Housing Corporation and LITACorp.
Later, Cassidy toured Catholic Charities of Acadiana in Lafayette, including visiting their regional disaster warehouse where they store supplies that victims of floods and hurricanes need to survive. Cassidy also visited their St. John Street Campus, where he learned about their efforts to provide accommodations for the homeless and find permanent housing for homeless veterans.
“Catholic Charities in Lafayette helps the homeless and the addicted while fulfilling the mission of Christ to care for the less fortunate,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Cassidy himself has taken steps to support those who volunteer in their communities. In September, he introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and strengthen AmeriCorps programs, which provide national service opportunities to more than 200,000 Americans every year in thousands of communities around the country. He has also previously introduced bipartisan legislation to provide medical professionals with a limited, but consistent, level of legal protection while volunteering during federally-declared disasters. Before being elected to Congress, Cassidy himself co-founded the Greater Baton Rouge Community Clinic and converted an abandoned K-Mart building into an emergency health care facility in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Cassidy was led on a tour of Catholic Charities’ facilities by their CEO, Ms. Kim Boudreaux.
“We are grateful to have had the opportunity to offer Senator Cassidy a firsthand look at the programs we provide at Catholic Charities of Acadiana,” said Ms. Boudreaux. “Every day, our organization works to address the urgent needs of our neighbors in Acadiana who are experiencing homelessness, hunger, poverty, and situational crisis. Additionally, we offer critical support to survivors of natural disasters, helping them rebuild and restore their lives. Senator Cassidy’s visit underscores the importance of these critical services, and we hope it will inspire continued collaboration and support as we work together to bring healing, stability and hope to the most vulnerable members of our community.”
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