WASHINGTON – On Thursday, Senator Cassidy spoke to the Rotary Club of Metairie, where he gave attendees an update on the improvements his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is delivering to southeast Louisiana. He also discussed his work to reauthorize and reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and his recent trip to the southern border near Laredo, Texas.
“These are people who care about our community,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We had a conversation about what’s happening in Washington and what’s going on in our city, state and country. That’s how democracy is supposed to work.”
Just in regards to highways and surface streets, Jefferson Parish alone has received over $87 million as of last November to build and improve roads and bridges. Some of the biggest grants include $27.2 million to rehab the Harvey Canal Tunnel, $16.7 million for work on the Causeway Boulevard-Earhart Expressway project, and $13.5 million to improve the I-10/Loyola Interchange. Millions have also gone toward improving airports in the region, and millions more from the IIJA are available to mitigate for flooding and make Louisiana’s grid more resilient.
Cassidy has also been a leader on flood insurance and recently helped organize a hearing with the U.S. Senate Banking Committee to discuss reauthorizing and reforming the NFIP. That includes dealing with President Biden’s Risk Rating 2.0, which has made it difficult for working families to afford flood insurance.
Cassidy was welcomed by Ms. Karen Babin and Mr. Rob Folse, co-Presidents of the Rotary Club of Metairie.
“We appreciate Senator Bill Cassidy coming to the Rotary Club of Metairie to discuss the issues that face our region,” said Ms. Babin and Mr. Folse.
Earlier, Cassidy participated in a roundtable with business owners, pastors and economic development officials in New Orleans, many of whom were Hispanic. He discussed how we can increase trade between local businesses and countries in Latin America and develop the infrastructure necessary to do so.
“We had a great discussion with business and community leaders on increasing trade and cultural exchanges between Louisiana and Latin America,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Fair trade means more prosperity, which means more jobs and opportunity for our people.”
On trade, Cassidy has criticized the President for stalling LNG exports that will help our allies become independent from Russian and Venezuelan oil. He has also been a staunch supporter of Louisiana’s ports, with $9.55 billion available in the IIJA for ports across the country.
The roundtable was organized by Mr. Jose Garcia, the owner of Televizion and BrightFrame studios.
“We appreciate Senator Cassidy visiting members of our community on how we can create jobs in Louisiana and Latin America through trade and entrepreneurship,” said Mr. Garcia. “Together, we can create shared prosperity here and abroad.”
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