Fighting for You

Coastal Restoration

Senator Cassidy is fighting to restore Louisiana’s coastline and ensure our communities and ecosystems are protected. Dr. Cassidy passed legislation as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that increased the cap on the amount of coastal restoration funding Louisiana can receive through GOMESA revenue sharing funds from offshore energy production. Dr. Cassidy has also worked to expedite the approval of critical coastal restoration projects across the state, like the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion.

Flood Recovery

The recovery effort after the 2016 floods in North and South Louisiana was another defining moment for our state. As we have so many times before, the people of Louisiana came together after disaster to help each other rebuild and recover. Senator Cassidy led the charge in Congress to ensure those impacted by the storm had the resources they needed. Knowing the costs of delayed recovery, Cassidy secured a $500 million down payment for the recovery effort just weeks after the August, 2016 floods to immediately start recovery efforts and obtained $2 billion in Community Development Block Grants to assist Louisiana families and small businesses who flooded. Cassidy also authored a provision in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act to allow those affected by 2016 flooding to deduct their uncompensated losses in their 2016 tax returns. Cassidy also passed legislation to solve the duplication of benefits issue plaguing Louisiana’s recovery.

Flood Mitigation

Cassidy has led efforts in Congress to protect families from future flood events. He has repeatedly saved the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from expiration and protected families from being hit by skyrocketing flood insurance premiums. He has also built support for his legislation creating a long-term reauthorization and reform of the NFIP to ensure it is affordable, accountable and sustainable for homeowners. Cassidy has also secured Louisiana over a [billion] dollars to fund crucial flood mitigation projects like the Comite River Diversion, Pontchartrain restoration program, dredging of the Red River and others to prevent billions of dollars in damage from future storms.

Health Care

Dr. Bill Cassidy worked for over 25 years as a doctor in Louisiana’s charity hospital system, treating those who could not afford care. In Congress, Dr. Cassidy has made it his mission to fix our broken health care system, protect those with preexisting conditions and ensure every American has access to affordable health care. Cassidy authored and passed legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and is working to increase price transparency and protect patients from surprise medical billing. He is now working to make sure every American has access to affordable health care and the power to choose the care that is best for them and their family.

Veterans

When first taking office, Senator Cassidy requested to be on the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee to represent the hundreds of thousands of veterans living in Louisiana and ensure they have the support they need. Since then, he has made it his mission to keep the VA accountable and improve the quality of health care for our veterans. Senator Cassidy authored provisions passed in the VA MISSION Act to ensure Veterans receive more timely care outside of the VA system. He authored legislation signed into law to improve veteran care at VA nursing homes. He also authored and passed legislation to secure tax relief on survivor benefits for those in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Creating and Defending Louisiana Jobs

Senator Cassidy worked with President Trump to create the strongest economy in American history. We achieved record breaking unemployment regardless of age, race or creed. Cassidy worked withTrump to unleash American energy dominance and create jobs in Louisiana from the well head to the oil pump. Workers in most every industry were doing better. Since the economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cassidy helped pass the Paycheck Protection Program to assist struggling employers. Cassidy introduced legislation to assist struggling Americans hurt because of the virus. He also led efforts to help towns on the brink of bankruptcy afford their essential workers like police, firefighters and sanitation workers necessary for employers to return. While working to protect the nation’s public health, Cassidy has also been working to preserve the foundation for our economic recovery.

Mental Health Reform

Senator Cassidy has been a pioneer in the Senate for mental health reform. Dr. Cassidy co-authored and passed the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act as part of the 21st Century Cures legislative package. Dr. Cassidy’s legislation was the largest reform to our mental health system in decades. It integrated physical and mental health, increased access to care, and strengthened leadership and accountability in the field. While working to ensure the law was fully implemented, Dr. Cassidy coordinated and hosted the 2018 Louisiana Mental Health Summit, where he brought the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and representatives of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and Bureau of Justice Assistance together with Louisiana leaders to discuss how to improve mental health care in our state. Dr. Cassidy continues to work to improve mental health care in our country.

Combating Opioid Epidemic

The opioid epidemic has ravaged the lives of millions of American and Louisiana families. As a doctor, and now a senator, helping families and communities struggling with addiction is a priority for Senator Cassidy. Cassidy helped author and pass the Opioid Crisis Response Act aimed at solving key problems in the opioid epidemic. Cassidy’s provisions included improved access to treatment for those struggling with addiction, better systems to monitor the crisis and support for law enforcement in their battle against criminal organizations flooding communities with illegal drugs. To save more lives, President Trump also signed into law Cassidy’s legislation that gives EMS personnel the ability to administer life saving medications to overdose victims.

COVID-19

As a doctor, Senator Cassidy has provided unique and necessary leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has pulled from his experience treating disease and running immunization programs in Louisiana to educate decisions being made by Congress. Disease does not care if you are a Republican or Democrat. Cassidy has called on everyone to put politics aside and work together to get our country past this pandemic. Cassidy has worked to ensure our health professionals on the front lines have the resources they need. He helped secure over $450 million from FEMA for Louisiana’s COVID-19 response, as well as 4.5 million N95 masks, 9.3 million surgical masks, 632,000 face shields, 3.5 million gowns/coveralls and 277 million gloves for our frontline workers.

Cassidy helped pass the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses continue to employ American workers during this crisis. He also worked, and continues to work, to secure vital assistance for families and workers struggling during this crisis.