“Senator Bill Cassidy is focused on real solutions for our state. He has been a strong advocate for Southeast Louisiana and fights tirelessly for needed infrastructure funding and flood mitigation efforts. Louisiana needs a strong advocate and that advocate is Senator Bill Cassidy.”
— Sen. Kirk Talbot (River Ridge, LA)
Infrastructure
As Senator, Cassidy makes assisting local leaders in securing federal grant funding for needed infrastructure projects a priority. Whether it is breaking ground on flood mitigation projects, improving ports, restoring roads or rebuilding bridges, investing in infrastructure in Southeast Louisiana means investing in the future of Southeast Louisiana. Cassidy helped secure funding for over 20 projects in Southeast Louisiana, like the replacing the Belle Chasse Tunnel and Bridge, constructing the new Louis Armstrong International Airport, and improving the I-12 corridor near Covington.
Coastal Resiliency
Cassidy recognizes Southeast Louisiana’s unique need to strengthen the area against storms and ecological disasters threatening our communities. In response to this need, he met with the head of the Army Corps of Engineers and successfully secured funding and completion of flood mitigation and coastal restoration projects in numerous areas of the southeast such as Grand Isle and Lake Pontchartrain’s West Shore. He also advocated for the funding of projects protecting the southeast’s extraordinary ecosystem, including substantial restoration and protection of areas threatened as a result of the opening of the Bonnet Carré spillway.
Supporting Southeast Louisiana Workers
Senator Cassidy has been a relentless advocate in Washington for Louisiana workers. When the Bonnet Carré Spillway opened in 2019, fresh water began spilling into the brackish water ecosystem, endangering the aquatic life living off the coast of Louisiana. Cassidy successfully petitioned Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to initiate a disaster declaration for fisheries. When the emergency was declared, the Gulf’s seafood industry was able to receive immediate assistance for the damage done by the prolonged opening of the spillway.
Cassidy also worked in Congress to implement and strengthen the Paycheck Protection Program to support small businesses, like the restaurants, bars and hotels in New Orleans, and across our region, that are struggling due to the COVID-19 crisis.