url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/us-house-approves-legislation-fixing-sba-loan-duplication-benefits-issue,U.S. House approves legislation fixing SBA loan 'duplication of benefits' issue,2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"A bill giving more flood victims a chance at financial assistance overcame a major hurdle in Washington Thursday.
The bill, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, aims to fix the duplication of benefits issue that has plagued recovery efforts for many of those impacted by the August 2016 flood.
Currently under federal guidelines, if someone receives or even just applies for an SBA loan, it can limit how much they receive from the Restore Louisiana program. In some cases, it can outright disqualify them. Unlike money from the Restore LA program, SBA loans carry interest and must be paid back.
Congressman Garret Graves, who is among those authoring the policy change included in the legislation, says the current guideline penalizes those who were proactive in trying to rebuild their homes. Its a perverse policy. It does not make any sense. You can't defend it, nor should anyone try, Graves said. We've passed the bill that is going to fix that once and for all, and not just for the August flood, but fix it forever moving forward.
The legislation now heads to the Senate, where Graves sayshe has been working with both of Louisianas senators, along with other lawmakers, to sure up suppor",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/critical-relief-louisiana-disaster-victims-way,Critical Relief for Louisiana Disaster Victims on the Way,2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Done Before Christmas:
 Eliminate Duplication of Benefits prohibition on grant funds for flood victims
	Provide several hundred million dollars for Louisiana to build back stronger
	Tax relief for flood victims
	Path to COMPLETE the Comite flood prevention project
 Washington, DC  Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) announced that the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to provide important relief to Louisiana disaster victims. The emergency appropriations bill (H.R. 4667) passed this evening includes a number of top priorities for Louisianans. H.R. 4667 and the tax relief bill (H.R.1) include the following:
 Permanently eliminates Duplication of Benefits policy that considers disaster loans duplicative of grants  and prevents disaster victims from participating in Restore Louisiana program grants;
	Provides an estimated $600,000,000 in additional disaster recovery dollars so our communities can recover and build back stronger;
	Eliminates IRS tax penalties on early retirement withdrawals for flood recovery and makes flood losses tax deductible (H.R. 1);
	Clears legal and funding obstacles to complete the Comite Diversion project with billions of dollars in federal Community Development Block Grant and Hazard Mitigation funding.
 This is a huge win and early Christmas present for Louisiana. We have been working on these problems for months and now have duplication of benefits fixed, additional federal recovery funding, tax relief and a clear path to complete the Comite Diversion project, commented Graves following the House vote.
Duplication of Benefits: On November 17th, Graves introduced H.R. 4438 which addressed the duplication of benefits issue many have encountered after the August 2016 flooding. This bill explicitly provides that a loan is not duplicative of a grant  making flood victims eligible for both disaster recovery loans and grants through the Restore Louisiana program. Graves bill was included in the final version of the appropriations bill passed this evening.
Only the federal government could think that a loan duplicates a grant. This absurd concept is over and our flood victims will be eligible for Restore Louisiana grants.
Additional Recovery Funding: Louisiana will receive at least an estimated $600,000,000 in additional Community Development Block Grant  Disaster Recovery funds for the 2016 floods. Total federal recovery and flood prevention funds provided to Louisiana will now exceed $2,600,000,000. Total federal funding to Louisiana for the 2016 floods, including flood insurance payments, approach $8,000,000,000.
We continue to push for additional federal flood recovery funding to build back smarter and stronger.
Disaster Tax Relief: In June, Graves introduced a measure to provide tax relief (H.R. 2849), along with Congressmen Richmond, Abraham, and Higgins. Two of the provisions penalizing recovery include a 10% penalty for individuals withdrawing from their retirement accounts and having to meet a 10% threshold in claiming losses for the significant devastation caused by the 2016 floods. With passage of these provisions in the tax reform bill passed earlier this week, individuals are given the ability to file amended returns for the losses incurred. These provisions are necessary tools for individuals who did not wait on government assistance and would like to rebuild using their own hard earned savings, without incurring penalties. Along with lower tax rates and larger standard deductions, the recovery process will be aided.
Flood victims should be rewarded for being proactive and using their own resources to rebuild  not penalized by the IRS. This injustice is now fixed.
Completion of Comite Diversion Project: Graves legislation (H.R. 4438) also provides the State of Louisiana the clear ability to use federal funds provided to the state to complete the Comite Diversion project.
The Comite Diversion project dates back to the early 1980s and we finally have a clear path to finish this project once and for all. Our citizens have been paying taxes to fund this project for decades and they have seen little progress for their money. With the vote tonight and the enactment of our legislation, taxpayers can witness completion of the Comite Diversion project.
H.R. 4467 passed the House by a vote of 251-169 this evening. It now goes to the Senate for passage.
With the strong bi-partisan vote in the House tonight, we have provided the Senate momentum and great common sense solutions to send to the President before Christmas. We urge quick action.
 ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/oped-cassidy-scalise-in-passing-a-tax-cut-republicans-helped-louisiana-,"OPED: Cassidy, Scalise: In Passing a Tax Cut, Republicans Helped Louisiana",2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and U.S. Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA) authored the following op-ed in the Times-Picayune highlighting how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act benefits Louisiana.

In Passing a Tax Cut, Republicans Helped Louisiana

Senator Bill Cassidy and Representative Steve Scalise

The Times-Picayune

December 21, 2017

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2017/12/republican_tax_cut_bill.html#incart_river_index

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about tax reform lately, and we wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the action we have taken in Congress to save you money, grow our economy, and create good jobs here in Louisiana and throughout the nation. Wednesday (Dec. 20), Congress sent the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to President Trump’s desk, keeping our promise to make bold, conservative tax reform a reality before Christmas.

Here’s the bottom line: This reform puts more money into the pockets of hard-working families, creates more jobs at higher wages and gets our economy growing again.

For far too long, American families, workers, and small businesses have struggled under the weight of a broken, outdated tax code that is way too complicated. Like most of you, we are tired of watching thousands of good jobs being shipped overseas because America is dead last in tax competitiveness. With the president’s signature on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, America can once again be the world leader in job creation and economic growth, and we can rebuild our middle class by making sure those high-paying jobs are created right here at home instead of foreign countries.

The American people deserve tax relief. Thanks to this law, families in every income group will see that relief. In our plan, we double the standard deduction and get rid of special interest loopholes, leveling the playing field for the middle class and allowing you to keep more hard-earned income in your wallet. In fact, the average American family will see a tax cut of $2,059. And by overhauling the code to make it more simple and fair, we finally end the days of wasting time and money just trying to figure out how to file your family’s tax return.

Studies show that passage of this law will generate hundreds of thousands of new jobs in our country over the next decade and beyond. For Louisiana, this will mean significant increases in wage growth and job creation. This plan will create new opportunities for American businesses and goes further to help stop good jobs from moving overseas by encouraging companies to manufacture their goods in the U.S. We’ve seen companies move countless high-paying jobs to other countries because we had the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world. We finally change that, and under this historic law, we can start bringing those jobs back home.

Both of us worked tirelessly to ensure tax reform will deliver for the people of Louisiana. The law includes an important provision that will provide significant new funding for coastal restoration and hurricane protection in Louisiana. Our provision provides an additional $300 million for revenue sharing for Gulf States, and Louisiana should expect to receive at least $100 million of that funding to restore our coast and protect against future storms. This is a landmark victory for coastal restoration and puts down an important marker for future increases in Louisiana’s revenue sharing.

We engaged our colleagues and outside stakeholders to maintain the Historic Tax Credit, an investment and jobs program that has brought thousands of historic buildings back to useful life across the country. Since 2002 in Louisiana, the Historic Tax Credit has facilitated over 782 projects, bringing $2.5 billion in private investment to our cities and towns and creating more than 38,000 jobs. We can especially see these benefits in New Orleans, where much of the city’s unique architecture and history has been preserved through the use of the credit. The important benefits of the historic tax credit will help Louisiana continue to preserve and revitalize areas across our state.

We also won a hard-fought victory to provide overdue disaster tax relief to victims of major floods across the state during 2016. Tens of thousands of Louisianians were affected by flooding that spring, and in that August, more than 100,000 more were hit by the Great Flood of 2016. This disaster tax relief will allow individuals and families to take a tax deduction for the property losses they suffered because of those storms, and it also eliminates the IRS’s early withdrawal tax penalty for those who used their retirement funds to recover and rebuild.

After more than 30 years, it is long past time that Americans take back control of our economy, our jobs, and our paychecks. The people of Southeast Louisiana did their part in electing President Trump to the White House and Republican majorities to Congress to do just that: pass common-sense laws that will get our economy moving again and restore our middle class. By passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law, we delivered on that promise. This bill creates a simpler and fairer code for all Americans. It creates and keeps jobs here at home while giving small business owners the flexibility they need to grow. Most importantly, this plan allows you to keep more of your hard-earned paycheck.

###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-04-08T22:19:19Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/tax-reform-means-your-paycheck-will-grow,Tax Reform Means Your Paycheck Will Grow,2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"ByPaul Ryan |Dec. 19, 2017 7:02 p.m. ET
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which the House passed Tuesday, represents the biggest advancement for growth and opportunity in recent memory. It provides real relief to middle-income families and realizes policy goals conservatives have sought for decades.
The centerpiece of the bill is the most sweeping pro-growth reform of our tax code since the Reagan eraperhaps ever. Once President Trump signs it into law it will deliver more jobs, fairer taxes and bigger paychecks for Americans from all walks of life.
This is about helping a middle class that has been squeezed by a tax code that is expensive, complicated and skewed toward special interests. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck; nearly half say a $500 surprise bill or emergency would put them in debt.
Taxpayers will get significant relief soon. A family of four earning the median income of $73,000 can expect a $2,059 tax cut. The Internal Revenue Service has announced that it will adjust its withholding tables as soon as February. With less money withheld, paychecks will be bigger in a matter of weeks.
The bill significantly increases the standard deduction, nearly doubling the amount you can earn completely tax-free. It also makes taxes simpler, so that nearly 9 in 10 Americans will be able to file their taxes on a form the size of a postcard.
Middle-income families will benefit from the doubling of the child tax credit to $2,000 a child. The expansion of 529 college-savings plans to elementary and secondary education means more Americans will be able to invest in their childrens futures.
This bill will also create jobs and drive up wages. It cuts the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world from 35% down to 21%, below the developed-nation average. This will make American companies more competitive. By driving economic competitiveness, lowering the cost of capital, and moving to a territorial system like most other countries, America will once again become the best place in the world to invest and build a business. Jobs and capital will return from overseas, leading to more demand for labor, higher wages and bigger paychecks.
Relief is also coming for the small businesses that are at the heart of the economy. A new provision will enable job creators on Main Street to deduct 20% of their income. Small businesses will also be able to write off immediately the full cost of new equipment, giving them an incentive to expand and hire more workers.
The bottom line is that this bill will help you earn more and keep more of what you earn. But that is not all. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act achieves a historic trifecta of conservative policy goals. In addition to tax reform, the bill eliminates the ObamaCare individual mandate penalty, the linchpin of the health-care law, which forces people either to buy insurance or pay a tax. And for the first time, we will open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for energy exploration and development, so we can harness these natural resources.
After years of stagnation and division, we are firmly and finally choosing the path of growth. These ideas will pave the way for an economic renaissance, as Americans once again feel confident in their future, and the countrys too. Economic growth will not solve all our problems, but it will make our problems much easier to solve.
Moments like this come along once in a generation. This is conservative reform at its best: applying our founding principles of liberty, limited government and free markets to the most pressing challenge of the day. We are delivering relief to those who have struggled for too long under an antiquated system. And we are keeping our promise to the American people by giving them the tax cutand tax codethey need and deserve.
Mr. Ryan is speaker of the House.
Appeared in the December 20, 2017, print edition of the Wall Street Journal.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-applauds-final-senate-passage-of-tax-reform-legislation-benefiting-louisiana,VIDEO: Cassidy Applauds Final Senate Passage of Tax Reform Legislation Benefiting Louisiana,2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy Applauds Final Senate Passage of Tax Reform Legislation Benefiting Louisiana 
			
			
WASHINGTONU.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement after the final Senate passage ofthe Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, legislation that would cut taxes for working families in Louisiana. The legislation will now return to the House for an additional vote before being sent to President Trumps desk to be signed into law.
Cassidys video comments are transcribed below. TV stations can download broadcast quality video here.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will cut taxes for working families, bring relief for flood victims, increase investment in Louisianas communities and coastline. I am proud to join my Senate colleagues in sending this bill to President Trumps desk.
The passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act brings tax relief for working families in Louisiana who have struggled over the last 8 years. These families have seen an outdated tax code drive jobs overseas, their expenses have risen, and their paychecks have stagnated.
Last election, families voted for change, better jobs, better wages. This tax reform bill delivers.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act also includes disaster tax relief. Flood victims in North and South Louisiana who flooded in 2016 can deduct all of their personal casualty losses from their taxable income. This can be thousands of dollars to help families recover. It also waives early withdrawal penalty from their retirement accounts which they used to pay for rebuilding and recovery costs.
A year has passed since the flood, I still see families living in homes with sheetrock and bare floors. They are struggling to recover and return to their homes. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, securing this tax relief was my top priority.
The bill also preserves the Historic Tax Credit, which since 2002 has been involved with over 782 reconstruction projects in Louisiana, leveraging $2.5 billion in private investment, creating more than 38,000 jobs. For example, the World Trade Center in New Orleans is being rebuilt with these tax credits.
We also included a provision that provides $100 million in new funding for coastal restoration and hurricane protection in Louisiana. This will increase the resiliency against future storms, protect the energy infrastructure, and the associated jobs in Louisiana from coastal erosion. Louisianas energy economy is vital to the United States economy. To achieve energy dominance, to create jobs in Louisiana, and to show the value of our workers and our facilities to the US economy, we must protect this energy infrastructure.
Background:

The bill doubles the Child Tax Credit to $2,000,lowers income tax rates across the board, nearly doubles the standard deduction to $12,000 for an individual and $24,000 for a couple filing jointly, preserves the Adoption Tax Credit as well as deductions for home mortgage interest and charitable contributions.
According to the Tax Foundations analysis, the bill will boost take-home pay for Louisiana families by hundreds of dollars a year and create thousands of new jobs in Louisiana alone. In an open letter to Congress,137 economists announced their support for the tax reform effort, writing, Economic growth will accelerate if the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passes, leading to more jobs, higher wages, and a better standard of living for the American people.
As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Cassidy crafted or help spearhead several provisions in the Senates Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including those that:






 
Keep full business expense deduction for automobile, truck, boat, motorcycle, and farm implement dealers who use floor plan financing. This will ensure small business dealers are treated fairly and are not subject to the risk of paying higher taxes, protecting jobs and economic growth.
 
 
Reduce potential effects of a new investment excise tax on large private college endowments, helping small institutions such as Centenary College of Louisiana.
 

 
Preserve Private Activity Bonds (PABs), which are widely used for airport and seaport projects, affordable housing, and nonprofit health and education facilities. In 2016, over $72 billion in PABs were issued for investments in nonprofit hospitals and universities, along with over $12 billion in PABs for airports, housing, and rural public cooperatives.
 

 
Keep existing business structure commonly referred to as IC-DISC (Interest Charge Domestic International Sales Corporation). This will encourage small and medium businesses to export goods made in Louisiana.
 
 
Identified deficit reduction mechanisms to help pay for a state and local property tax deduction up to $10,000, and an increased deduction (17.4 to 20 percent) for small business owners qualified business income (pass-throughs).
 
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-praises-passage-of-tax-reform-legislation-benefiting-louisiana,VIDEO: Cassidy Praises Passage of Tax Reform Legislation Benefiting Louisiana,2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.20.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy Praises Passage of Tax Reform Legislation Benefiting Louisiana 
			
			
WASHINGTONU.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement after the final congressional passage ofthe Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, legislation that would cut taxes for working families in Louisiana. The bill will now be sent to President Trumps desk to be signed into law.
Cassidys video comments are transcribed below. TV stations can download broadcast quality video here.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will cut taxes for working families, bring relief for flood victims, increase investment in Louisianas communities and coastline. I am proud to join my Senate colleagues in sending this bill to President Trumps desk.
The passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act brings tax relief for working families in Louisiana who have struggled over the last 8 years. These families have seen an outdated tax code drive jobs overseas, their expenses have risen, and their paychecks have stagnated.
Last election, families voted for change, better jobs, better wages. This tax reform bill delivers.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act also includes disaster tax relief. Flood victims in North and South Louisiana who flooded in 2016 can deduct all of their personal casualty losses from their taxable income. This can be thousands of dollars to help families recover. It also waives early withdrawal penalty from their retirement accounts which they used to pay for rebuilding and recovery costs.
A year has passed since the flood, I still see families living in homes with sheetrock and bare floors. They are struggling to recover and return to their homes. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, securing this tax relief was my top priority.
The bill also preserves the Historic Tax Credit, which since 2002 has been involved with over 782 reconstruction projects in Louisiana, leveraging $2.5 billion in private investment, creating more than 38,000 jobs. For example, the World Trade Center in New Orleans is being rebuilt with these tax credits.
We also included a provision that provides $100 million in new funding for coastal restoration and hurricane protection in Louisiana. This will increase the resiliency against future storms, protect the energy infrastructure, and the associated jobs in Louisiana from coastal erosion. Louisianas energy economy is vital to the United States economy. To achieve energy dominance, to create jobs in Louisiana, and to show the value of our workers and our facilities to the US economy, we must protect this energy infrastructure.
Background:
The bill doubles the Child Tax Credit to $2,000,lowers income tax rates across the board, nearly doubles the standard deduction to $12,000 for an individual and $24,000 for a couple filing jointly, preserves the Adoption Tax Credit as well as deductions for home mortgage interest and charitable contributions.
According to the Tax Foundations analysis, the bill will boost take-home pay for Louisiana families by hundreds of dollars a year and create thousands of new jobs in Louisiana alone. In an open letter to Congress,137 economists announced their support for the tax reform effort, writing, Economic growth will accelerate if the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passes, leading to more jobs, higher wages, and a better standard of living for the American people.
As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Cassidy crafted or help spearhead several provisions in the Senates Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including those that:



 
Keep full business expense deduction for automobile, truck, boat, motorcycle, and farm implement dealers who use floor plan financing. This will ensure small business dealers are treated fairly and are not subject to the risk of paying higher taxes, protecting jobs and economic growth.
 
 
Reduce potential effects of a new investment excise tax on large private college endowments, helping small institutions such as Centenary College of Louisiana.
 
 
Preserve Private Activity Bonds (PABs), which are widely used for airport and seaport projects, affordable housing, and nonprofit health and education facilities. In 2016, over $72 billion in PABs were issued for investments in nonprofit hospitals and universities, along with over $12 billion in PABs for airports, housing, and rural public cooperatives.
 
 
Keep existing business structure commonly referred to as IC-DISC (Interest Charge Domestic International Sales Corporation). This will encourage small and medium businesses to export goods made in Louisiana.
 
 
Identified deficit reduction mechanisms to help pay for a state and local property tax deduction up to $10,000, and an increased deduction (17.4 to 20 percent) for small business owners qualified business income (pass-throughs).
 
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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		    	Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2017/12/19/congressman-higgins-votes-historic-tax-cuts/,Congressman Higgins Votes for Historic Tax Cuts,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"“We’re keeping our promise to deliver historic tax relief for all Americans. This a win for individual filers. It’s a win for families, and it’s a win for businesses of all sizes. We are about to enter an era of economic prosperity that hasn’t been seen in decades.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T22:19:19Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-higgins-votes-historic-tax-cuts,Congressman Higgins Votes for Historic Tax Cuts,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the conference report on H.R. 1, theTax Cuts & Jobs Act,today.
 
	Were keeping our promise to deliver historic tax relief for all Americans. This a win for individual filers. It's a win for families, and it's a win for businesses of all sizes. We are about to enter an era of economic prosperity that hasnt been seen in decades.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/graves-statement-passage-game-changing-tax-reform-legislation,Graves Statement on Passage of Game Changing Tax Reform Legislation,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC  Congressman Garret Graves (R- South Louisiana) released the following statement after voting today in the US House of Representatives to pass the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act  a bill that reforms the nations tax code for the first time in 31 years:
This is a game-changing rewrite of our tax system that finally puts whats best for people  not government  first. Lowering taxes across every income tax bracket, nearly doubling the standard deduction, giving people back their freedom to make healthcare decisions without having to pay a government-imposed penalty and lifting some of the tax burden on our small businesses means that Washington takes less while individuals, families and job creators keep more. Thats a good thing. Finally, this tax reform bill helps to eliminate the strategic advantage that foreign companies hold over Americas small businesses by providing competitive tax rates. This provides opportunities for all Americans by creating jobs here in our country not overseas and helps to increase pay for our families. 
And Louisiana wins: our flood and other disaster victims get the tax breaks weve fought for all year long, we preserved tax incentives uniquely critical for community development, historic preservation, economic reinvestment and higher education, and the bill includes a change that may result in a small increase in coastal restoration and hurricane protection funding for Louisiana by amending offshore energy revenue sharing law. 
Flood Tax Relief: Individuals affected by the 2016 flooding in Louisiana will now have much needed tax relief with the passage of this bill. The conference report contains two provisions adopted in the Senate passed version, which will remove the 10% penalty many incurred when withdrawing from their retirement plans in the wake of this disaster. The other provision provides that casualty losses are deductible without exceeding ten percent of the taxpayers adjusted gross income. The conference report embodies the legislation first proposed by Reps. Charles Boustany and Graves in the wake of the Louisiana 2016 floods. H.R. 2849, the Louisiana Flood and Storm Devastation Tax Relief Act of 2017 was introduced June 8, 2017, and cosponsored by Reps. Cedric Richmond, Ralph Abraham and Clay Higgins.
Increased Revenue for Coastal Restoration: The march to restore our coast continues. The conference report includes a provision that expands upon the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act that Graves helped to write and negotiate in 2006. H.R. 1 may result in an additional $70 million to $80 million to Louisianas restoration efforts. Combined with the law changes Graves made (HR 3462, which was included in the FAST Act) to the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) in 2015, which adds $80 million to $100 million a year in coastal protection efforts, the delegations efforts to ramp up coastal protection spending has expanded dramatically.
Grad School Tax Credit: Currently, employees, as well as their spouse or any dependents, of higher education institutions are able to exclude tuition reductions from gross income. The conference report preserves this protection. Graves stated last month when passing the House version of H.R. 1 that he would work to fix the unintended impact of H.R. 1 on the Grad School Tax Credit.
Historic Tax Credit: Louisianas unique cultural and architectural heritage means our state has consistently been at the top of the list of states that utilize the rehabilitation credit. Graves worked with House leaders to urge protection of the credit in the Senate version of the bill, which does modify the credit but retains a 20-percent credit for qualifying rehabilitation expenditures. The preservation of this credit helps to protect many historic buildings and economic revitalization projects in our state.
New Markets Tax Credit: Louisiana has also utilized the New Markets Tax Credit to bring development, job creation and economic growth to areas of our community in need. Graves vocalized support for continuing access to the credit, based on the return of investment on federal tax dollars. As a result, the House and Senate Conference Committee Report maintains intact current availability to this credit, enabling necessary investments to continue to be made in our community. Graves will continue to work with the Ways and Means Committee to help improve this programs guidelines to ensure only meritorious projects that advance the publics best interest are advanced.
Graves continued: We are operating under a 31-year old tax code. It is outdated, broken and punishes hardworking Americans. As other countries have modernized their tax codes to reflect todays economy, we continue to challenge future growth and put the future of our children and grandchildren in jeopardy. 
When you look at this bill collectively, were talking about a fundamentally different environment for our country  one that allows for higher wages, lets people keep more of their hard-earned money, encourages broad economic growth, supports the kind of investments needed to own a home, have or adopt children and to build safer communities with stronger families and more opportunity for everyone.
Under the bill that now awaits Senate approval before being sent to the president, a family of four with income of around $73,000 (median family income) will see a tax cut of more than $2,000. Their tax bill will fall from what they would pay next year, around $3,557.50, to paying $1,499 insteada reduction of $2,059. This represents a reduction in their tax bill of nearly 58 percent.*
A single parent with one child earning $41,000 will see a tax cut of more than $1,300. Their tax bill will fall from what they would pay next year, around $1,792.50, to paying $488 insteada reduction of $1,304.50. This represents a reduction in their tax bill of nearly 73 percent, meaning that their tax bill next year will be about one quarter of what it would be under current law.*
Married small business owners with income of $100,000 per year: a couple earning $100,000, with $60,000 from wages, $25,000 in compensation from their noncorporate business, and $15,000 of business income, will see a tax cut of more than $2,600. Their tax bill will fall from what they would pay next year, around $10,982.50, to paying around $8,379 insteada reduction of $2,603.50. This represents a reduction in their tax bill of nearly 24 percent.*
Highlights of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:
 Lowers individual taxes and sets the rates at 0%, 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37% so people can keep more of their hard-earned money.
	Significantly increases the standard deduction to protect roughly double the amount of what you earn each year from taxes  from $6,500 and $13,000 under current law to $12,000 and $24,000 for individuals and married couples, respectively.
	Continues to allow people to write off the cost of state and local taxes  up to $10,000. Gives individuals and families the ability to deduct property taxes and income  or sales  taxes to best fit their unique circumstances.
 Takes action to support more American families by:
 Expanding the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000 for single filers and married couples to help parents with the cost of raising children. The tax credit is fully refundable up to $1,400 and begins to phase-out for families making over $400,000. Parents must provide a childs valid Social Security Number in order to receive this credit. This will save honest Americans money by eliminating fraud and abuse of this credit.
	Preserving the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to help families care for their children and older dependents such as a disabled grandparent who may need additional support.
	Preserving the Adoption Tax Credit so parents can continue to receive additional tax relief as they open their hearts and homes to an adopted child.
	Preserves the mortgage interest deduction  providing tax relief to current and aspiring homeowners.
	For all homeowners with existing mortgages that were taken out to buy a home, there will be no change to the current mortgage interest deduction.
	For homeowners with new mortgages on a first or second home, the home mortgage interest deduction will be available up to $750,000.
	Provides relief for Americans with expensive medical bills by expanding the medical expense deduction for 2017 and 2018 for medical expenses exceeding 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income, and rising to 10 percent beginning in 2019.
	Continues and expands the deduction for charitable contributions so people can continue to donate to their local church, charity, or community organization.
	Eliminates Obamacares individual mandate penalty tax  providing families with much-needed relief and flexibility to buy the health care thats right for them if they choose.
	Maintains the Earned Income Tax Credit to provide important tax relief for low-income Americans working to build better lives for themselves.
	Improves savings vehicles for education by allowing families to use 529 accounts to save for elementary, secondary and higher education.
	Provides support for graduate students by continuing to exempt the value of reduced tuition from taxes.
	Retains popular retirement savings options such as 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) so Americans can continue to save for their future.
	Increases the exemption amount from the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) to reduce the complexity and tax burden for millions of Americans.
	Provides immediate relief from the Death Tax by doubling the amount of the current exemption to reduce uncertainty and costs for many family-owned farms and businesses when they pass down their lifes work to the next generation.
 For job creators of all sizes, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:
 Lowers the corporate tax rate to 21% (beginning Jan. 1, 2018)  down from 35%, which today is the highest in the industrialized world  the largest reduction in the U.S. corporate tax rate in our nations history.
 Delivers significant tax relief to Main Street job creators by:
 Offering a first-ever 20% tax deduction that applies to the first $315,000 of joint income earned by all businesses organized as S corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and sole proprietorships. For Main Street job creators with income above this level, the bill generally provides a deduction for up to 20% on business profits  reducing their effective marginal tax rate to no more than 29.6%.
	Establishing strong safeguards so that wage income does not receive the lower marginal effective tax rates on business income  helping to ensure that Main Street tax relief goes to the local job creators it was designed to help most.
	Allows businesses to immediately write off the full cost of new equipment to improve operations and enhance the skills of their workers  unleashing growth of jobs, productivity, and paychecks.
	Protects the ability of small businesses to write off interest on loans, helping these Main Street entrepreneurs start or expand a business, hire workers, and increase paychecks.
 Preserves important elements of the existing business tax system, including:
 Retaining the low-income housing tax credit that encourages businesses to invest in affordable housing so families, individuals, and seniors can find a safe and comfortable place to call home.
	Preserving the Research & Development Tax Credit that encourages our businesses and workers to develop cutting-edge Made in America products and services.
	Retaining the tax-preferred status of private-activity bonds that are used to finance valuable infrastructure projects.
	Eliminates the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax, thereby lowering taxes and eliminating confusion and uncertainty so American job creators can focus on growing their business and hiring more workers, rather than on burdensome paperwork.
	Modernizes our international tax system so Americas global businesses will no longer be held back by an outdated worldwide tax system that results in double taxation for many of our nations job creators.
	Makes it easier for American businesses to bring home foreign earnings to invest in growing jobs and paychecks in our local communities.
	Prevents American jobs, headquarters, and research from moving overseas by eliminating incentives that now reward companies for shifting jobs, profits, and manufacturing plants abroad.
 For greater American energy security and economic growth, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:
 Significantly boosts American energy production. Responsible development in the 1002 Area will raise tens of billions of dollars for deficit reduction in the decades to come, while creating thousands of new jobs, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and helping to keep energy affordable for American families and businesses.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/making-impossible-inevitable,Making the impossible inevitable,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.As the House prepares to vote this afternoon on the Conference Report to theTax Cuts and Jobs Act,Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) spoke about the need to pass this legislation on the House floor:""Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank Chairman Brady for yielding time and for his leadership and the entire group of conferees on bringing this tax cuts and jobs bill to the floor. I want to thank President Trump for working with us every step of the way, to bring us to a historic moment where we're actually going to provide tax relief to hardworking families.
	
	""You know, there are those on the other side that would say, keep all the money in Washington, stunt economic growth, continue to let America be noncompetitive, where we see jobs go overseas, over and over again. Large companies, thousands of jobs at a time, moving to foreign countries because we have the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world. Well, Mr. Speaker, it's time for that to end, and we do end that in this bill. We finally make our country competitive again, so we can bring those jobs back. Why deny opportunity for so many people who want a chance at the American dream?
	
	""In our bill, Mr. Speaker, we cut every single tax rate and make it lower. That's more money in the pockets of hardworking families. On average families are going to see over $2,000 more back in their paychecks every year. That's real money. When you look at right now average savings for families is $400 in their checking account. This real money to help people have better opportunities, to go put more money in their kids' college tuition account.
	
	""When you look at what this means, it's not only good for economic growth, creating jobs, and rebuilding our middle class; its historic in the simplification where over 90% of American families will actually be able to do their taxes on a postcard. Just think of how simplified that makes the code.
	
	""You know, the last time this was done was in 1986 and when Ronald Reagan was signing that bill, he talked about how hard it was and how many times people said it couldnt happen. In fact, Ronald Reagan read a quote from a headline, and he said, the impossible became the inevitable. Today, Mr. Speaker, we make that impossible the inevitable again, and restore that hope and opportunity for so many families that just want a chance at the American Dream. We give them that.
	
	""Lets pass this Tax Cuts and Jobs bill today [and] get it on President Trumps desk so we can finally see this economy going again. What a great Christmas present this is going to be to the American people. I urge everybody to vote yes, and I yield back the balance of my time.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-final-passage-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-achieving-something-historic,Scalise On Final Passage of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Achieving Something Historic,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made the following statement regarding the House's final passage of theTax Cuts and Jobs Actconference report, which will now head to the Senate and then to President Trump's desk to be signed into law:
	""Today Congress achieved something historic for American families by passing dramatic tax cuts and necessary simplification of the outdated tax code for the first time in 31 years. Our bill will deliver much-needed tax relief to American families, workers, and businesses who have been struggling under a sluggish economy, and who have been calling on Congress to take action on reforms that make our nations tax code work better for them in a fairer and more simplified way.
""The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will put more money in the pockets of hard-working families, create jobs to get our economy moving again, and simplify the tax code so much that more than 90% of Americans will be able to do their taxes on a postcard. Most importantly, we lower rates at every income level, double the standard deduction, and increase the child tax credit so families who are struggling to get by will get to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks, with the average family enjoying a tax cut of more than $2,000.
""After years of seeing middle-class jobs flee overseas, we finally make our businesses competitive again and stop them from being the highest taxed in the industrialized world so they can create good-paying jobs here at home. With these reforms, hundreds of thousands of new jobs will be created and wages will rise, helping to grow our economy and restore our middle class after the last decade of stagnation.
""We know that folks spend their own money better than Washington bureaucrats, and today we restore that power to wallets and family budgets across this country. For ordinary Americans, this means making a car payment, saving for a child's college tuition, or even finally having the money to take a family vacation. That makes a real difference in people's lives.
""I want to thank Chairman Kevin Brady and all of our Ways & Means Committee members for their tireless work on this bill, and I look forward to its passage in the Senate and then being signed into law by President Trump. The American people elected Republican majorities to Congress and President Trump to the White House to do big things to get our economy moving again, and I am proud we delivered on that promise with today's passage of this bill.""

	Clickhereto read the full text of the bill.
	Clickhereto read a summary of the bill.
 ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2017/12/18/congressman-higgins-issues-statement-trump-security-strategy/,Congressman Higgins Issues Statement on Trump Security Strategy,2017-12-18,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"“President Trump is reversing the failures of the previous 8 years with a new, bold strategy that prioritizes American safety. His commitment to empower frontline defenders and military generals in the field has led to historic gains in the fight against ISIS. I share the President’s commitment for secure borders, a strong well-funded American military, a vibrant American economy, and an unapologetic ‘America First’ security strategy. I will continue working to secure our homeland and keep our communities safe.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T22:19:19Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-higgins-issues-statement-trump-security-strategy,Congressman Higgins Issues Statement on Trump Security Strategy,2017-12-18,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued the following statement in response to President Trumps announcement of his four-pillar security strategy for the United States.
 
	President Trump is reversing the failures of the previous 8 years with a new, bold strategy that prioritizes American safety. His commitment to empower frontline defenders and military generals in the field has led to historic gains in the fight against ISIS. I share the Presidents commitment for secure borders, a strong well-funded American military, a vibrant American economy, and an unapologetic America First security strategy. I will continue working to secure our homeland and keep our communities safe.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/abraham-announces-grant-cybersecurity-initiative,Abraham announces grant for cybersecurity initiative,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"Fifth District Congressman Ralph Abraham, R-Alto, announced today that Louisiana Tech University in Ruston will receive a grant for more than $1.3 million to enhance its cybersecurity programs.
The $1,312.488 grant was awarded by the National Science Foundation. The money will be used to support Techs proposed CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program to prepare highly-qualified cybersecurity professionals for entry into the government workforce. The program proposes to support 36SFS@LaTechScholars to complete either a bachelors degree in either Cyber Engineering or Computer Science with Cybersecurity concentration.
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/message-tax-bill-negotiators-don-t-forget-about-louisiana-flood-victims,Message to Tax Bill Negotiators: Dont Forget about Louisiana Flood Victims,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Louisiana Congressmen Garret Graves (R-Capital Region) and Ralph Abraham, M.D. (R-Alto)sent a lettertoday urging Senator Orrin Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and Congressman Kevin Brady, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means to retain disaster tax relief language in the final product of negotiations currently underway in Washington to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of major tax reform legislation.
We arent asking for special treatment,reiterated Graves.Were asking for our flood victims to be given the same, common sense relief that disaster victims in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico were granted after disaster struck those communities.Too often after disasters, government ends up getting in the way of recovery  this is a chance to actually help recovery and remove nonsensical penalties currently imposed on victims for wanting to take care of themselves.
Dr. Abraham added,Louisiana flood victims deserve equal access to disaster tax benefits that have been afforded to other states. Our people are still recovering from two historic floods we suffered last year, and this tax relief will go a long way toward facilitating that recovery.
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/abraham-announces-24-million-morehouse-levee-repairs,Abraham announces $2.4 million for Morehouse levee repairs,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON -Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-Alto, announced Friday that the Tensas Basin Levee District will receive about $2.4 million in federal disaster funds to make levee repairs.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will pay $2,385,107 to assist with repairs on eight levees along Bayou Bartholomew in Morehouse Parish that were damaged during flooding that occurred in March 2016. The total cost of the project is about $3.1 million.
Louisianans are still working hard to fully recover from the floods in 2016, and I will continue doing everything I can to get the resources we need to do that, Dr. Abraham said. I appreciate FEMA for awarding these funds as these levees are critical to preventing future floods.
The March flood resulted in a disaster declaration for 36 parishes, including 19 parishes in Louisianas 5th Congressional District. Dr. Abraham has been fighting for disaster relief since that event, and he continues to champion that cause. This week, he joined other members of Louisianas Congressional delegation in calling for disaster tax relief for victims of the March and August floods.
The individual levees that will receive repairs from this grant are the Horse Bayou Levee, Naff Levee, Huff Levee, Claude Mann Levee, Harrell Brake Levee, Moore Place Levee, Seven Pines Levee, and Rawlinson Levee.
I appreciate the assistance from Congressman Abraham and FEMA in securing these funds for these much-needed repairs. We hope to accomplish them in the next year and in a timely manner before the next flood event, said John Stringer, executive director of the Tensas Basin Levee District.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-applauds-conference-committees-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-report,Scalise Applauds Conference Committee's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Report,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made the following statement regarding the passage of theTax Cuts and Jobs Actreportout of the conference committee today:
 
""For the first time in over 30 years, Republicans in Congress will deliver tax relief to hardworking families with this Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Our bill will get our economy moving, create jobs, and make America competitive again so we can bring those good jobs back home that moved overseas during the last ten years. We cut taxes at every income level, double the standard deduction and child tax credit, and simplify the tax code so that more than 90% of Americans will be able do their taxes on a postcard. I want to thank our Ways and Means and conference committee Chairman, Kevin Brady, and all of the conferees for their tireless work in producing a final bill that achieves all the goals we set to create jobs and get our economy back on track. Next week, we will vote to send this bill over the finish line to President Trump's desk so he can sign it into law by Christmas, ensuring Americans can look forward to more money in their pockets, and more job opportunities as we head into the new year.""
 
Clickhereto read the full text of the bill.
	Clickhereto read a summary of the bill.
 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-cassidy-applaud-conference-committees-inclusion-revenue-sharing-increase-tax,"Scalise, Cassidy Applaud Conference Committee's Inclusion of Revenue Sharing Increase in Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Report",2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) made the following statements regarding the inclusion of a provision in the final version of theTax Cuts and Jobs Actthat increases revenue sharing for Gulf states. TheTax Cuts and Jobs Actpassed out of the conference committee earlier today and is expected to be voted on by the House and Senate next week.  
				
 ""The final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is great for the American economy, but it also contains new revenue sharing language that is a huge win for Louisianas coastal restoration efforts! Our amendment provides an additional $300 million in revenue sharing for Gulf states, and Louisiana should receive at least $100 million of that funding to restore our coast and protect against future storms. This is a landmark victory for coastal restoration, and puts down an important marker for future increases for Louisianas revenue sharing. I enjoyed working on this with Senator Cassidy, and applaud him for his strong leadership and work to get this included in the Senate bill, and now well work together to make sure this bill gets signed into law as soon as possible."" 
				 House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.)  
				
 Louisiana will not have as much money as expected to rebuild its coastline. This bill provides extra revenue sharing to rebuild that coastline, and protect our energy jobs and infrastructure. 
				 Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.)
				With the passage of GOMESA in 2006, Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states have been patiently waiting to receive a portion of the revenues generated from offshore oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. This year, these states were slated to begin receiving this funding. Voters in Louisiana overwhelmingly voted to pass a Constitutional amendment in 2006 dedicating GOMESA funds to coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects. By increasing the revenue sharing cap with this added provision in the tax bill, Louisiana could likely get more than $100 million in new money for coastal restoration and hurricane protection.  
				  Read what others are saying about this victory:  
				
 Revenue sharing dollars are critical to restoring Louisianas vanishing coast. Increasing the offshore revenues that Louisiana and other Gulf states receive is important to making the long term investments well need to restore our coast, keep our communities safe, and protect our unique culture and way of life.It was over a decade ago that Louisiana voters Constitutionally-dedicated our states GOMESA dollars to restoring and protecting our coastthe people in Louisiana know how important this effort is for our future. I commend Whip Scalise and Senator Cassidy for their continued work to increase investments in Louisianas future. 
				Simone Maloz, Executive Director of Restore or Retreat.  
				
 The Morganza Action Coalition commends the Louisiana Congressional Delegation for advancing a provision to increase offshore oil and gas revenue sharing within the tax reform bill. Nearly a quarter of Americas oil and gas comes off Louisianas coast, and we host major refineries and port infrastructure that help move goods and products throughout the nation. However, for too long, Louisiana has not received its fair share of the revenues produced off our coast. By increasing the revenue that Louisiana receives from offshore energy development, Rep. Scalise and Senator Cassidy are helping ensure we have the additional resources needed to make investments in our hurricane protection projects to safeguard our communities and the assets and resources that are so important to our economy and the nation. 
				Jay Walker, President of Morganza Action Coalition
				
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-scalise-applaud-inclusion-of-revenue-sharing-increase-in-final-tax-reform-bill,"Cassidy, Scalise Applaud Inclusion of Revenue Sharing Increase in Final Tax Reform Bill",2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.15.17
			 Cassidy, Scalise Applaud Inclusion of Revenue Sharing Increase in Final Tax Reform Bill 
			
			U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) released the following statements regarding the inclusion of a provision in the final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that increases revenue sharing for Gulf states. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed out of the conference committee earlier today and is slated for consideration in the House and Senate next week.
Louisiana will not have as much money as expected to rebuild its coastline, said Dr. Cassidy. This bill provides extra revenue sharing to rebuild that coastline, and protect our energy jobs and infrastructure.
The final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is great for the American economy, but it also contains new revenue sharing language that is a huge win for Louisianas coastal restoration efforts! Our amendment provides an additional $300 million in revenue sharing for Gulf states, and Louisiana should receive at least $100 million of that funding to restore our coast and protect against future storms, said Scalise. This is a landmark victory for coastal restoration, and puts down an important marker for future increases for Louisianas revenue sharing. I enjoyed working on this with Senator Cassidy, and applaud him for his strong leadership and work to get this included in the Senate bill, and now well work together to make sure this bill gets signed into law as soon as possible.
By increasing the GOMESA revenue sharing cap, Louisiana could receive more than $100 million in new money for coastal restoration and hurricane protection.     Read what others are saying about this victory:
Revenue sharing dollars are critical to restoring Louisianas vanishing coast. Increasing the offshore revenues that Louisiana and other Gulf states receive is important to making the long term investments well need to restore our coast, keep our communities safe, and protect our unique culture and way of life.It was over a decade ago that Louisiana voters Constitutionally-dedicated our states GOMESA dollars to restoring and protecting our coastthe people in Louisiana know how important this effort is for our future. I commend Whip Scalise and Senator Cassidy for their continued work to increase investments in Louisianas future.
Simone Maloz, Executive Director of Restore or Retreat.
The Morganza Action Coalition commends the Louisiana Congressional Delegation for advancing a provision to increase offshore oil and gas revenue sharing within the tax reform bill. Nearly a quarter of Americas oil and gas comes off Louisianas coast, and we host major refineries and port infrastructure that help move goods and products throughout the nation. However, for too long, Louisiana has not received its fair share of the revenues produced off our coast. By increasing the revenue that Louisiana receives from offshore energy development, Rep. Scalise and Senator Cassidy are helping ensure we have the additional resources needed to make investments in our hurricane protection projects to safeguard our communities and the assets and resources that are so important to our economy and the nation.
Jay Walker, President of Morganza Action Coalition
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-mueller-must-restore-credibility-to-his-investigation,VIDEO: Cassidy: Mueller Must Restore Credibility to His Investigation,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.15.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy: Mueller Must Restore Credibility to His Investigation 
			
			


U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Stuart Varney on Fox Business today to discuss the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, tax reform legislation that would cut taxes for working families in Louisiana.
He also commented on the recently revealed text messages sent by top FBI officials demonstrating anti-Trump, pro-Clinton bias.
Key excerpts of Cassidys remarks are transcribed below.
ON WHETHER TAX REFORM PASSES
CASSIDY: Yeah, I think it does pass.  Growth in the economy takes care of a lot of things. And those lower income Americans who under Obama suffered, now they're starting to see wage increase. We need that wage increase to continuemore money in their paycheck. We need this economy to work for them too, and this tax package will help to do so.
ON SPECIAL COUNSEL BOB MUELLERS INVESTIGATION
VARNEY: Senator, I have to ask you about what I'm going to call a political bias within the FBI. Broad question here, do you think it's time to investigate the investigation?
CASSIDY: I think we have to see what Mueller's going to do in the next week or two. Clearly there's people on his team who had a political axe to grind against Donald Trump. And it's up to Mueller to step forward and restore credibility to his investigation. I am willing to give him that shot.
VARNEY: Do you think we'll get something from Mueller within the next two weeks before the end of the year?
CASSIDY: I would think we'd have to. There is enough cacophony of criticism that is justified that I think he has to respond to.
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-tax-reform-bill-cuts-taxes-for-the-middle-class-sets-stage-for-more-economic-growth,"VIDEO: Cassidy: Tax Reform Bill Cuts Taxes for the Middle-Class, Sets Stage for More Economic Growth",2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.15.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy: Tax Reform Bill Cuts Taxes for the Middle-Class, Sets Stage for More Economic Growth 
			
			

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Harris Faulkner on Fox News today to discuss the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, tax reform legislation that would cut taxes for working families in Louisiana. The final version of the bill is expected to be made public today, with the House and Senate slated to vote on final approval next week.
Key excerpts of Cassidys remarks are transcribed below.
CASSIDY: The president wanted to have a middle-class tax cut. This clearly has a middle-class tax cut. He wanted to set the stage for economic growth. We're seeing economic growth but this sets the stage for further. Lastly, we got rid of the Individual Mandate, the heart and soul of Obamacare. That's also gone. I think we accomplished that original vision.
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		    	Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/trump-signs-bill-boosting-barksdale-la-military,"Trump signs bill boosting Barksdale, La. military",2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"President Trump has signed a bill that will boost Barksdale, Fort Polk and Belle Chasse in Louisiana as well as give America's military families pay raises.
The National Defense Authorization Act will give Barksdale's B-52s a modern makeover, protect Fort Polk from the base closure list and and keep Belle Chasse's F-15 fighters on guard for the Gulf Coast.
Congressman Ralph Abraham, R-Alto, the state's only member of the House Armed Services Committee, has called the act ""a home run for Louisiana.""
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2017/12/14/congressman-higgins-applauds-bayou-bridge-pipeline-approval/,Congressman Higgins Applauds Bayou Bridge Pipeline Approval,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – This afternoon, Colonel Clancy of the Army Corps of Engineers announced that the New Orleans District has concluded its environmental assessment and will issue necessary permits to Bayou Bridge Pipeline, LLC.

The Bayou Bridge pipeline represents more than $750 million in investment and is estimated to generate $17.6 million in sales tax during construction and $1.8 million annually in tax revenue to the state. Beyond that, it will create more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs, employing a Louisiana company for the manufacturing of the pipes used to construct the project.

The project is a 162-mile pipeline that connects several crude hubs. The new section of pipe will originate at the terminal hub in Lake Charles and connect to the St. James terminal hub, paralleling existing infrastructure and utilities across the Atchafalaya Basin.

Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:

“Bayou Bridge is part of our efforts to bring new jobs and economic growth to South Louisiana. The oil and gas and petrochemical industry remains the cornerstone of our state’s economy, and we’re working to unleash our energy potential. This project provides critical pipeline infrastructure for refiners and producers across the state. Bayou Bridge will create thousands of jobs for Louisiana families. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Colonel Clancy and I have cultivated an ‘Army strong’ professional relationship. We’re determined to work together, identify obstacles, and overcome the bureaucracies that have restricted permit approval for major projects in the past. My Congressional staff and I will continue to attack, one battle at a time. Getting Bayou Bridge rolling is major… but we’re not done.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T22:19:19Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2017/12/14/higgins-urges-conference-committee-include-gomesa-provision-tax-cuts-jobs-act/,Higgins Urges Conference Committee to Include GOMESA Provision in Tax Cuts & Jobs Act,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) joined a group of Gulf Coast lawmakers on a letter urging House Leadership and members of the conference committee on tax reform to include the Cassidy-Strange Amendment in the final legislative text.

The amendment increases the amount of money that Gulf states are eligible to receive through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), raising the revenue sharing cap on oil and gas from $500 million to $650 million for two years (2020 and 2021).

Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:

“Revenue sharing from the oil and gas industry remains a critical component of coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana. The projected shortfall of GOMESA revenue is largely reflective of Obama-era regulations that have stifled offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. This amendment ensures that the GOMESA program will continue to support key restoration and infrastructure projects in coastal Louisiana. I want to thank Senator Cassidy for his efforts on this important initiative, and I am hopeful that my colleagues on the conference committee will include the amendment in the final version of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act.”

The letter was also signed by Congressmen Bradley Byrne (R-AL), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Blake Farenthold (R-TX), Brian Babin (R-TX), and Randy Weber (R-TX).",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T22:19:19Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-higgins-applauds-bayou-bridge-pipeline-approval,Congressman Higgins Applauds Bayou Bridge Pipeline Approval,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – This afternoon, Colonel Clancy of the Army Corps of Engineers announced that the New Orleans District has concluded its environmental assessment and will issue necessary permits to Bayou Bridge Pipeline, LLC. The Bayou Bridge pipeline represents more than $750 million in investment and is estimated to generate $17.6 million in sales tax during construction and $1.8 million annually in tax revenue to the state. Beyond that, it will create more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs, employing a Louisiana company for the manufacturing of the pipes used to construct the project. The project is a 162-mile pipeline that connects several crude hubs. The new section of pipe will originate at the terminal hub in Lake Charles and connect to the St. James terminal hub, paralleling existing infrastructure and utilities across the Atchafalaya Basin. Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:
 
	“Bayou Bridge is part of our efforts to bring new jobs and economic growth to South Louisiana. The oil and gas and petrochemical industry remains the cornerstone of our state’s economy, and we’re working to unleash our energy potential. This project provides critical pipeline infrastructure for refiners and producers across the state. Bayou Bridge will create thousands of jobs for Louisiana families. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Colonel Clancy and I have cultivated an ‘Army strong’ professional relationship. We’re determined to work together, identify obstacles, and overcome the bureaucracies that have restricted permit approval for major projects in the past. My Congressional staff and I will continue to attack, one battle at a time. Getting Bayou Bridge rolling is major... but we’re not done.” 
 
Congressman Higgins authored an op-ed in The Hill earlier this year in support of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline. Read it here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/higgins-urges-conference-committee-include-gomesa-provision-tax-cuts-jobs-act,Higgins Urges Conference Committee to Include GOMESA Provision in Tax Cuts & Jobs Act,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) joined a group of Gulf Coast lawmakers on a letter urging House Leadership and members of the conference committee on tax reform to include the Cassidy-Strange Amendment in the final legislative text. The amendment increases the amount of money that Gulf states are eligible to receive through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), raising the revenue sharing cap on oil and gas from $500 million to $650 million for two years (2020 and 2021). Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:
 
	“Revenue sharing from the oil and gas industry remains a critical component of coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana. The proposed shortfall of GOMESA revenue is largely reflective of Obama-era regulations that have stifled offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. This amendment ensures that the GOMESA program will continue to support key restoration and infrastructure projects in coastal Louisiana. I want to thank Senator Cassidy for his efforts on this important initiative, and I am hopeful that my colleagues on the conference committee will include the amendment in the final version of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act.”
 
  The letter was also signed by Congressmen Bradley Byrne (R-AL), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Blake Farenthold (R-TX), Brian Babin (R-TX), and Randy Weber (R-TX). Read the letter here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/landmark-legislation-benefit-saltwater-anglers-advances-us-house,Landmark Legislation to Benefit Saltwater Anglers Advances in U.S. House,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – December 13, 2017 – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources approved H.R. 200, a bill sponsored by Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska) that amends the 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to provide flexibility for fishery managers and stability for fishermen. A coalition of organizations representing the saltwater recreational fishing and boating community endorsed H.R. 200 and highlighted the importance of incorporating saltwater recreational fishing management provisions into the nation’s primary law governing federal fisheries management.
On April 6, 2017, Congressman Garret Graves (R-La.), a leader on recreational fishing issues, introduced H.R. 2023, the Modern Fish Act, to address the challenges facing recreational fishermen in the federal fisheries management system. He was joined by a bipartisan list of 24 cosponsors. Original cosponsors include Congressmen Gene Green (D-Texas), Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.). The Modern Fish Act’s legislative language was ultimately included in H.R. 200.
“We owe great thanks to Chairman Rob Bishop, Congressman Don Young and Congressman Garret Graves for working together to bring meaningful change to recreational fisheries management through the reauthorization of the nation’s marine fisheries law,” said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. “This is a major step forward in implementing the vision set forth by the Morris-Deal Report for the future of saltwater recreational fishing. The importance of this legislation to the recreational fishing and boating community was made clear by tens of thousands of advocates who have made their voices heard by contacting their elected officials in recent months.”
Read more: http://www.sportfishingpolicy.com/media-room/landmark-legislation-to-benefit-saltwater-anglers-advances-in-u-s-house/",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/graves-advances-red-snapper-act-2017,Graves Advances the RED SNAPPER Act of 2017,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Garret Graves (R-South Louisiana) advanced legislation through the House Natural Resources Committee yesterday that will give normal, everyday Americans who like to fish better and more sustainable access to saltwater fishing compared to the current, highly restrictive and outdated federal fisheries management model. His bipartisan bill – the “Regionally Empowered Decision-making for Snapper, Noting the Angling Public and the Preservation of an Exceptional Resource Act”, the “RED SNAPPER Act of 2017” - is a conservation-based approach that will allow states to work with federal fisheries managers to expand access for recreational fishing to 25 miles or to a depth of 150 feet into the Gulf of Mexico. Graves and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) introduced the bill earlier this year to provide a long term solution to management of red snapper for private recreational anglers in the Gulf.
“Changing the management of red snapper allows Gulf states more autonomy in managing this fishery. Fishing pressures are different in the varying regions of our country, and management strategies should be tailored by region   For comparison, the West Coast of the United States sees about 5.5 million fishing trips a year, versus 20 million in the gulf coast.  And just like there are different management strategy rules for Dungeness Crab or Atlantic Salmon, so should there be for Red Snapper,”  said Graves. 
By preserving existing commercial and charter fishing protections under current law, the RED SNAPPER Act further protects the average angler’s ability to enjoy freshly caught red snapper on a plate at home or in a favorite restaurant.
Graves’s Modern Fish Act and two more common-sense amendments were also approved Wednesday as part of broader committee action to reauthorize and modernize the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the fishing law of the land. Passage of these landmark policy changes represent major movement toward regional flexibility, tailored management strategies that favor local over federal control, better data collection and enhanced responsiveness to the needs of recreational anglers and mixed use fisheries.  
Watch a video of yesterday’s action, which includes a Graves explanation of and fix for a bewildering policy obstacle to Louisiana’s coastal crisis: some areas where there used to be land are now considered “essential fish habitats” and are protected from restoration activity.  
Graves illustrated the absurdity: “When we come in and restore wetlands in areas where there has been incredible land loss, federal regulators are telling us we have to pay for the impact to fisheries – fisheries that used to be land. But they’re not making the fish pay for the impacts to humans or to our wetlands.” 
Learn more about the Red Snapper Act of 2017: one pager and  FAQ. 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-commends-fcc-rejecting-government-regulation-internet,Scalise Commends FCC for Rejecting Government Regulation of the Internet,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made the following statement regarding the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) vote to reverse Obama-era Net Neutrality rules:
""Todays vote by the FCC to reject the 'net neutrality' government takeover of the internet is a big win for consumers, and for internet freedom!The so-called net neutrality rules have already harmed innovation and killed billions of dollars of private investment that should be going towards the infrastructure needed to fuel our smartphones, connect our homes, and turbocharge our economy.
""Americans want better internet access, and they want it to be cheaper. The internet is not so broken that the federal government needs to come in and fix it.
""The radical net neutrality scheme to regulate the internet under 1930s era utility-style rules was simply the wrong solution in search of a problem that didnt exist. I commend FCC Chairman Pai, Commissioner ORielly, and Commissioner Carr for recognizing that the hallmark of a free and open internet is upheld best by the free market and competition, not by radical regulations from Washington bureaucrats.
""The internet is a success story defined by free expression, innovation, and job creation. Our world is more connected than ever before, and the rapid deployment of new technology and services has made a profound impact in our daily lives and on our economy.
""America is the global leader in the digital economy because we have allowed entrepreneurs to compete against each other  rather than against regulators. Its ultimately the consumers who suffer when the federal government swoops in with heavy regulations. Nowhere is that more true than in our technology industry. The best way tocontinue the success of the internet is by keeping the federal government from suffocating it through radical regulations.""

###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/don-t-forget-la-flood-victims-tax-reform-bill,Dont forget LA flood victims in tax reform bill,2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"In our weekly visit with Congressman Graves, he spent some time tracking the tax reform bill, and the need to include LA victims in the tax breaks… he also is opposing the presumptive nominee for the Asst. Sec. of  The Army who will oversee the Corps of Engineers if confirmed.  We covered a lot of ground on AMBR.  Listen here",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/support-all-six-louisiana-members-congress-national-defense-authorization,"With support of all six Louisiana members of Congress, National Defense Authorization Act signed into law",2017-12-12,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"President Donald Trump has signed into law the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, which gives U.S. troops the largest pay raise in eight years, makes major reforms to Pentagon spending practices and increases funding for essential military readiness recovery.
The bill passed the House Nov. 14 with an overwhelming majority by a vote of 356 to 70, including the support of all six members from Louisiana, including the lone Democrat from the state, Cedric Richmond (D-New Orleans).
In remarks from the Roosevelt Room at the White House shortly before signing the bill Dec. 12, Trump praised members of Congress for the bipartisan support.
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/graves-abraham-tax-bill-negotiators-don-t-forget-about-louisiana-flood,Graves & Abraham to Tax Bill Negotiators: Dont forget about Louisiana flood victims,2017-12-12,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Louisiana Congressmen Garret Graves (R-Capital Region) and Ralph Abraham, M.D. (R-Alto) sent a letter today urging Senator Orrin Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and Congressman Kevin Brady, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means to retain disaster tax relief language in the final product of negotiations currently underway in Washington to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of major tax reform legislation.  The disaster tax relief, which was included by Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy in the Senate’s version of the bill, accomplishes the goals of separate legislation Graves introduced earlier this year - H.R. 2849, the Louisiana Flood and Storm Devastation Act of 2017, which would grant homeowners and individuals emergency tax relief, the ability to withdraw from retirement accounts without incurring penalties, casualty loss provisions, work opportunity tax credits for employers, and relief for certain charitable giving. The bipartisan bill was cosponsored by Congressmen Richmond (D-LA), Abraham and Higgins.
“We aren’t asking for special treatment,” reiterated Graves. “We’re asking for our flood victims to be given the same, common sense relief that disaster victims in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico were granted after disaster struck those communities.  Too often after disasters, government ends up getting in the way of recovery – this is a chance to actually help recovery and remove nonsensical penalties currently imposed on victims for wanting to take care of themselves.”
Dr. Abraham added, “Louisiana flood victims deserve equal access to disaster tax benefits that have been afforded to other states. Our people are still recovering from two historic floods we suffered last year, and this tax relief will go a long way toward facilitating that recovery.”
Louisiana Congressmen Clay Higgins and Mike Johnson also signed the letter, which can be read here. You can read more about H.R. 2849 here.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-discusses-effects-of-drug-price-control-on-finding-cure-for-alzheimers,VIDEO: Cassidy Discusses Effects of Drug Price Control on Finding Cure for Alzheimer’s,2017-12-12,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.12.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy Discusses Effects of Drug Price Control on Finding Cure for Alzheimer’s 
			
			
WASHINGTON— During a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) discussed the potential effects government-dictated drug pricing could have on the development of cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s.
A transcript of Cassidy’s questioning is below. 
CASSIDY: Obviously a challenge facing our society is finding a cure, treatment, something for Alzheimer's. If such is developed the federal government will be probably the sole purchaser thereof. There'll be a few on private insurance, somebody at 60, but let's just assume 95 percent.
Now the issue of course is whether monopsony purchasing power on behalf of the government would give a return less than sufficient to incentivize development.
We have some examples of that. In the Medicaid program, just about every Medicaid program in the nation except maybe Wyoming and Alaska pays their providers below cost because they can. And it is a way to give a benefit without necessarily the expense of actually paying for.
So, what if there was a future government that said, “Listen, we got to take care of all these Alzheimer's patients but we don't want to pay the, you pick the number, $100,000 a year that the drug company wants. We're going to pay you $10,000 and if you don't like it, lump it, because we're the only person that purchases.”
That would have a chilling effect on the drug company, but would it have a chilling effect on the venture capital required at the outset in order to develop the new therapy?
Now I pose this, kind of long-winded, I apologize, just to get your thoughts on that, then I'll go to you, Doug, Mr. Holtz-Eakin.
NORM AUGUSTINE: With regard to Alzheimer's, you point to a critical issue. As the population ages the baby boomers become eligible for Medicare and the likes. The average person over 65 spends three times what a person under 65 does, so it is a critical issue. The question you raise about the impact on development, if the government or any supplier comes in and says, “This is all we’ll pay.” If that pay is not rationally, if that charge is not rationally set, it will indeed cause firms to not invest in research and it will cause a venture capitalist to not support the funding that the firms need. So that's one reason why I think it’s so much better to let market forces operate here, to the extent they can, rather than to have the government step in and just set prices.
CASSIDY: But if we allowed all the federal agencies to combine to purchase, and if federal agencies would be end up paying for—maybe Medicaid as a portion—95 percent of that drug, that truly would give monopsony power. They would really be able to dictate a price.
AUGUSTINE: Well if I'm not mistaken, private insurers provide like half of the insurance in the country so there's a private insurance market that will be stabilizing.
CASSIDY: Now the reason I say that though for Alzheimer's disproportionately affects those 65 and above.
AUGUSTINE: And it would affect retirees that were in private insurance plans. But without question that the costs have to be set at a reasonable level. I come from an industrial world where our biggest customer was the government. It was basically a monopsony, and there is still a stabilizing factor, that is that the government wants to be able to get treatments for these diseases just as the firm selling the treatments wants to be able to sell them. So I would not be that concerned about the particular issue you raised.
CASSIDY: Douglas?
DR. DOUGLAS HOLTZ-EAKIN: So imagine that it's essentially coming through the Part D program. What we'd like to see happen is the drug gets developed, it gets put on the market, that gets provided to Alzheimer's patients. And it's initially a monopoly, and it costs too much and people scream and yell, and there’s not much the prescription drug plan can do about that. So competitors recognize that there's a lot of money to be made here, and they enter with the competitor drug.
CASSIDY: Under status quo.
HOLTZ-EAKIN: Under status quo.
And if in fact we start doing value-based purchasing, they want to make that drug better and might keep people in remission longer and might improve the quality of lives better and that'd be a much better product. And now you'd have a beneficial competition and that first drug wouldn't be able to exploit everybody.
If you have a monopsony buying, setting a fixed price, based on no information about the actual efficacy or market conditions, you run the risk of not only of not getting the first drug, you don't get the second one or any subsequent drugs, and that's the danger.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-going-be-generational-achievement,Scalise: 'This is going to be a generational achievement',2017-12-11,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends this morning to discuss the future of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as it heads to a conference committee this week.  
	 

Click here or on the image above to view Scalise's full interview. 

	On the continued work of the tax reform conference committee...
 ""We’re in a conference committee [right now]. The House and Senate passed two different versions of roughly the same bill that's going to ultimately reduce taxes for families, get the economy moving, and create jobs. The conferees, both in the House and Senate, have been meeting through the weekend, combing through a lot of the final details where there’s disagreement. Hopefully, in the next few days, we’ll see the final framework; get a bill well before Christmas on the President's desk.""
 
On repealing the individual mandate with this bill...
 ""We’ve passed it in the House many times. The Senate had trouble in the past. The Senate did pass the repeal of the individual mandate in their version of the bill, and we want to keep it. We want to keep it in the final product. That's going to help a lot of families; [it will] improve this healthcare system that's just devolving under Obamacare.People are seeing massive, double-digit increases. Let's get this in the final product of the bill, signed by President Trump.""
 
On cutting taxes for Americans at all income levels...
 ""In our bill, no matter what tax rate you pay, if you are paying taxes, your tax rate is going to go down and you’re going to see families, on average, get $1,200 more back in their pocket.
		...
		""This bill pushes a lot more tax relief to middle-class families. It works on making our country competitive again. We have the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world, and...that has meant the erosion of the middle class [and] really good $60k, $80k, $100,000 jobs leaving America, going to Ireland, Canada, and other places. In our bill, we bring those jobs back, and we make our country competitive.""
 
On President Trump's commitment to helping pass tax reform...
""President Trump has been incredibly helpful every step of the way. The day we released the bill in the house, the President had us over to the White House and fully embraced the idea of cutting taxes for families. Look, he campaigned on this. He said, ‘I'm going to cut tax rates across the board’, and he’s following through on yet another campaign promise. He has been great to work with, and when this gets signed by President Trump, this is going to be a generational achievement.
	""We still talk about the ‘86 tax cuts under Reagan. You’re going to be talking about these Trump tax cuts and how it got our economy moving again. It's going to be something that families are going to really look back on a year from now, five years from now as a great achievement.""
	 
 ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-win-american-families,Scalise: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 'a win for American families',2017-12-11,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox Business Network's Mornings with Maria this morning to talk about next steps for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and what that means for hardworking families all across America.   
	 

Click here or on the image above to view Scalise's full interview. 
 

	On next steps for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act…
 
“Any time you’re doing something this big, the vote margin is always tight. You know, we had a tight voter margin in the House, but we actually put up a strong number coming out of the House, and then the Senate delivered. They actually passed a bill, too, and as we’re in conference committee, I was talking to some of the conferees over the weekend on some of the issues they’re trying to resolve, and frankly, I think you’re going to see this bill continue to get better.
		 
		“It’s already a big one for middle-class families. Every rate is going to be lowered from the top rate on down. All of the rates will be lowered, and we are going to make our country competitive again. I’m tired of seeing jobs move overseas because we've got the highest corporate rate in the world. We bring that down not just to the average, but below average so that we can actually bring jobs back to America.
		 
		“President Trump has been with us every step of the way in saying we need tax relief for middle-class families, and we are going to do that. We’re going to deliver—President Trump’s going to deliver on yet another promise, and he’s already delivered on many.""
 
On putting money back into the pockets of hardworking families…
 
“I think it was very telling that when we had a bill on the House Floor—and the Senate Floor—to lower every tax rate and to push real tax relief for middle-class families. I mean, on average, families are going to get about $1,200 back in their pocket. When the average savings [account] for families is $400, that’s a lot of money.
		 
		“The fact that every Democrat voted ‘no’ shows the country—Democrats across the country are not that radically liberal—but in the House and Senate, it has become so polarized that they don’t want to give any tax relief to anyone. They want to raise taxes. We’re going to lower taxes. It’s going to get this economy moving again.
		 
		…
		 
		“You know, you talked about the family tax credit; we are doubling the standard deduction so most families—over 90% of families, by the way—under this bill, are going to be able to do taxes on a postcard. That’s how simplified this complex code is going to become. It’s going to be a win for American families.”
		 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-tax-reform-will-be-an-economic-game-changer,VIDEO: Cassidy: Tax Reform Will Be an Economic Game Changer,2017-12-11,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.11.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy: Tax Reform Will Be an Economic Game Changer 
			
			



NEW YORK CITY—U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning to discuss the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, legislation that would cut taxes for working families in Louisiana.
Key excerpts of Cassidy’s comments are transcribed below. 
ON SUPPORT FOR TAX REFORM
CASSIDY: No one likes change even when it’s from worst to better. Particularly when you have a lot of folks who hate Trump so much that if Trump said ‘let’s close the window’ on a snowy day they would say, ‘Oh my gosh, we don’t want to do it.’ On the other hand, when people open up their paychecks and they see beginning next year there’s more in their paycheck, not for everybody but for most people, and for corporate America that is now not competing against companies which have a 12 percent tax rate when they have a 35 percent [tax rate], arbitraging the difference to come back and compete, I think it will be a game changer.
ON KEEPING JOBS IN AMERICA
CASSIDY: [I]f you look back, there’s a strong history of Democrats, rightfully so, saying that we have to have corporate tax reform. And every time you have a corporation invert, move to Ireland and then come back and compete with a lower tax rate, it builds the case for corporate tax reform. We’ve done it [with this bill]. Those companies are now not—not—incentivized to move overseas, their incentivized to stay here.
ON GROWING WAGES FOR WORKERS
CASSIDY: [B]y definition, if you’re going to have wage growth it’s going to be on the margin. It’s not going to be 40 percent, it’s going to be three percent, four percent, but that’s a lot better than we’ve had for the last eight years. And if you add to that the corporate growth that then translates into better jobs because there’s more competition for workers—in Louisiana, I just toured a place, a $5 billion project, there’s $60 billion in announced projects in southwest Louisiana. Welders are having their wages jacked up because people are competing for a good welder to come to their site. Now that’s the kind of America we actually need. You guys are going to do very well I imagine, but those welders are the ones who have been hurting.
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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		    	Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2017/12/08/higgins-introduces-bill-combat-terrorist-threats/,Higgins Introduces Bill to Combat Terrorist Threats,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of his work on the Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry into the United States, Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) has introduced H.R. 4564, the Post-Caliphate Threat Assessment Act of 2017, which would help with identification and response to regions displaying a high level of terrorist activity.

The bill would require the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State, and the Director of National Intelligence to issue a detailed report of terrorist movements and activity hotbeds to Congress. More specifically, the report would include analysis of the countries of origin, intended destinations, and means of travel utilized by terrorist fighters as well as an in-depth documentation of terrorist activity in Iraq and Syria.

The bill is being cosponsored by Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX), John Katko (R-NY), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), John Rutherford (R-FL), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:

“Weakness of the Obama-era Executive Branch and State Department, and the associated alarming decline of our military, as President Obama coerced $93.2 billion in cuts to Department of Defense spending over 8 years, has brought great peril upon the world. Radical Islamic terrorists have exploited the power vacuum in the Middle East to terrorize and attack the free world from the shadows. These cowardly terrorist attacks are increasingly being carried out by ‘foreign fighters’…jihadist terrorists who have left the caliphate or their homeland, traveling abroad to radicalize others and to coordinate specific acts of terror and ‘lone-wolf’ jihadist attacks. My bill identifies terrorist fighters and the tactics they utilize to gain entry to the United States. We must identify and destroy this evil, while also bolstering our own security mechanisms to protect our homeland. The threats facing our nation are rapidly evolving and so must our efforts to defeat them.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T22:19:19Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2017/12/08/higgins-urges-conference-committee-include-key-provisions-tax-bill/,Higgins Urges Conference Committee to Include Key Provisions in Tax Bill,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) sent a 3-page, detailed letter to Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and other members of the conference committee on tax reform, urging them to include several key provisions in the final legislative text of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act.

Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:

“Our overall goal is to greatly reduce the tax burden, simplify the tax code, broaden the tax base, and grow the economy for all Americans. The conference committee is working diligently to merge both the House and Senate versions of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. I’m confident that they’ll reach a combined version that provides for the concerns of South Louisiana and results in tremendous economic growth.”

The letter highlights the following provisions for consideration by the conference committee:

Lower the Corporate Tax Rate Effective Tax Year 2018

Louisiana greatly benefits from the growing U.S. chemical, oil, and liquid natural gas industries, but today’s corporate tax rate often limits the positive local impact of these industries. To maximize economic growth, it is critical that we ensure the immediate implementation of tax reforms, including the reduction of the corporate tax rate to 20%.

Full Repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax

Initially established to ensure Americans and businesses were paying their fair share, the AMT has a history of disproportionately affecting upper-middle-class Americans and honest businesses.

Full Repeal of the Death Tax

The sunset of the estate tax will improve the lives of thousands of Americans trying to build a better life for their children and grandchildren. Louisianans today are faced with double, or even triple, taxation on family assets or family-owned farms and businesses when passing down their life’s work to the next generation.

Preservation of Graduate Tuition Waivers as Non-Taxable Income

My district includes two major universities: the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and McNeese State University. The faculty at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and many graduate students from my district have reached out to share their serious concerns that the treatment of these waivers as taxable income could greatly affect students’ ability to pursue advanced degrees.

Preservation of the Historic Tax Credit

The Historic Tax Credit provides important assistance to cities and towns in Louisiana working to preserve historic buildings, revitalize economic centers, and create good-paying jobs. These investments return more than $1.20 for every dollar credited, and in Louisiana, these credits have allowed for the redevelopment of main street businesses and residential and low-income housing.

Reduction of the Federal Excise Tax for Craft Distillers

In my district, small, locally-owned distilleries that use U.S. sugar carry a significantly higher tax burden than large, international corporations. A reduction in FET will cost little to the government but will produce immediate job and investment results for surrounding communities.

Preservation of Private-Activity Bonds Tax-Exempt Status

Private-activity bonds are a critical tool for tax-exempt organizations to raise capital and invest in updated facilities. Hospitals and airports in Louisiana rely on tax-exempt private-activity bonds to provide necessary healthcare and transportation services to rural communities.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T22:19:19Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/higgins-introduces-bill-combat-terrorist-threats,Higgins Introduces Bill to Combat Terrorist Threats,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of his work on the Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry into the United States, Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) has introduced H.R. 4564, the Post-Caliphate Threat Assessment Act of 2017, which would help with identification and response to regions displaying a high level of terrorist activity. The bill would require the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State, and the Director of National Intelligence to issue a detailed report of terrorist movements and activity hotbeds to Congress. More specifically, the report would include analysis of the countries of origin, intended destinations, and means of travel utilized by terrorist fighters as well as an in-depth documentation of terrorist activity in Iraq and Syria. The bill is being cosponsored by Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX), John Katko (R-NY), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), John Rutherford (R-FL), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:  
	 
 
	“Weakness of the Obama-era Executive Branch and State Department, and the associated alarming decline of our military, as President Obama coerced $93.2 billion in cuts to Department of Defense spending over 8 years, has brought great peril upon the world. Radical Islamic terrorists have exploited the power vacuum in the Middle East to terrorize and attack the free world from the shadows. These cowardly terrorist attacks are increasingly being carried out by ‘foreign fighters’…jihadist terrorists who have left the caliphate or their homeland, traveling abroad to radicalize others and to coordinate specific acts of terror and ‘lone-wolf’ jihadist attacks. My bill identifies terrorist fighters and the tactics they utilize to gain entry to the United States. We must identify and destroy this evil, while also bolstering our own security mechanisms to protect our homeland. The threats facing our nation are rapidly evolving and so must our efforts to defeat them.”
 
 
Read the bill here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/higgins-urges-conference-committee-include-key-provisions-tax-bill,Higgins Urges Conference Committee to Include Key Provisions in Tax Bill,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) sent a 3-page, detailed letter to Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and other members of the conference committee on tax reform, urging them to include several key provisions in the final legislative text of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act.
Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:
 
	“Our overall goal is to greatly reduce the tax burden, simplify the tax code, broaden the tax base, and grow the economy for all Americans. The conference committee is working diligently to merge both the House and Senate versions of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. I’m confident that they’ll reach a combined version that provides for the concerns of South Louisiana and results in tremendous economic growth.”
 
 
The letter highlights the following provisions for consideration by the conference committee:
 Lower the Corporate Tax Rate Effective Tax Year 2018
 Louisiana greatly benefits from the growing U.S. chemical, oil, and liquid natural gas industries, but today’s corporate tax rate often limits the positive local impact of these industries. To maximize economic growth, it is critical that we ensure the immediate implementation of tax reforms, including the reduction of the corporate tax rate to 20%.
 
 Full Repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax
 Initially established to ensure Americans and businesses were paying their fair share, the AMT has a history of disproportionately affecting upper-middle-class Americans and honest businesses.
 
 Full Repeal of the Death Tax
 The sunset of the estate tax will improve the lives of thousands of Americans trying to build a better life for their children and grandchildren. Louisianans today are faced with double, or even triple, taxation on family assets or family-owned farms and businesses when passing down their life’s work to the next generation.
 
 Preservation of Graduate Tuition Waivers as Non-Taxable Income
 My district includes two major universities: the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and McNeese State University. The faculty at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and many graduate students from my district have reached out to share their serious concerns that the treatment of these waivers as taxable income could greatly affect students’ ability to pursue advanced degrees.
 
 Preservation of the Historic Tax Credit
 The Historic Tax Credit provides important assistance to cities and towns in Louisiana working to preserve historic buildings, revitalize economic centers, and create good-paying jobs. These investments return more than $1.20 for every dollar credited, and in Louisiana, these credits have allowed for the redevelopment of main street businesses and residential and low-income housing.
 
 Reduction of the Federal Excise Tax for Craft Distillers
 In my district, small, locally-owned distilleries that use U.S. sugar carry a significantly higher tax burden than large, international corporations. A reduction in FET will cost little to the government but will produce immediate job and investment results for surrounding communities.
 
 Preservation of Private-Activity Bonds Tax-Exempt Status
 Private-activity bonds are a critical tool for tax-exempt organizations to raise capital and invest in updated facilities. Hospitals and airports in Louisiana rely on tax-exempt private-activity bonds to provide necessary healthcare and transportation services to rural communities.
 
Read the full letter here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-colleagues-ask-va-to-conduct-nationwide-review-of-providers-after-troubling-report,"Cassidy, Colleagues Ask VA to Conduct Nationwide Review of Providers after Troubling Report",2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.08.17
			 Cassidy, Colleagues Ask VA to Conduct Nationwide Review of Providers after Troubling Report 
			
			U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today joined Senator John Boozman (R-AR) and 12 of their Senate colleagues in calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a nationwide review of its providers after a USA Today investigation found multiple providers hired by the department had at least one state medical license revoked due to malpractice.
“For years, states have experienced provider shortages across many different medical specialties, and like the private sector healthcare industry, the VA has faced similar provider shortages,” states the senators’ letter to VA Secretary David Shulkin. “As such, we request information about the VA’s oversight of provider hiring guidelines to ensure that the pressure to fill shortages has not led to insufficient health care quality controls.”
In addition to Cassidy and Boozman, the letter was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Secretary Shulkin:
We write to express our serious concerns regarding recent media reports suggesting that the Department of Veterans Affairs offers employment to medical practitioners with a known history of licensure revocation by a state medical licensing board. The national reporting also highlighted cases of the VA hiring providers with known conduct and performance deficiencies that resulted in sanctions and criminal charges of the individuals.
For years, states have experienced provider shortages across many different medical specialties, and like the private sector healthcare industry, the VA has faced similar provider shortages. For states, such as Arkansas, in which many veterans eligible for VA care are rural, the provider shortage is even more pronounced. As such, we request information about the VA’s oversight of provider hiring guidelines to ensure that the pressure to fill shortages has not led to insufficient health care quality controls.
We request that the Department of Veterans Affairs conduct a nationwide review to identify all providers by state and specialty, who were known to have had adverse actions taken against their clinical privileges, to include the revocation of state medical licensure, and were subsequently hired by the Department. Of the individuals identified by the aforementioned report, what is the employment status of each individual identified? What additional oversight measures are required for providers identified through this review who remain employed by and practicing within the VA?
In addition to a review to determine the current status of providers within the VA, we would also like information relevant to oversight of VA policies regarding hiring of individuals who have disciplinary or performance deficiencies that resulted in sanctions, claims, or charges. At what level is a final personnel decision approved? Does the VA have regular reporting and review of any providers hired under these circumstances? How is the performance and conduct of such individuals tracked, including the healthcare outcomes they deliver for veterans? When the VA intends to hire a provider with known medical malpractice claims, what additional scrutiny or consideration are such applicants subjected to?
Does the VA have authority to hire a provider whose license has been revoked? When the VA considers hiring these providers, at what level does the VA approve a final offer of employment? Are such hiring decisions subject to reporting requirements to the Department? If so, to what level? Following the employment of such a provider, does the VA require any probationary periods of review or mandatory consultation prior to authorizing the direct provision of care to patients? Do these positions include any responsibility for the direct provision of medical care?
Please confirm the status of this request and provide a timeline for completion of the requested review. We ask that you please keep our offices updated on this issue. Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/photo-cassidy-tours-sasol-manufacturing-complex-in-lake-charles-discusses-jobs,"PHOTO: Cassidy Tours Sasol Manufacturing Complex in Lake Charles, Discusses Jobs",2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.08.17
			 PHOTO: Cassidy Tours Sasol Manufacturing Complex in Lake Charles, Discusses Jobs 
			
			
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited the Sasol petrochemical manufacturing complex in Westlake, Louisiana, today to discuss jobs and economic development.
“Sasol is creating thousands of jobs in Southwest Louisiana,” said Cassidy following the visit. “These are great jobs for Americans, better wages, better benefits. We need more of them and they’re providing them.”
“This project is going to significantly increase their output,” Cassidy continued. “It means lots of jobs. It means jobs for the future, because this is not just a project for four weeks or four months, but for years to come.”
According to Sasol, its ethane cracker and derivatives project “will roughly triple the company's chemical production capacity in the U.S.” and “create more than 500 full-time, high-paying manufacturing jobs, more than 5,000 construction jobs at peak and thousands of indirect jobs in Louisiana and across the U.S.” 

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https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/abraham-announces-13-million-grant-la-tech-cybersecurity-initiative,Abraham announces $1.3 million grant for La Tech cybersecurity initiative,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-Alto, announced today that Louisiana Tech University in Ruston will receive a grant for more than $1.3 million to enhance its cybersecurity programs.
The $1,312.488 grant was awarded by the National Science Foundation. The money will be used to support Tech’s proposed CyberCorps(R): Scholarship for Service (SFS) program to prepare highly-qualified cybersecurity professionals for entry into the government workforce. The program proposes to support 36 SFS@LaTech Scholars to complete either a bachelor’s degree in either Cyber Engineering or Computer Science with Cybersecurity concentration.
“Louisiana Tech is truly a leader in training the next generation of professionals who will be tasked with protecting our nation from cybersecurity threats. It is an incredibly important mission, and I am proud that this Louisiana institution is on the cutting edge of this field,” said Dr. Abraham, who represents Ruston. “As the first university in the country to establish a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Engineering degree program, I know that Tech is deserving of these funds, and I appreciate the National Science Foundation for awarding this grant.”
Dr. Abraham serves on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. He has authored legislation in Congress aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity of federal agencies.
“The need for qualified cybersecurity professionals is great in our country, and Louisiana Tech University is committed to helping meet that need,” said Tech President Les Guice. “Our students will be ready to enter the workforce and make an immediate positive impact through the CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service program (SFS@LaTech). In addition, we hope to diversify this segment of the workforce through our plans to target 40 percent of the scholarships for women and underrepresented groups.”
Hisham Hegab, a lead researcher for the grant, added, “In the first year of this grant, we anticipate funding study for seven undergraduate students who will prepare for careers in the growing field of cyber security. These students will have the opportunity to participate in internships and research that will help them fill the need for professionals who are committed to becoming exceptional government servants in this field.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-statement-2017-congressional-app-challenge-winners,Scalise Statement on 2017 Congressional App Challenge winners,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made the following statement regarding Louisiana's first Congressional district 2017 Congressional App Challenge winners. These four students from Northshore High School created ""Cajun Cookout"", an app that teaches budget management tools in the form of a game. 
 
“I congratulate Northshore High School students Anna Yue, Charles Blackwell, Claire Picou, and Cody Armand for winning the 2017 Congressional App Challenge for the First Congressional District. Their hard work, creativity, and technological skills are to be commended. As a former software engineer, I am excited to see schools and students in southeast Louisiana focusing on technology and being creative about how to apply technology in our everyday lives. These four high school students took their passion in coding and appreciation for Cajun cuisine, and combined it with their idea about budget management to make a working application. I congratulate them for their work and success with this app, and commend Northshore High for their investment and focus on technological education.” 
 
Congressman Scalise is a former software engineer who earned a degree in Computer Science from Louisiana State University. 

	###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-cornyn-toomey-introduce-bill-to-prioritize-medicaid-patients-over-lottery-winners-,"Cassidy, Cornyn, Toomey Introduce Bill to Prioritize Medicaid Patients Over Lottery Winners",2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.07.17
			 Cassidy, Cornyn, Toomey Introduce Bill to Prioritize Medicaid Patients Over Lottery Winners  
			
			U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Pat Toomey (R-PA) introduced the Prioritizing the Most Vulnerable Over Lottery Winners Act, legislation that would help ensure states are able to focus Medicaid assistance on the most vulnerable by dis-enrolling people who win the lottery.
“As a doctor who served Medicaid patients for decades, I understand how important the program is to the elderly, Americans with disabilities, and others in need,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The Medicaid program should prioritize the people who need help the most, not lottery winners. That’s only fair to taxpayers and the patients who truly rely on it.”
“Closing this loophole will ensure states are able to focus their Medicaid dollars on those most in need of assistance, not on high-dollar lottery winners,” said Cornyn. “This bill will give states the ability to disenroll someone who receives a high-dollar lump sum payment while also ensuring impacted individuals facing potential medical hardship can keep their assistance.”
“I commend Senator Cornyn for introducing this measure to improve the integrity of Medicaid and help ensure taxpayer resources are going to those who need them most,” said Toomey.
Under current Medicaid regulations, large lump sum payments, such as lottery winnings, are counted as income only in the month received. As a result, states are effectively not allowed to dis-enroll lottery winners from Medicaid. This forces taxpayers to bear the burden of lottery winners’ health care benefits.
The bill would close the current loophole by requiring states to count monetary winnings from lotteries of $80,000 or more as if they were obtained over multiple months, even if obtained in a single month, for purposes of determining individual's eligibility for a state Medicaid program under Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) rules. Impacted individuals could continue to be eligible for medical assistance if denial of eligibility would cause undue medical or financial hardship.
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/photo-cassidy-kennedy-discuss-renewable-fuel-standards-harmful-impact-on-louisiana-with-president-trump-administration-officials,"PHOTO: Cassidy, Kennedy Discuss Renewable Fuel Standard’s Harmful Impact on Louisiana with President Trump, Administration Officials",2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.07.17
			 PHOTO: Cassidy, Kennedy Discuss Renewable Fuel Standard’s Harmful Impact on Louisiana with President Trump, Administration Officials 
			
			
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and John Kennedy (R-LA) visited the White House today and met with President Trump and several administration officials regarding potential changes to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which mandates that diesel and gasoline contain increasing amounts of ethanol and other renewable fuels, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Up to 150,000 jobs are potentially at risk if American independent refiners go out of business due to the RFS.
“The current Renewable Fuel Standard is harming Louisiana refiners, families, fishers and workers,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The status quo is unacceptable, so today’s meeting with President Trump was a positive step in the right direction. I look forward to finding answers for this issue.”
“Louisiana is one of the nation’s largest energy refining states. As such, we have 17 refineries with thousands of workers who depend on maintaining a reasonable proportion of biofuels for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It’s imperative that we ensure our nation’s refineries have a seat at the table as we continue to debate a potential legislative overhaul of the RFS,” said Kennedy. 
It’s estimated the RFS costs Americans 13-26 cents more per gallon at the gas pump—hundreds of dollars each year. The RFS also increases the price of corn, which has led to higher grocery costs for American families.
Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Barrasso (R-WY), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), James Inhofe (R-OK), Mike Enzi (R-WY), James Lankford (R-OK) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) also attended the meeting, along with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn.
In January 2016, Cassidy introduced legislation to repeal the RFS.
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tomorrow-cassidy-tours-sasol-manufacturing-complex-in-lake-charles-discusses-jobs-and-manufacturing,"TOMORROW: Cassidy Tours Sasol Manufacturing Complex in Lake Charles, Discusses Jobs and Manufacturing",2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.07.17
			 TOMORROW: Cassidy Tours Sasol Manufacturing Complex in Lake Charles, Discusses Jobs and Manufacturing 
			
			Tomorrow, December 8, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) will visit the Sasol petrochemical manufacturing complex in Westlake, Louisiana, to discuss jobs and manufacturing. Representatives of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance will also attend.
According to Sasol, its ethane cracker and derivatives project “will roughly triple the company's chemical production capacity in the U.S.” and “create more than 500 full-time, high-paying manufacturing jobs, more than 5,000 construction jobs at peak and thousands of indirect jobs in Louisiana and across the U.S.”
Cassidy will hold on-camera media availability following his closed-press tour of the facility. Members of the media wishing to attend the availability must RSVP to ty_bofferding@cassidy.senate.gov.
Friday, December 8, 2017
5:00 – 5:15 PM CT
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA)
Media availability following closed-press tour
Sasol
2101 Houston River Rd
Westlake, LA 70669
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-urges-nih-director-to-make-fighting-the-opioid-epidemic-a-priority,VIDEO: Cassidy Urges NIH Director to Make Fighting the Opioid Epidemic a Priority,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.07.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy Urges NIH Director to Make Fighting the Opioid Epidemic a Priority 
			
			

During today’s Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on the implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) urged National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D. to make combating the opioid epidemic a priority by providing sufficient funding to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Key excerpts of Cassidy’s comments are transcribed below.
During a HELP committee hearing on the opioid crisis last week, Cassidy questioned state officials on best practices for addressing addiction and identifying “pill-mill” doctors.
CASSIDY: Dr. Collins, again, great respect for you and for your institute. But as I have pointed out in the past, we don’t seem to have an NIH which targets funding relative to disease burden. So when I look at NIDA, their budget only went up 2 percent last year, and it still remains far smaller than other institutes in which there is far less morbidity and mortality flowing from those disease conditions.
So if we are going to address the issues of opioids or mental health, both of which are playing into this, it seems like there has to be a greater shift in where our funding is going at NIH towards these disease conditions.
Now in the past you’ve suggested that, ‘Well we’ll kind of organically grow, oh, this one’s stable, and allow this one to grow.’ But when I look at it, all the institutes seem to be growing at about the same pace.
So I guess my question for you is, it doesn’t seem as if NIH is making these a priority if you look over other conditions, if you look at the relative funding increase of those institutes. You’re a very thoughtful person, so please give me your thoughts on that.
COLLINS: Senator, you point to a very important issue about how do we make decisions. I have to point out however that it’s the Congress that assigns a budget, it’s a line item every year in the appropriations process, to each of those institutes. As the NIH director, I don’t get to set those numbers. And so we follow what the Congress tells us ought to be the appropriation for a given year. And then, we work with great flexibility to try to be sure that when there is a public health need, as there is now, for instance, with opioids, which I think you are referring to. Because of course we have a big opportunity there in terms of our understanding of how the brain works. The brain initiative is directly relevant here. The neurology institute has an enormous investment in understanding pain, as does the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. So one shouldn’t look at our organizational structure and say that the money actually fits precisely into those buckets. We have lots of ways that we can mix—
CASSIDY: I accept that, if I may, just because I have limited time. So you’re saying that if we want more money to go to the National Institute of Drug Addiction [sic], we need to line item it in our budget.
COLLINS: That’s the only way it happens.
CASSIDY: So that said, the flexibility does seem as if it should be flexing toward things like NIDA. Pain is important, but ultimately pain translates into addiction. That’s a final common pathway, and so it does seem as if we should be flexing towards them. Is that where the flexing is taking place?
COLLINS: I think that’s what we’re trying to do, is to shift the priority opportunities we have, more funds into that space, because we recognize this is a terrible public health emergency. 
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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		    	Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congress-eyes-end-year-deal-childrens-health-insurance-program-louisianas,"Congress eyes end-of-year deal on Children's Health Insurance Program, as Louisiana's governor urges action",2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"Despite widespread bipartisan support for the Children's Health Insurance Program, lawmakers on Capitol Hill remain uncertain just when and how the lapsed program might get a renewal.
Louisiana will begin running out of federal dollars to operate the program sometime in January, according to the Governor's Office, forcing the state either to shift funds from other health care programs or to cancel coverage for kids.
Gov. John Bel Edwards sent the state's congressional delegation a letter Wednesday urging them to move swiftly to renew CHIP. The program expired at the end of September.
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congressman-seeks-pledge-med-school-will-stay-shreveport,Congressman seeks pledge med school will stay in Shreveport,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham wants any deal renegotiating management of north Louisiana's safety-net hospitals to include promises LSU will maintain its medical school in the region.
The Republican congressman from northeast Louisiana sent Gov. John Bel Edwards a letter Wednesday requesting the language be included in any contracts for a new company to manage the hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe.
Abraham graduated from the LSU medical school in Shreveport.
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/la-governor-offers-new-assurance-shreveport-medical-school,La. governor offers new assurance on Shreveport medical school,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"Louisiana's governor is again affirming his commitment to keep LSU Medical School in Shreveport open.
Wednesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards responded to a letter from U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham about the future of safety net hospitals in north Louisiana and the medical school.
Abraham wants protections for the medical school built into any new hospital management contract. He also sent a letter to LSU Board of Supervisors Stephen Perry about the situation.
""I understand that the state and LSU have sought a resolution to the often-tenuous relationship with its current manager, BRF, and I appreciate that Oschner has a reputation of delivering high quality and affordable health care to patients throughout South Louisiana,"" Abraham said. ""Certainly, bringing stability to the management of the hospitals will provide much needed peace of mind to the patients who utilize those facilities.""
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/rep-abraham-demands-lsu-med-school-stay-put,Rep. Abraham demands LSU med school stay put,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Ralph Abraham, R-Alto, has sent a letter to Gov. John Bel Edwards asking him to guarantee the LSU medical school in Shreveport won't be moved under a potential new partnership with Ochsner Health System.
The LSU Board of Supervisors is set to consider the potential partnership that would have Ochsner take over the state's safety net hospitals in Monroe and Shreveport from current operator BRF at its meeting Friday in New Orleans.
University Health Conway in Monroe and University Health in Shreveport operate in conjunction with LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport.
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/rep-abraham-dogs-best-friend,Rep. Abraham: Dog's best friend?,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dogs may be considered man's best friend, but U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham is gaining a reputation as dog's best friend.
The medical doctor and former veterinarian was featured on the cover of the American Kennel Club's ""In Session"" congressional newsletter this week.
Abraham, R-Alto, earned the ""Congressional Canine Spotlight"" feature after he saved fellow U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows' (R-N.C.) apricot toy poodle, Jolie, earlier this year.
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/abraham-asks-edwards-assurances-north-louisiana-medical-school,Abraham asks Edwards for assurances for North Louisiana medical school,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-Alto, today sent a letter to Gov. Edwards and LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Stephen Perry urging them to add protections for Shreveport’s medical school in any contracts approved for a new hospital management company.
LSU and Oschner Health System are considering partnering so that Oschner would manage LSU Health Science Center Shreveport and University Health Conway in Monroe. Dr. Abraham is requesting that the new contract include language that specifically says a medical school will always remain in North Louisiana.
Dr. Abraham wrote, “I understand that the state and LSU have sought a resolution to the often-tenuous relationship with its current manager, BRF, and I appreciate that Oschner has a reputation of delivering high quality and affordable health care to patients throughout South Louisiana. Certainly, bringing stability to the management of the hospitals will provide much needed peace of mind to the patients who utilize those facilities.
“But part of providing that peace of mind should include assurances that any new manager commits to keeping the medical school and teaching hospitals in North Louisiana. I believe that the state and a new management company should take this opportunity to reaffirm this commitment to North Louisiana.”
Dr. Abraham graduated from the Shreveport medical school in 1994 and interned at Conway. To view the letter to Gov. Edwards, click here. To view the letter to Chairman Perry, click here.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2017/12/06/congressman-higgins-votes-strengthen-second-amendment-rights/,Congressman Higgins Votes to Strengthen Second Amendment Rights,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"“‘Shall not be infringed,’ was not intended by the drafters of our Constitution and Bill of Rights to be a suggestion. Every American that can legally possess and own a weapon, and carry in whatever manner, should have that protection in every state across the nation. The fundamental and Constitutional right to bear arms should not end at state lines. This is common sense legislation, and I’m proud to serve as a cosponsor. I will always vote to defend and uphold Second Amendment rights for all Americans.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T22:19:19Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-higgins-votes-strengthen-second-amendment-rights,Congressman Higgins Votes to Strengthen Second Amendment Rights,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, today in a 231-198 vote. The bill allows qualified, law-abiding individuals to carry a concealed handgun outside their state of residence.     Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:
 
	“’Shall not be infringed,’ was not intended by the drafters of our Constitution and Bill of Rights to be a suggestion. Every American that can legally possess and own a weapon, and carry in whatever manner, should have that protection in every state across the nation. The fundamental and Constitutional right to bear arms should not end at state lines. This is common sense legislation, and I’m proud to serve as a cosponsor. I will always vote to defend and uphold Second Amendment rights for all Americans.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/garret-graves-no-back-pay-bowe-budget-flood-relief-and-universal-concealed,"Garret Graves on no back pay for Bowe, the budget, flood relief and universal concealed carry.",2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"In our weekly visit with Congressman Garret Graves, we covered a lot of ground…. everything from funding government through the end of the year, to his thoughts on statewide reciprocity on concealed carry to a bill he’s sponsoring to deny back pay to convicted deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.  To listen click here",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/mchugh-david-nfip-exposes-problems-bureaucratic-one-law-fits-all-mantra,McHugh David: NFIP exposes problems with bureaucratic one-law-fits-all mantra,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"While tax reform is dominating the majority of conversation in and around Washington D.C. before Christmas, another subject is also being debated (hotly) on the floor - the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
The heated debate has created yet another temporary extension of the program, while the houses on Capitol Hill find a plan that suits all.
The problem? Well, it’s those who think that fair and equitable premiums for all floodplain homeowners are important, versus those that think the deficit the program currently runs is entirely too out-of-bounds, requiring radical change to get back into the financial green.
What’s actually occuring here is a debate between those that care - because their constituents are affected - and those who may not necessarily be disinterested, but are removed enough from the problem to where they view it as dollars and cents.
Interestingly enough, flooding is one of the disasters that most parts of the United States share at least some common ground.
Earthquakes are mostly local to the west coast; blizzards in the northeast; below 0 temperatures in the upper mid-west; hurricanes on the Gulf of Mexico coast; even tornados are somewhat oddly placed outside of the lower mid-west.
But flooding? That can happen anywhere, as much of America’s 3.8 million (rounded) square miles is covered with giant drains (see: rivers).
Unfortunately, the case can be made that flooding is still more rampant in certain parts of the country as opposed to others - and Louisiana just happens to be one of those places.
Even if you remove the Great Flood of 2016, there was wide-spread flooding in Louisiana two springs in a row after downpours left much of the northern and western part of the state inundated, as well as southern Livingston Parish.
What also makes Louisiana different is that, for the most part, a huge chunk of the real estate market are located on the flood plains. If they aren’t, those pieces of property either survived the first two flood plain remodels, were elevated out of the flood plain, or were lucky enough to be built on some natural knoll.
It may not be the case for long, however, as Congressman Garret Graves is proposing a compromise that would keep premiums low but spread the risk by requiring more homes to carry flood insurance.
So the battle is uphill for Louisiana’s D.C. delegation, who are fighting the good fight against budgetary sticklers who want to, quite simply, jack up premiums and walk away.
The understanding is that an increase in premiums could be disastrous for any real estate markets which have a glut of homes for sale inside flood plains - East Baton Rouge and Livingston, for example.
The program has existed for too long, and the rules enforced haphazardly, that the calamitous increase of premiums isn’t feasible, and we will, instead, see a small percentage increase in premiums and a widening of the “risk net” to include more areas that, at present, aren’t required to have flood insurance.
The initial “just raise the premiums” reaction is a major problem that exists at present - centralized government, made up of a vast array of differences, trying to apply “one-law-fits” mentality to a large country that, for all intents and purposes, could not possibly be (relatively speaking) more diverse.
Louisiana’s delegation should be applauded for standing up and saying, “no, this is not good enough,” but too often this doesn’t happen. Too often the United States ends up with economic, educational, social, and public policy which may be beneficial for one area with the appropriate demographics, but completely unrealistic for another.
Perhaps the increase in premiums and spread of the risk pool will shy builders and developers away from high-risk areas but the fact remains that Louisiana stood to suffer the most from the initial reformation proposals.
Until folks understand that America is, in itself, widely diverse an policy must consider all, not the best fit, local angles - the country will continue to fracture",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-applauds-house-passage-concealed-carry-reciprocity-act,Scalise Applauds House Passage of Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made the following statement applauding the House's passage of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.
 
“Today the House took strong action to strengthen our Second Amendment rights with the passage of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. With this law, we put public safety first by stopping guns from getting into the hands of criminals and ensuring federal agencies who fail to report accurate records of felons trying to get a weapon are penalized, while also allowing our law-abiding citizens to protect themselves from these criminals by providing concealed carry license reciprocity across state lines. By mandating enforcement of laws already on the books and protecting the ability of our law-abiding citizens to defend themselves, we are making important progress in preventing mass shootings from happening in the future. I encourage the Senate to take swift action to pass this bill so we can send it to President Trump's desk to be signed into law.""
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-applauds-president-trumps-announcement-jerusalem,Scalise Applauds President Trump's Announcement on Jerusalem,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made the following statement regarding President Trump's announcement formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as the House and Senate have both previously unanimously supported.
 “Today President Trump actually followed through on what most politicians have simply talked about for years and fulfilled his promise to recognize the reality that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and begin the steps necessary to move the U.S. Embassy there. Congress has long maintained that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and I applaud President Trump for once again demonstrating strong leadership on the world stage in support of our strongest ally in the Middle East as we show that we do not let terrorists dictate the terms for peace.""
 
Earlier, the Whip discussed the announcement with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network. Click here to watch the interview.
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-fox-business-were-going-push-tax-reform-bill-next-two-weeks,Scalise on Fox Business: We're going to push the tax reform bill in the next two weeks,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox Business Network's Mornings with Maria this morning to discuss the Congress's intention to pass the reconciled Tax Cuts and Jobs Act within the next two weeks. Additionally, the Whip praised President Trump's announcement on recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and spoke about the Democrats' threats to shutdown the government and refusal give a pay raise to our troops.  
	 
  
	Click here or on the image above to see his full interview. 

	On President Trump's announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel:
 “I think if you look at a lot of the success we’ve had at bringing our allies together, that’s been from the leadership of President Trump. He doesn’t get enough credit for it, but we had eight years of Barack Obama cutting deals with Iran, isolating our ally Israel and it really did cause a weakening of the relationship, and I think the ability to get peace because if you’re tilting the scale in favor of Palestinians at the expense of Israel, that set us back. President Trump has reset that and I think shown he is willing to back up our allies, and in this case, enforce the law—the federal law for over 20 years that has said that the capital of Israel is Jerusalem. Obviously, it’s ben in Tel Aviv—the embassy has been—but this is something the President has been talking about, and you know, the fact that he’d be criticized for following through on campaign promises I think makes people wonder what the motivations are, but when a terrorist organization like Hamas is criticizing it, that maybe he’s on the right track.
		 
		…
		 
		“They’ve had days of rage for years and years and we haven't gotten peace. So, the fact, again, you've got the President of the United States, Donald Trump, saying, ‘we’re going to support and back our friend Israel,’ and our other friends all around the Middle East look at that and say, ‘finally, [the U.S.] has a President who is willing to back [their] friends, and maybe stand up for what’s right in the world.’ I think that gives us a better chance to get peace, when you're not willing to roll over and let terrorist organizations dictate the terms.”
 
On why Americans will like and benefit from tax reform:
 “People I’ve talked to like the plan, because they realize that the middle class is going to get a great tax cut and it’s going to boost the economy. Depending how you ask the question—and I haven't seen the question they asked there—if you look at the media reports, what you hear Democrats in Congress say is that it’s going to be a lot of things that it is not. All that they’re doing is opposing tax cuts for middle-class and hard-working families. So, when you look at what our plan does, everybody that’s actually done estimates on it will say average families are going to see about $1,200 back in their pockets. You’re going to see economic growth. We’re going to bring jobs back to America. You know all of us have complained when you see big companies moving good jobs—thousands of jobs at a time—to foreign countries. We’re doing something about it in our bill, and people when you tell them about that, they really like that feature. When you find out that over 90% of Americans can do their taxes on a postcard because we simplify the code, people really like that. So, you know, education really helps a lot. I go out and talk about it in my district, and people love the things that they hear. They just haven’t heard it in the mainstream press.”
 
On working through the differences between the House and Senate version in the conference committee:
 “In the House version, we repeal the alternative minimum tax, just one more thing that just makes it harder for businesses to grow. They’re going to work out those differences in conference. We are looking at trying to do some other things, maybe lowering the top rate more, helping our small businesses even more. We do a lot to help small businesses in our bill; we can do more to make that even better. When you see the kind of economic growth we’re going to get from this bill after eight years of stagnation and slow growth, I think people were just accustomed to that being the best we can do, and we can do a lot better. You’re already seeing a lot of optimism out there, and I think you’re going to see a lot more job creation. Again, wage growth that we haven't seen in a long time and once that happens people are going to be real happy with what they see.”
		...
		 
		“I think they’re looking at all of that in the conference committee. Obviously, the differences between the House and Senate you can go look at. But even things like the individual mandate repeal that was in the Senate version—we’ve repealed the individual mandate in the House many times. Something like that could be in a final version too. We have some differences on the death tax. I’d like to see a full repeal of the death tax; the Senate’s got a different take on it. Let's get these final differences worked out, but the big things that we already agree upon are I think what’s most important to the economy, and that’s lowering rates, making the country competitive again. And the biggest point of this all is that we've had a President in Donald Trump who [has] led the charge on this. He’s said, ‘I want to rebuild our middle-class. I want to bring jobs back to America and make us competitive.’ He’s really been incredibly helpful, and the Vice President, in making sure that we can get the votes to pass it through the House. He was very engaged in the Senate too. We’ve got one step left. We’re on the one-yard line. We’re going to push this thing in the next two weeks.”
 
On states with high state and local income taxes:
 “You’ve already had a dramatic mobility away from those states. Just go to Florida, go to Texas. In Texas, you’ll see a bunch of high-income people and businesses that moved out of California. In Florida, you'll see the same thing from New York's high taxes. States with high taxes have already really been really decimating their economies and running off a lot of the job creators that you’d want to keep. It might continue, but the bottom line is people are going to get tax cuts under this bill, and across the board. That is what is most important, and that’s going to get our economy moving again. We were so used to less than 2% growth under Barack Obama, 1.8% growth was a good day for some people. We’re already well over 2%, 3%. If you break 4% growth on a regular basis, what that means to families that have been working hard and struggling to finally see wage growth, finally see more money in their paychecks, that’s going to be a really big win for our economy.”
 
On the possibility of lowering the top individual rate:
 “The bill allows for $1.5 trillion in tax cuts, which is unbelievably dramatic, Reagan Revolution kind of stuff that we’re talking about. So, if you lower the top rate to some level below 39.6%, then ultimately they've got to find another way to make up for that money.
		 
		…
		 
		“That’s what the conference committee is working on right now, they’ve got ideas, but until they come up with something that works best for the economy for hard-working families, let's let them continue to do the work. The fact that they’re trying to lower that rate I think is good for everybody, including the folks you’re talking about in high-tax states and I work real closely with my colleagues in New York and New Jersey, and California and Illinois that have been trying to fix this problem even more, and I think you’re going to see a big win for families at every income level, and that's what we’re trying to achieve: fairness across the board. Everyone should be a winner from this and it will be if you look at what’s going to happen in the economy.”
 
On whether there will be a government shutdown:
 “No, this week we’re looking at bringing a short-term spending bill. It’s not a long-term agreement I'd like to get. I’d like to see real certainty for our Defense Department and a pay raise for our troops. The fact that you’ve got some liberals around here that don’t even want to give certainty to our troops is a shame, but we’re going to keep working through this.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/graves-announces-2017-congressional-app-challenge-winner,Graves Announces 2017 Congressional App Challenge Winner,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Baton Rouge, La — Congressman Garret Graves (R-Baton Rouge) is pleased to announce that Evan Goldsmith, a senior at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, is the 2017  winner of the Congressional App Challenge from the Sixth Congressional District.  Goldsmith’s app, “The Schedule Tracker” was created to scan student ID’s and provide an interactive map of their campuses and their class schedules.  It also allows students to scan a friend’s ID to compare schedules and class location. 
“Due to the size of many campuses, a majority of young students often find themselves struggling to make it to class on time and I hope this app will help them succeed as students,” Goldsmith said. 
The Congressional App Challenge is a national competition aimed at encouraging U.S. students to learn how to code by creating their own application.  The challenge is intended to highlight the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and encourage students to engage in these fields. 
“We were blown away by the creative ideas and programming used to create these apps.  These students are the future leaders of Louisiana and I would like to thank everyone who submitted apps and encourage them to continue to generate new ideas on how to improve the lives of people across the globe, said Graves. 
Rep. Graves surprised Goldsmith at his school today to announce that he won this year’s competition.  This was the first year for students in the 6th District to participate and Graves’ office had over 30 apps submitted.  A panel of five judges helped select the winners:  Dr. Judy Wornat, LSU Dean of Engineering, Nathan Cotton, Interim President of Louisiana Science Teacher Association, Charlie D’Agastino, Executive Director of LSU Innovation Park,  Beth O’Quinn, Talent Manager, Louisiana Client Innovation Center at IBM Corporation and Chris Kimmel, Director of Application Development at Sparkhound.
Rep. Graves also stopped by Lee Magnet High School to congratulate the second and third place winners.  There was a tie for second place and those apps are “Stay Alive” by Fikir Gebremedhin, an app designed to help teens deal with mental disorders and “Seizure Alert” by Scott Butler and Blake Swan, which was created to help those with seizures alert others during a seizure attack.  Three apps also tied for third place: “Brella” an app created by Alan Thurman, Max Morris and Saugat Ghimire focusing on helping those find homes or a place to stay after a natural disaster, “Little Library Tracker” by Margaret Stewart that enables others to find and share books, and  ""Keys to My Health ” by Raven Dickenson that allows those with diabetes to enter and track their numbers and  plan a healthy meal plan based on those results.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Goldsmith, as first place winner from Congressman Graves’ district will receive a $250 credit in Amazon Web Services, his app displayed in the U.S. Capitol and on the house.gov website (10 million visitors a year).  He will also receive an invitation to the House of Code, a reception in Spring 2018 at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC. 
Congressman Graves remains committed to generating new resources and initiatives for students to get involved with the STEM industry.  Added Graves, “We must invest in a well-educated STEM workforce. Technology continues to evolve and we need to encourage  our students to venture into the computer sciences to help further economic growth and innovation in our region and to remain competitive.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/graves-bill-bans-back-pay-bowe-bergdahl,Graves Bill Bans Back Pay for Bowe Bergdahl,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC – Congressmen Garret Graves (R-LA) and Tim Walz (D-MN) recently introduced legislation to prevent Army Pvt. Bowe Bergdahl from being awarded any back pay or allowances from the United States Army.  Last month, Bergdahl pled guilty to desertion and misbehavior rather than face trial for leaving his post while deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. He will not serve any jail time, and the Army is currently reviewing the issue of awarding Bergdahl back pay. Under current Army regulation, Bergdahl’s status was “absent from his post without authority” for the one day he abandoned his post.  After being captured by the Taliban, his detainment is classified as “missing-captured,” a time period for which the Army may decide to award him with back pay and allowances.  President Obama made the decision to exchange five Guantanamo Bay detainees for Bergdahl in 2014.
“Bergdahl’s actions put the lives of countless service members in jeopardy and directly caused serious injuries that many will live with for the rest of their lives. The idea of Bergdahl receiving any back pay is absurd – those funds should go to the service members and families affected by the search that followed his desertion. Putting others in harm’s way is something the Army should take very seriously, which is why I recently joined many colleagues in requesting the Army not award Bergdahl any back pay. Additionally, we introduced this legislation to prohibit funds from being awarded to Bergdahl for his time detained. Under our legislation, those funds would instead be redirected to the service members who bravely searched for Bergdahl,” says Graves.
The bill has bipartisan support including co-sponsor Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
""To succeed and return home safely, our men and women in uniform count on each other to do their jobs and entrust in each other their lives,"" Walz said. “This legislation is the least we can do to honor the brave service members who risked their lives in search of Mr. Bergdahl.""
The term “absent from his post without authority” doesn’t properly convey the seriousness of this offense.  Graves added, “The U.S. military represents the very best of our country. Bergdahl’s decision to abandon his post is an insult to his fellow service members and should not be rewarded in any manner.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-%E2%80%9Cwe%E2%80%99re-one-yard-line%E2%80%9D,Scalise: Were at the one-yard line,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"“I want to thank my colleagues last night for coming together and sending this Tax Cut and Jobs bill to conference committee, so we can be now one final step away from getting historic tax relief, where families at Christmastime are going to finally see that this Congress went to work for them, put together a bill the cuts taxes across the board.
		“Hard-working people who have not seen job growth for the last 10 years, many of whom who haven't seen their paychecks increase over the last 10 years, are finally going to get real relief. They're going to see more money in their pockets from lower tax rates. On average, families are going to see $1,200 more in their pockets.
		“And what does that really mean? When -- the average family right now has $400 in their checking account -- across the country that's the average, $400 in a checking account. When you're going to be able to get $1,200 more a year back, that's a big deal to hard-working families who have been struggling. That's maybe a family vacation that they haven't been able to take for years, an opportunity for them to expand on their house, to put more money away for their kids' college.
		“This is going to be real relief for families. And then when you look at what happens on the corporate side, where our country right now has the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world, people know what that means. That means every time we see a large company, a well-known company, move thousands of jobs overseas it angers us. It should anger us. But I think what angers people the most is that they haven't seen anything done about it.
		“In our bill, we actually do something about it. We bring those jobs back to America. How about that for a great Christmas present for families who lost jobs: good jobs? I'm talking $50,000-, $70,000-, $80,000-, $120,000-a-year jobs that we've seen go to other countries.
		“Now, these are countries we like -- friends of ours: Ireland, Canada other countries that have been happy to take our jobs. We're still going to have good relationships with those countries, but we're going to take our jobs back and rebuild our middle class. That's what this bill means.
		“It's about time we get it done.
		“I'm really glad we took one more step last night, but now we're at the final step. We're not only in the red zone, we're at the one-yard line and we're going to get this done before Christmas, and President Trump is ready to sign this bill that will create jobs and make America competitive again.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-chairs-energy-subcommittee-hearing-on-small-scale-lng-access-act,VIDEO: Cassidy Chairs Energy Subcommittee Hearing on Small Scale LNG Access Act,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.05.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy Chairs Energy Subcommittee Hearing on Small Scale LNG Access Act 
			
			

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, chaired its Energy Subcommittee hearing on several pieces of proposed legislation, including his own Small Scale LNG Access Act (S.1981). The bill would expedite the approval of natural gas exports equal to or less than 51.1 billion cubic feet per year. These exports would be deemed consistent with the public interest and green lighted without delay.
 
A full transcript of Cassidy’s opening remarks in the hearing is below.
 
CASSIDY: Good afternoon. I call this hearing to order.
 
Today, the business before the subcommittee is to receive testimony on several pieces of legislation relating to the applied energy programs at the Department of Energy. I would like to thank Under Secretary Mark Menezes for appearing before the subcommittee today to provide the Department of Energy’s perspective. A Louisiana native and fellow LSU Tiger, I introduced Under Secretary Menezes at his confirmation hearing. I am pleased to welcome him back today.
 
A bill under consideration today is one I introduced with Senator Rubio: the Small Scale LNG Access Act of 2017. This legislation codifies a rule proposed by the Department of Energy to expedite the approval of small-scale exports of natural gas. Small-scale exports primarily target markets in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. These markets represent relatively untapped potential as the United States only exported approximately three billion cubic feet of natural gas to the region in 2016. 
 
Increasing exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas—or LNG—will decrease Caribbean & Central American reliance on Venezuelan fuel oil, increase economic opportunities, and offer a cleaner-burning fuel source for those nations. Reducing the time and investment required for small-scale exports will simultaneously benefit U.S. production, manufacturing, and construction jobs while also reducing trade deficits with the importing country. Increasing LNG exports, even on a small scale, will positively impact the economies of the U.S. and those receiving the U.S. gas.
 
I would like to submit a letter for the record that I, along with Chairman Barrasso and Chairman Murkowski, sent to Secretary Perry in support of the Department of Energy proposed rule. The letter highlights the U.S.’ ability to meet the demands of increased LNG exports and the benefits of doing so.
 
In addition, the committee will consider three bills relating to energy storage. Just a few weeks ago in this room, the full committee held a robust hearing on energy storage highlighting a number of opportunities and challenges associated with these technologies. Our accomplished panel of witnesses provided numerous thoughts on what a successful research, development, demonstration, and deployment program could look like. Today we continue that conversation by considering:
 
- S. 1455, Senator Flake’s Energy Storage Goals and Demonstration Projects Act;
- S. 1851, Senator Franken’s Advancing Grid Storage Act; and
- S. 1876, Senator Wyden’s Reducing the Cost of Energy Storage Act.
 
In addition, we will consider Chairman Gardner’s Reliable Investment in Vital Energy Reauthorization Act, a bill that previously was reported from this committee last year and included in the energy bill, as well as Senator Tillis’ Ceiling Fan Energy Conservation Harmonization Act.
 
Last but not least, we will consider Senator Manchin’s Rare Earth Element Advanced Coal Technologies Act, which I am sure he will touch on during his opening statement.
 
With that, I turn to Senator Manchin.
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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		    	Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/graves-bill-improve-fema-s-performance-signed-law,Graves Bill to Improve FEMAs Performance Signed into Law,2017-12-04,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"“It’s just wrong that disaster victims are often re-victimized by FEMA inefficiencies,” said Graves.
A bill authored by Congressman Garret Graves (R-South Louisiana) to directly address the frustrations disaster victims experience regarding the status of federal assistance administered through FEMA, was signed into law by President Trump last week. Graves worked with local flood victims and parish and state officials to address these challenges through legislation.
“It’s just wrong that disaster victims are often re-victimized by FEMA inefficiencies,” said Graves. “Here we are in the 21st Century, living private lives that revolve around technology – yet interacting with the government is like going back in time. Flood victims still have to dial an 800 number, sit on hold and wait for one of the hundreds of FEMA call center employees to search a database to get an update on a claim’s status. The process is filled with uncertainty, is expensive and leaves taxpayers feeling extraordinarily frustrated.”
Graves’ H.R. 1679, the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017 requires the agency to modernize its grant management system and provide secure online access to applicants. It would ensure FEMA’s improvement efforts include robust applicant accessibility and transparency measures.
Graves continued, “This bill would also bridge the current information gap between state and local government efforts that undermines their ability to complement federal recovery programs. This does not pass even the most basic common sense test. Gathering and sharing information on response and recovery work is a basic management principle and serves only to improve efficient execution of overall efforts.”
Rep. Graves is a leading voice in the effort to modernize the federal government and a number of his technology solutions have made significant progress, including his FEMA Modernization, Accountability and Transparency Act, the Innovation in Offshore Leasing Act and a provision in the FAST Act that encouraged better application of technologies to improve traffic systems – which was signed into law. This year he was invited to the White House to participate in the president’s American Technology Council, accompanying CEOs from Amazon, Microsoft and other companies at the forefront of tech-innovation. Graves is also a member of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s innovation working group, which exists to identify legislative opportunities to innovate how the government operates to improve its performance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-applauds-house-approval-motion-go-conference-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act,Scalise Applauds House Approval of Motion to Go to Conference on Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,2017-12-04,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made the following statement regarding the House's vote to go to conference with the Senate on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, following the Senate's passage of the bill last week.
 
“With the House's vote to go to conference with the Senate on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we are moving even closer to getting historic tax relief over the finish line. While there are some differences between the House and Senate bill that we will work out in the conference committee, the basic principles remain the same: cutting taxes for hard-working families, lowering the corporate rate so we can make America competitive again and bring thousands of good jobs back home, and simplifying the tax code so much that more than 90% of families can do their taxes on a postcard!  
""As we head into the new year, American families need this extra tax cut and boost to their paychecks more than ever, and I look forward to working to get the final bill to President Trump's desk by Christmas so we can deliver this economic gift to American families.""
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/louisiana-leaders-praise-cassidys-work-to-preserve-historic-tax-credit,Louisiana Leaders Praise Cassidy’s Work to Preserve Historic Tax Credit,2017-12-04,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.04.17
			 Louisiana Leaders Praise Cassidy’s Work to Preserve Historic Tax Credit 
			
			Louisiana leaders are praising U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) for his work to preserve the Historic Tax Credit in tax reform. Since 2002, the provision has facilitated at least 782 projects in Louisiana, encouraging more than $2.5 billion in private rehabilitation investments and creating more than 38,000 jobs in the state.
 
 
“Thanks to the efforts and leadership of Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), an economic powerhouse program that has resulted in billions of dollars of private investment in Louisiana and returned $1.20 to the government for every dollar of public resources committed is still alive.” – Liz Swaine in the Shreveport Times
 
 
“[T]hanks to an amendment introduced by Louisiana U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, the tax credit was restored and adopted in full by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. … Cassidy’s hard work in restoring the tax credit is vital to our regional and state economy.” - Greater New Orleans Inc. CEO Michael Hecht in the Advocate
 
 
“As a fourth-generation New Orleanian and proponent of historic preservation, I want to thank U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy for his extraordinary leadership in fighting hard to save the federal historic tax credit, which for decades has protected our historical buildings, preserved our cultural heritage and served as a catalyst for economic growth.” - HRI Properties President and CEO A. Thomas Leonhard Jr. in the Times-Picayune
 
 
“With leadership from Cassidy, the Senate Finance Committee preserved the HTC in the last few minutes of its final hearing on the Senate tax reform bill. We are grateful for Cassidy’s leadership in saving a critical program for our city and state.” – Wampold Companies Chairman and CEO Mike Wampold in the Advocate
 
 
“We appreciate and admire Sen. Cassidy’s efforts in the Finance Committee to protect the HTC and ask for applause from his constituents.” - Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans interim Executive Director Jack Davis
 
 
""Preserve Louisiana is grateful for Senator Cassidy’s effort to protect a key tool in community development and economic growth—our federal Historic Tax Credit.” - Preserve Louisiana Executive Director Fairleigh Jackson
 
 
“Preserving this important program will continue to create jobs, eliminate blight and highlight our diverse history for our citizens and tourists alike.” - Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation Executive Director Brian Davis
 
 
""We applaud Senator Cassidy for his tireless effort to retain the Historic Tax Credit, a vital economic tool in revitalizing our small towns and Main Streets throughout the great state of Louisiana.” – Louisiana Architectural Foundation Chairman Jesse D. Cannon, FAIA
 
 
“These credits are responsible for generating jobs, raising property values and preserving the historic character of our cities. Simply put, they make good economic sense.”- Louisiana Landmarks Society President Sandra Stokes
 
 
“The National Trust for Historic Preservation joins our Louisiana partners and advocates nationwide in thanking Senator Cassidy for his leadership on this critical amendment.” - National Trust for Historic Preservation President and CEO Stephanie K. Meeks
 
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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		    	Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-fox-friends-passing-tax-reform-will-be-best-new-years-resolution-we-can,Scalise on Fox & Friends: Passing Tax Reform Will Be The Best New Year's Resolution We Can Deliver,2017-12-03,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends this morning to discuss the House's intention to vote to go to conference committee with the Senate, following their passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, so the bill can be sent to President Trump's desk by Christmas.
   
	Click here or on the image above to see his full interview. 

	On the objectives for the bill headed into conference committee:
 ""The biggest things are to lower tax rates for families, to make our country competitive again, and look, I don't think anybody could overstate how important it is that when we cut the corporate rate—right now we have the highest corporate rate in the industrialized world—and it's killing jobs. We see thousands of jobs move overseas every year with big companies moving to Ireland, Canada. We're going to finally stop that and reverse that trend and bring those jobs back home to America. So, if you look at the House and Senate bill, both of us are pretty close on that. There are some areas where we disagree. I would like to see a full repeal of the death tax; that's something that really hurts small businesses. It's probably the most unfair tax in the code. Streamlining and simplifying the code is so important, and in our bill over 90% of Americans will actually be able to do their taxes on a postcard. So when you look at the differences, they're not that big, but there are some key significant differences that the House and Senate need to work out. We're going to vote Monday to go to conference committee. I'm glad the Senate passed a bill. Now let's get the differences worked out and get that on President Trump's desk by Christmas."" 
 
On simplifying the tax code and doubling the standard deduction:
 ""One thing you've got to keep in mind, in our bill we actually double the standard deduction. So right now it's at $12,000 for a family. We go up to $24,000 for a family; that's going to cover a lot of people's medical expenses. Again, we're going to look at all these other differences in conference, but doubling the standard deduction—and we have a family tax credit in addition to other things—we reinstated the adoption tax credit. A lot of those things are going to help middle-class families who have been struggling, who haven't seen wage growth in a long time. Not only under our bill is the average family going to get [nearly] $1,200 a year back in their pockets from tax cuts, they are also going to see wage growth—estimates are about $2,500 a family in wage growth-that we're going to see just by getting the economy moving."" 
 
On repealing the individual mandate:
 ""I think that's going to be a real important point of discussion. I surely would like to see not only the individual mandate repealed, but we need to continue moving and repeal and replace Obamacare like we've passed in the House. President Trump has been really supportive of this because he sees how families are struggling under dramatically increased cost for health care because of Obamacare, and the fewer choices that people have. In fact, in many states, you're seeing where nobody is going to provide insurance under Obamacare. Companies won't even write policies, so we need to continue working on that.""
 
On passing the bill by Christmas:
 ""We're going to get this for Christmas. Look, it's been a lump of coal for eight years under Obama. We finally have a great president in President Trump who wants to get the economy moving again, and wants to provide real relief for middle-class families who are struggling. This bill delivers. It will be a great Christmas present and you're going to see this economy take off next year. It'll be the best New Year's resolution we can have.""
		 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/interior-secretary-vows-slash-red-tape-coastal-restoration-projects,Interior secretary vows to slash red tape for coastal restoration projects in Louisiana,2017-12-02,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke vowed to use his clout to fast-track coastal restoration projects during a Saturday visit to Louisiana.
""Louisiana and the coastline are important, and we're losing too much of it. ... There's a lot of things that Interior can do,"" the secretary told reporters at the Water Institute of the Gulf where he began the day.
The U.S. Department of the Interior oversees the nation's natural resources. Members of the Louisiana congressional delegation invited Zinke to the Pelican State to demonstrate current restoration efforts and ask for federal assistance.
Zinke said he's in a position to work with other federal agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers to ""get the bureaucracy out of the way.""
He turned to Congressman Garret Graves, a Baton Rouge Republican, for an example of how bureaucratic red tape poses problems.
The state is ready to spend a billion dollars on South Louisiana coastal projects like the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, Graves said, and can't wait the five years the federal government has estimated it will take to perform all the required studies and permitting.
The federal government has become an impediment to performing necessary work that's been vetted and peer-reviewed by scientists, the congressman continued. He said the state needs someone to ""grease the skids,"" and Zinke appeared to be ready and able to help.
Coastal restoration is important to protecting Louisiana residents from hurricanes and storm surges, Graves noted. The secretary and delegation members also framed restoration as an economic issue. Louisiana's oil, gas, shipping and other industries are reliant on a healthy coast, Zinke said.
""No one does energy production better than the U.S., and no one does it better than here in Louisiana and the Gulf,"" he remarked.
Graves hopes Zinke's visit underscores the importance of coastal erosion not just ti Louisiana but to the nation.
""This really helps to highlight the national significance of this (to the energy sector,)"" he said.
The Department of the Interior also oversees offshore oil drilling.
Under the Obama administration, Interior ceased new development in the Gulf of Mexico, said Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy.
Zinke came to Louisiana at the invitation of Cassidy, who wasn't able to make the morning event at the Water Institute because he was delayed in Washington for the tax reform vote. However, Cassidy hooked up later with Zinke on his tour of Louisiana.
Cassidy said in a telephone interview that he hopes the interior secretary will open up more drilling opportunities. He said that's desirable both for the jobs they will provide and because those companies pay leases that fund coastal restoration projects.
""I'm glad (Zinke's) down here to see it first hand,"" Cassidy said by phone from Thibodaux.
During Zinke's morning visit to the Water Institute with state policymakers and researchers, he viewed the new Mississippi River model on display there, calling it phenomenal.
Zinke praised local scientists and said he will look to them to determine how best to ""do the right plumbing for the basin.""
His Saturday schedule also included private events at the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve near Thibodaux and an airboat tour of a freshwater diversion in St. Charles Parish.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/previous-walker-christmas-parade-photo-gallery-next-information-scarce,Graves-authored FEMA reform legislation draws unanimous House Committee approval on Capitol Hill,2017-12-02,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – The federal House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved a series of federal disaster policy changes authored by Congressman Garret Graves, a move which drew high praise from Livingston Parish officials.
The Disaster Recovery Reform Act would usher sweeping FEMA reform legislation, including changes to the much-criticized “duplication of benefits” clause which has put the recovery process in stalemate for disaster victims in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“It’s a game-changer,” said Graves, a District 6 Republican from Baton Rouge. “We continue to spend a lot of time traveling through flood-impacted areas, talking to people about the problems they’ve experienced the Duplication of Benefits, which have topped the list of complaints we’ve received.”
House Resolution 4460, “The Disaster Recovery Reform Act,” would eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks and allow for better preparation, response and mitigation against floods, hurricanes and disasters of all kinds, Graves said.
It would also implement a federal government shift to a more proactive approach to disaster preparation, relief and recovery – issues the second-term congressman has pushed since he took office.
A vote by the full House of Representatives will come to play in December.
The bill would likely to go the Senate before Christmas, Graves said.
“This is one of the most significant disaster recovery and preparedness bills in decades,” he said. “The legislation truly captures and takes action on the frontline feedback and lessons learned from our August flood, recent hurricanes and other events. This is the way Congress is supposed to work.”
Approval of the legislation by the full House and Senate could bring much more momentum to the recovery process for Livingston and other parishes affected by the flood events of March and August 2016, Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks said.
“This could not only benefit our area, but a lot of other states and territories for our nation,” he said. “Garret has worked tirelessly to help Livingston Parish and the surrounding areas, so I’m hoping the Senate gets on board because this has the potential to really help a lot of people.”
Graves and fellow Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, spearheaded the “duplication of benefits,” which has prevented Louisiana flood survivors from gaining access to Restore Louisiana grants.
“The whole concept that the SBA loan is a duplication of a grant lacks any degree of common sense,” Graves said. “It’s very unfortunate that Congress had to step in to fix this.”
The legislation would open the gates for more than 10,000 Louisiana flood victims to access $1.7 billion in federally-funded Restore Louisiana grants administered by the state.
The policy would benefit hard-hit disaster areas, including Texas, Florida, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The legislation by Graves and Richmond represents a sense of bipartisanship rarely seen in the current landscape on Capitol Hill.
“When you focus on policy and not get into the emotional stuff, it’s a lot easier and provides a good example of how congress can function,” Graves said.
The Graves-Richmond proposal also provides flexibility to states and local governments to complete much-needed flood mitigation projects, including the Comite River Diversion Canal.
“I’ve said over a year that mitigation funds that can be used, and in bill passed yesterday, we eliminated any doubt on eligibility of those dollars, and I’ve said for a year and over a year now they should be used for CRDC,” Graves said.
The provision would allow authorization of FEMA hazard mitigation funds to complete Army Corps of Engineers flood, drainage, coastal and hurricane projects.
The congressional delegation has appropriated nearly $300 million in federal funds to Louisiana for hazard mitigation projects such as Comite project.
The bill would also extend FEMA arbitration until 2022.
The move would help facilitate more rapid reimbursement to local governments that are delayed and denied due to FEMA resistance or inconsistent policies.
Arbitration creates an independent, quasi-judicial, balanced, objective process to resolve lingering, costly disputes that stymie recovery, Graves said.
“In many cases, our local governments cannot afford the legal costs of fighting FEMA,” he said. “This amendment provides a quick and fair resolution process to resolve disagreements that delay disaster recovery.”
The move drew praise from Mark Harrell, director of the Livingston Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, who continues to haggle with FEMA on repairs to Livingston Parish roads that were damaged through inundation during the 2016 flood events.
“Garret has really fought for us,” he said. “To eliminate the duplication of benefits clause would be great for our recovery.”
Interstate 12 Wall
The proposed amendment also requires FEMA to collaborate with the Federal Highway Administration to develop policy on the design, construction and repair of evacuations routes like I-12 in Baton Rouge and Livingston Parish.
 “This policy will help to make the necessary changes to the interstate barrier and drainage to facilitate evacuations and road usage during floods,” Graves said.
 
Proactive Resilience
The bill would also shift communities to spending toward proactive resilience instead of response, Graves said.   
“It flips the paradigm from the use of tens of billions after disaster,” he said. “Instead of focusing on how to make areas more resilient, how to make them more hurricane-proof or flood-proof.
“We have an opportunity now to lean forward and make sure these communities are ready for these types of events,” Graves said.  “It makes more sense to spend more to improve resiliency, so we can make those events just another rainy day rather than a disruptive or deadly experience or an experience that freezes the economies of these different states and territories.”
The continued growth of areas outside the metropolitan areas bring more importance to the shift from response to preparation, Graves said.
“Over last several decades, as more and more people move to coastal areas, we’ll see more and more damages, more and more costs and more and more impact on our families and business,” he said. “The federal government has got to get good at resilience. We need to invest in communities.”
Resilience projects would include flood control, hurricane protection and elevation of structures.
The proactive shift would help to complete stalled Corps of Engineers projects and advance federal-state-local partnerships in preventing disaster losses and the loss of life.  The legislation also provides financial incentives for states and local governments that make resilience investments to prevent flooding and other losses. 
Other reform provisions in the amendment include:
Proof of Insurance – Katrina survivors receiving federal assistance are required to obtain and maintain flood insurance. FEMA requires Louisiana to act as the flood insurance police for those receiving this assistance – a job clearly outside the bounds of state responsibility – or FEMA will penalize the state for failing to enforce. The Graves ""proof of insurance"" maintains a reasonable insurance requirement while removing the bureaucratic, legacy Katrina mandate. Added at the state’s request, the amendment could save the state nearly $100 million in FEMA reimbursements.
Pets and Service Animals – the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to engage veterinary schools, like the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, to develop emergency teams to launch with first responders during disasters.  These specialized teams will help to train emergency managers and work to take care of service animals and others affected by disasters.  In many cases, we saw animals abandoned in the 2016 floods. 
Eliminate Duplicative Applications – DRRA requires FEMA and other agencies work to implement a streamlined process whereby disaster victims can provide information one time to a federal agency rather than having to apply multiple times to multiple agencies for disaster assistance. 
 FEMA Transparency – FEMA is required to establish an online system that discloses disaster costs, contracts and other activities to help improve accountability and prevent fraud. 
FEMA assistance for Houses of Worship – Without fail, some of the most reliable, generous agents of recovery are the many churches in the Capital Region. Graves pushed hard for the H.R. 4460 provision that qualifies houses of worship and faith-based non-profits for FEMA assistance to repair, restore or replace when they are damaged.
Assistance to Survivors with Disabilities – Current law allows individuals up to $33,300 in FEMA assistance. H.R. 4460 includes a Graves-supported provision that will extend FEMA assistance above this amount to repair or replace damaged accessibility features for individuals with disabilities.  During the August 2016 flood, Congressman Graves’ office worked closely with the autistic community and Trach Mommas of Louisiana to address their specific disaster needs.  This provision addresses many problems identified in those efforts.
Localized Management of MHUs and Temporary Housing – H.R. 4460 authorizes states to develop regional, customized recovery housing options. This departure from FEMA’s one-size-fits-all policy will allow states to decide the best options for temporary housing solutions and will position local communities for a greater role in developing the right recovery options for South Louisiana.  This provision addresses the flaws in future Shelter-at-Home type programs to provide housing to disaster victims and will help save taxpayer dollars by preventing the excessive funding spent on out of state mobile homes.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-applauds-senate-passage-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act,Scalise Applauds Senate Passage of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,2017-12-02,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made the following statement regarding the Senate's passage of their Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The House will soon vote on motion to go to conference to reconcile the two bills.
 
“I congratulate the Senate for following the House's lead in voting to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act so hard-working families can keep more of their hard-earned dollars, and we can make America competitive again so we can create more jobs and get our economy back on track. The American people sent Republican majorities to Congress, and elected President Trump to the White House to get our economy growing again and to rebuild our middle class, and this bill will put us on the fast track to achieving those goals. I look forward to voting shortly to send this bill to a conference committee so we can work out the differences between the House and Senate, and send that bill to President Trump's desk to be signed into law before Christmas.”
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-fox-business-tax-reform-passage-will-be-great-christmas-present-american,Scalise on Fox Business: Tax Reform Passage Will Be A Great Christmas Present for American Families,2017-12-02,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox Business Network's Varney & Co. this morning to discuss the next steps on getting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to President Trump's desk.   
	 
  
	Click here or on the image above to see the full interview. 

	On moving the bill through the Senate and to a conference committee:
 “I'm encouraging my Senate colleagues to pass the bill today and I think they will get to 50 votes, Vice President Pence can break the tie, and on Monday we’re going to come back in the House and send that bill to a conference committee. I was with Chairman Kevin Brady this morning—the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee—and he's already working on some of the things where we have differences between the House and Senate that we need to work out, but we both are in agreement—House and Senate—that we need to lower tax rates across the board, we need to make our corporate rate competitive, we are working very closely with President Trump because ultimately this is a bill, we want him to be able to sign by the end of the year. What a great Christmas present what would be to families that are working hard out there that want more money in their paychecks, and they want to see jobs come back to America.”
 
On having the bill passed by the end of the year:
 “Stuart, that's been our goal from the beginning and if you look at the timetable we are right on track to do that. Let the Senate get this work through. Whatever their bill ultimately does, a lot of the key components are in the bill, there are some differences we need to work out Monday night; the House will vote to go to conference committee and then that work is already underway on how to resolve those differences, so we can get a bill on President Trump's desk to get this economy moving again.”
 
On ensuring a competitive corporate rate:
 “If you look at what we passed out of the House, it is a 20% rate in the House version and I have heard some of those potential options that the Senate is looking at to go higher, but we want a 20% rate. We don't want to just be average with the rest of the world; we’re right now the highest in the industrialized world and it's killing jobs, it’s moving jobs overseas. If we want to bring those jobs back, let's jump ahead of everybody else and be the world leader again, and we can do that. Our bill in the House does it; we’ll work out those differences in conference.”
 

	On the need to have this bill signed into law:
 “Stuart, I've said from the beginning we’ll get this done, we’ve met every one of our objectives along the way. We have to get this done, Stuart, for the American people who want to have more money in their pockets and they want to see the economy moving. For eight years we had stagnant economy under President Obama. You’re seeing the markets go up, you’re seeing an uptick based on anticipation of us passing the bill. We have to pass this bill and do it by the end of the year so that President Trump can really go lead the charge at continuing to get the economy moving and making America great again.”
		 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-applauds-senate-passage-of-tax-reform-legislation-benefiting-louisiana,Cassidy Applauds Senate Passage of Tax Reform Legislation Benefiting Louisiana,2017-12-02,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.02.17
			 Cassidy Applauds Senate Passage of Tax Reform Legislation Benefiting Louisiana 
			
			WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement after the Senate passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, legislation that would cut taxes for working families in Louisiana.
 
“The Tax Cut and Jobs Act cuts taxes for working and middle-income families,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It boosts the economy, repeals Obamacare’s individual mandate, preserves the Historic Tax Credit, gives tax relief to victims of the 2016 floods in North and South Louisiana and provides money to rebuild our coastline. This is a good bill for Louisiana and the United States.”
 
The bill doubles the Child Tax Credit to $2,000, lowers income tax rates across the board, nearly doubles the standard deduction to $12,000 for an individual and $24,000 for a couple filing jointly, preserves the Adoption Tax Credit as well as deductions for home mortgage interest and charitable contributions.
 
According to the Tax Foundation’s analysis, the bill will boost take-home pay for Louisiana families by more than $1,800 a year and create more than 12,600 new jobs in Louisiana alone. In an open letter to Congress, 137 economists announced their support for the tax reform effort, writing, “Economic growth will accelerate if the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passes, leading to more jobs, higher wages, and a better standard of living for the American people.”
 
As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Cassidy crafted or help spearhead several provisions in the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including those that:
 

 

 

 
 
Keep full business expense deduction for automobile, truck, boat, motorcycle, and farm implement dealers who use floor plan financing. This will ensure small business dealers are treated fairly and are not subject to the risk of paying higher taxes, protecting jobs and economic growth.
 
 
 
Reduce potential effects of a new investment excise tax on large private college endowments, helping small institutions such as Centenary College of Louisiana.
 
 
 
Preserve Private Activity Bonds (PABs), which are widely used for airport and seaport projects, affordable housing, and nonprofit health and education facilities. In 2016, over $72 billion in PABs were issued for investments in nonprofit hospitals and universities, along with over $12 billion in PABs for airports, housing, and rural public cooperatives.
 
 
 
Keep existing business structure commonly referred to as IC-DISC (Interest Charge Domestic International Sales Corporation). This will encourage small and medium businesses to export goods made in Louisiana.
 
 
 
Identified deficit reduction mechanisms to help pay for a state and local property tax deduction up to $10,000, and an increased deduction (17.4 to 23 percent) for small business owners’ qualified business income (“pass-throughs”).
 
 
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-hosts-secretary-zinke-inalouisiana-for-wetlands-protection-and-energy-discussions-observation,"Cassidy Hosts Secretary Zinke in Louisiana for Wetlands Protection and Energy Discussions, Observation",2017-12-02,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.02.17
			 Cassidy Hosts Secretary Zinke in Louisiana for Wetlands Protection and Energy Discussions, Observation 
			
			

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) hosted U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke today, along with U.S. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) and U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA) for events in Baton Rouge, Thibodaux, and Ama, Louisiana.
 
“Today’s meetings with Secretary Zinke were very productive with a lot of emphasis on coastal restoration,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes nearly $100 million for continuing coastal restoration. Secretary Zinke is very aware of the need to work as a team, speed up permitting and shorten the process by which restoration projects can be completed.”
 
Briefings with local leaders and an airboat observation of the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion focused on Louisiana’s land loss crisis and the state’s Coastal Master Plan to address it, the federal government’s role in the effort, and the national economic importance of coastal restoration and protection as a vital part of U.S. energy dominance. The Water Institute of the Gulf, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Greater Lafourche Port Commission, local government officials, environmental organizations and members of the Louisiana business community joined Secretary Zinke and the members of Congress in discussing these issues.
 
In June, Cassidy invited Secretary Zinke “to visit Louisiana to view the coast, learn how Louisiana uses offshore leasing revenues for coastal restoration projects, and how cuts to those revenues would impact vulnerable regions as well as America’s energy supply chain.”

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		    	Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://abraham.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/louisiana-airman-crew-hailed-heroes-deadly-battle,"Louisiana airman, crew hailed as heroes in deadly battle",2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Ralph Abraham,A000374,abraham.house.gov,,,legacy,"An Air Force airman from Louisiana is among the heroes of an AC-130 ""Spooky"" gunship crew who saved a U.S. Special Forces team and 43 Afghan soldiers who were ambushed by insurgents.
Senior Airman Raymond “Tyler” Bourne, a 2011 Neville High School graduate, and the 14-member crew were awarded the MacKay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of 2016. Bourne earned an Air Medal with Valor.
Members of the crew received their medals about five weeks after the battle, but the awards dinner and the trophy presentation took place this week in Washington. Family members of the crew, including Bourne's mother Kim Alaniz, also attended the ceremony.
To read the full story click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2017/12/01/higgins-issues-statement-kate-steinle-case/,Higgins Issues Statement on Kate Steinle Case,2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.” – Matthew 10:28 KJV

“In this world or the next, justice for Kate Steinle will be done.”

“The acquittal of a convicted felon who had been deported from the United States five times is a disgrace to our justice system. As a nation, we must enforce the law and crackdown on the sanctuary cities that harbor these criminals. Securing our borders and combating illegal immigration are essential to keeping our communities safe. That’s why I’m battling in Congress to support frontline defenders with the manpower and resources needed to fortify our southern border.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T22:19:19Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/higgins-issues-statement-kate-steinle-case,Higgins Issues Statement on Kate Steinle Case,2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) released the following statement in response to the acquittal of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate for the murder of Kate Steinle in June 2015.  
	 
	""And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell."" - Matthew 10:28 KJV ""In this world or the next, justice for Kate Steinle will be done.""
	""The acquittal of a convicted felon who had been deported from the United States five times is a disgrace to our justice system. As a nation, we must enforce the law and crackdown on the sanctuary cities that harbor these criminals. Securing our borders and combating illegal immigration are essential to keeping our communities safe. That’s why I’m battling in Congress to support frontline defenders with the manpower and resources needed to fortify our southern border.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/wbrz-video-rep-graves-updates-status-comite-diversion-canal-funding,WBRZ Video- Rep. Graves updates status of Comite Diversion Canal funding,2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"908 East 1st Street   
	NSU Campus, Candies Hall, Suite 405   
	Thibodaux, LA 70301   
	Phone: (985) 448-4103  
	Fax: (225) 442-1736",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/graves-announces-duplication-benefits-fix-other-disaster-policy,"Graves Announces Duplication of Benefits Fix, Other Disaster Policy Improvements in Sweeping FEMA Reform Legislation",2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC – A series of bipartisan federal disaster policy changes authored by Congressman Garret Graves (R-South Louisiana) – including a fix to the duplication of benefits problem plaguing many Louisiana flood and other disaster victims – were approved yesterday by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in sweeping FEMA reform legislation.
H.R. 4460, “The Disaster Recovery Reform Act” (DRRA), which was unanimously approved by the committee, makes critical reforms to FEMA’s disaster response and recovery programs to provide on-the-ground help and to cut through bureaucracies when disaster strikes so that families, individuals, civic organizations, small businesses, state and local governments, and others in our communities can better prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against floods, hurricanes and disasters of all kinds. The DRRA represents an important move toward the federal government taking a more proactive approach to disaster preparation, relief and recovery – a policy shift that Graves has long advocated.  
The bill is expected to be voted on by the full U.S. House of Representatives in December.
“This is one of the most significant disaster recovery and preparedness bills in decades,” said Graves. “The legislation truly captures and takes action on the frontline feedback and lessons learned from our August flood, recent hurricanes and other events. This is the way Congress is supposed to work.”
“It is critical we as a Nation do everything in our power to help communities struggling to recover from disasters, but in doing so we must ensure we are building more resilient communities that are better prepared for when the next disaster strikes,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR).  
Below are a handful of Graves’s policies included in the bill:
Graves-Richmond “duplication of benefits” legislation – DRRA includes the text of H.R. 4438, introduced by Congressmen Graves and Richmond, which eliminates the flawed “duplication of benefits” policy that prevents Louisiana flood survivors from gaining access to Restore Louisiana grants.   As many as 10,000 Louisiana flood victims will be able to access the federally-funded Restore Louisiana grants administered by the state.  The policy will also benefit hard hit areas like Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Graves-Richmond streamlines flood mitigation – The Graves/Richmond amendment also clarifies the flexibility to states and local governments to complete much needed flood mitigation projects, like the Comite River Diversion Canal.  Under the provision,  FEMA hazard mitigation funds are clearly authorized to complete Army Corps of Engineers flood, drainage, coastal and hurricane projects.  The congressional delegation has appropriated nearly $300,000,000 in federal funds to the state for hazard mitigation projects such as the Comite project. 
Building Back Faster and Smarter – H.R. 4460 establishes a new program where rebuilding and recovery efforts can include resilient construction to help prevent repetitive losses and to prepare for future disasters – ultimately saving taxpayer dollars.  The bill also funds a “surge” of building inspectors to help address permitting and assessment activities that typically delay rebuilding and recovery.
Proactive Resilience – Rather than waiting for disaster to strike, the bill creates a new fund to address resilience projects (i.e. flood control, hurricane protection, elevating structures, etc.) before floods and hurricanes strike.  This proactive shift will help to complete stalled Corps of Engineers projects and advance federal-state-local partnerships in preventing disaster losses and the loss of life.  The legislation also provides financial incentives for states and local governments that make resilience investments to prevent flooding and other losses. 
Food banks and Long-term Recovery Groups – The committee unanimously adopted the Graves amendment requiring FEMA to more closely collaborate with food banks like the Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul, and Long-term Recovery Groups like Rebuild Louisiana, Samaritan’s Purse, and others. The amendment also makes food banks eligible for FEMA repair assistance.
Arbitration for Local Governments – Another Graves amendment was unanimously adopted that restores the arbitration process at FEMA that will help facilitate more rapid reimbursement to local governments that are delayed and denied due to FEMA resistance or inconsistent policies. Arbitration creates an independent, quasi-judicial, balanced, objective process to resolve lingering, costly disputes that stymie recovery.  In many cases, our local governments cannot afford the legal costs of fighting FEMA.  This amendment provides a quick and fair resolution process to resolve disagreements that delay disaster recovery.
Submerged Roads – FEMA Public Assistance for inundated and submerged roads is highly inconsistent and frequently arbitrary, which leads to confused efforts to repair or replace much needed roads damaged by floodwaters, like the significant number of damaged roads in Livingston, Ascension, East Feliciana, East Baton Rouge and Iberville Parishes. This amendment requires FEMA to work with the Federal Highway Administration to develop a consistent, reliable, reasonable policy to cover damages to our roadways.
Proof of Insurance – Katrina survivors receiving federal assistance are required to obtain and maintain flood insurance. FEMA requires Louisiana to act as the flood insurance police for those receiving this assistance – a job clearly outside the bounds of state responsibility – or FEMA will penalize the state for failing to enforce. The Graves ""proof of insurance"" maintains a reasonable insurance requirement while removing the bureaucratic, legacy Katrina mandate. Added at the state’s request, the amendment could save the state nearly $100 million in FEMA reimbursements.
The Disaster Recovery Reform Act also includes these critical Graves-supported provisions:
Pets and Service Animals – the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to engage veterinary schools, like the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, to develop emergency teams to launch with first responders during disasters.  These specialized teams will help to train emergency managers and work to take care of service animals and others affected by disasters.  In many cases, we saw animals abandoned in the 2016 floods. 
Eliminate Duplicative Applications – DRRA requires FEMA and other agencies work to implement a streamlined process whereby disaster victims can provide information one time to a federal agency rather than having to apply multiple times to multiple agencies for disaster assistance. 
FEMA Transparency – FEMA is required to establish an online system that discloses disaster costs, contracts and other activities to help improve accountability and prevent fraud. 
I-12 “Wall” – H.R. 4460 requires FEMA to collaborate with the Federal Highway Administration to develop policy on the design, construction and repair of evacuations routes like I-12 in Baton Rouge and Livingston Parish. The agencies must factor risks to flood vulnerability and the ability to effectively manage contraflow operations, among other criteria. This policy will help to make the necessary changes to the interstate barrier and drainage to facilitate evacuations and road usage during floods. 
FEMA assistance for Houses of Worship – Without fail, some of the most reliable, generous agents of recovery are the many churches in the Capital Region. Graves pushed hard for the H.R. 4460 provision that qualifies houses of worship and faith-based non-profits for FEMA assistance to repair, restore or replace when they are damaged.
Assistance to Survivors with Disabilities – Current law allows individuals up to $33,300 in FEMA assistance. H.R. 4460 includes a Graves-supported provision that will extend FEMA assistance above this amount to repair or replace damaged accessibility features for individuals with disabilities.  During the August 2016 flood, Congressman Graves’ office worked closely with the autistic community and Trach Mommas of Louisiana to address their specific disaster needs.  This provision addresses a number of problems identified in those efforts.
Localized Management of MHUs and Temporary Housing – H.R. 4460 authorizes states to develop regional, customized recovery housing options. This departure from FEMA’s one-size-fits-all policy will allow states to decide the best options for temporary housing solutions and will position local communities for a greater role in developing the right recovery options for South Louisiana.  This provision addresses the flaws in future Shelter-at-Home type programs to provide housing to disaster victims and will help save taxpayer dollars by preventing the excessive funding spent on out of state mobile homes. 
The march toward FEMA reform and improved disaster recovery continues. H.R. 4460 follows these important reforms:
H.R. 1679, the “FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act” – This Rep. Garret Graves bill became law on November 13, 2017. It creates an online portal for applicants to access their FEMA accounts for timely updates on and greater efficiency in disaster assistance funding.  The law also facilitates important communication among federal, state and local jurisdictions to speed disaster recovery.
H.R. 1678 – Rep. Lois Frankel’s bill requires FEMA to more quickly close out lingering public assistance projects. The delay adds cost to public assistance applicants like schools and libraries that are anxious to conclude recovery.
H.R. 1117 – Rep. Vicky Hartzler’s bill became law in October. It calls on FEMA to reverse their illogical disaster management procedure of deploying and redeploying disaster personnel every few weeks, which results in disruption, confusion, frustration, misunderstanding, mistakes and delay in recovery efforts. The law also requires FEMA to maintain continuity of record keeping, which currently creates an environment of disruption, confusion, frustration, misunderstanding, mistakes and delay in recovery efforts.
H.R. 3179, the “Disaster Assistance Fairness and Accountability Act” – this Rep. Thomas MacArthur bill passed in committee and awaits full consideration by the House of Representatives. The bill prohibits FEMA from taking any action to recoup disaster assistance from an individual after more than three years since receiving the assistance. The bill would force FEMA to conduct their due diligence more responsibly and efficiently and leave survivors to their rebuilding efforts. 
Click the image below to watch a T&I Committee-produced video of Rep Graves talking more about the bill.
Read more about the DRRA here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/veterans-committee-passes-bill-to-improve-veterans-healthcare-services-,Veterans Committee Passes Bill to Improve Veterans Healthcare Services,2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.01.17
			 Veterans Committee Passes Bill to Improve Veterans Healthcare Services  
			
			WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, praised the committee’s passage of the Caring for Our Veterans Act, bipartisan legislation that would streamline and improve veterans’ healthcare services at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and in the community. The legislation includes several provisions offered by Cassidy, and now awaits a vote in the full Senate.

“This bipartisan bill will give veterans more healthcare options and ensure their needs are met,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Louisiana veterans deserve quality care without having to wait.”

Cassidy’s provisions would:
 
Require the VA secretary to report annually to Congress on the amount paid by the VA in overdue claims, and the number of late payments made by each VA facility and service network. Delays in processing times severely hamstring community providers who are on the hook when the VA fails to pay them within the time frame required. Consistent overdue claims threaten the participation of these community providers.
Recognize podiatrist as physicians within the VA and allow the VA to hire and maintain well qualified, board certified podiatrists in order to ensure veterans receive quality podiatric care. The VA currently has serious recruitment and retention problems because its podiatric compensation package has not been updated since 1976.
 
 
The Caring for Our Veterans Act would:
 
Establish a permanent, streamlined Veterans Community Care Program to provide veterans with access to health care and services in their own communities. Under this legislation, a veteran and his or her doctor will decide where that veteran will receive care, taking into consideration the veteran’s healthcare needs and the availability and quality of both VA and community care.
Improve existing VA health care and services by removing barriers for VA healthcare professionals to practice telemedicine, strengthening opioid prescription guidelines for VA and partnering community care providers, and eliminating impediments to hiring and retention of VA healthcare professionals.
Expand eligibility for the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers to veterans of all generations, including Vietnam-era veterans.
Authorize access to walk-in community clinics for enrolled veterans who have previously used VA healthcare services in the last two years.
Allow the VA to enter into agreements with community healthcare and extended care providers that easily meet veterans’ demands for care in the community. 
Create reporting requirements to ensure all VA and community care programs are operating efficiently and effectively based on a number of factors including veterans’ satisfaction and quality standards, among others.
Create standards for timely payment to community care providers.
 
 
The legislation is supported by The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Wounded Warrior Project.

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		    	Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-speaks-on-the-senate-floor-in-support-of-tax-reform,VIDEO: Cassidy Speaks on the Senate Floor in Support of Tax Reform,2017-12-01,2017,2017-12,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"12.01.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy Speaks on the Senate Floor in Support of Tax Reform 
			
			WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, spoke on the Senate floor tonight as the full Senate prepared to vote on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
 
A full transcript of Cassidy’s remarks is below.
 
CASSIDY: I'd like to comment on the positive aspects of the bill that we are about to vote on, and the most positive thing I can say about this is that working families and middle-income families across the nation will be better off. Families who over the last eight years have not done well will begin to do better.
 
Now, we've already discussed some of the folks, some of the things that others have discussed. Let me just briefly—we’ve doubled the standard deduction to make filing of income taxes simpler. For most Americans, that will be a tax cut, by doubling that standard deduction.
 
We have provisions in there to stimulate the economy, to create competition for workers so that workers will now have a choice of one job or the other and when that happens, of course, their wages rise and their benefits get better.
 
We incentivize companies that are right now moving overseas because the taxes are so much lower elsewhere, to stay in the United States and to create American jobs and to pay more American taxes. Those are all good things that my colleagues have discussed.
 
Let me discuss some other ways perhaps that this bill benefits working families and middle-income families. One thing I like, I'm from an energy state, Mr. President. Louisiana produces so much oil and gas, and the thing about energy jobs, it creates jobs for good families. They may not have a college education, but they're good people. They care about their children, and these jobs, they can earn over $100,000 a year in certain aspects of it, and they employ Americans in the way that Americans have kind of forgotten can be that way.
 
It makes it meaningful to me. My family moved to Louisiana because someone called my father—we were in Illinois when I was born—and he said, you know, Jim, if you move to Louisiana, you can sell to the people working at Esso and you can make a good living. So even though my father didn't work in the energy industry, he was one of those who benefited and made a living that allowed me to go to medical school. I was the first generation in our family to go to college, and to go to medical school and now I'm a U.S. Senator, what an incredible privilege. All created by energy jobs.
 
Now, one thing this bill does is it opens up a little bit more of Alaska for energy development, 2,000 acres. One of my colleagues has said smaller than the airport in Fargo, North Dakota. I've never been there, but 2,000 acres is not a whole lot of land. But on those 2,000 acres there's a lot of oil beneath.
 
Why is that important? Well, we as a country can make a decision to be energy-secure or not. And if we're going to be energy-secure, it means we're going to produce our own energy. This is not to rule out renewables, but for the moment we are going to continue as a country to consume natural gas and oil.
 
We can buy it from countries such as in the Middle East whose environmental standards are not as strict as ours. But if you will, when we do that, not only are we sending our jobs, our revenue overseas, but we're also, in effect, endorsing their lower environmental standards and that overall pollutes the environment.
 
On the other hand, if we buy from ourselves, using American workers, creating American jobs, using American environmental standards, not only do we get the benefit to the family, the benefits for the environment, but we have the national security benefit of being able to be energy-secure.
 
Now, this is powerful. I first became aware of it—I think I was in middle school or maybe even elementary school. And I went to St. Luke's Episcopal Church and there was a guy there named Thor. What a great name for Thor. And he told me, Thor told me that his father was a pipe-fitter and was at that moment in Alaska working on the Alaska pipeline. Now that's been 40 years ago so maybe my memory is a little bit fuzzy on everything but Thor's name. But the point was that a fellow in Louisiana was going to Alaska, making great money, being able to provide for his family back home. That's a good thing.
 
And as we develop our energy resources on the North Slope of Alaska, using American environmental standards, creating American jobs, we are changing the life of families like I—my family was, and perhaps for the family of the man who I remember going to middle school with long ago.
 
Now, it's not just, though, by the way, when I mentioned Thor's farther was a pipe-fitter, it’s not just on those 2,000 acres. There will be a way of transporting that oil that’s produced elsewhere. In South Louisiana we make boats, and boats that actually work off rigs and can create jobs both in the boatyard but then in the maritime industry. Thor's father was a pipe-fitter, so you pipe out your oil. You create jobs in that way.
 
That comes to mind because when I was first elected to the Senate, I was going to a committee hearing and some union fellows from Ohio came up to me to ask that I would endorse the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Of course I had always been in favor of it so they had my vote, but they made the point, we're union laborers. We work on the job. And when we say there's $40,000 created in a building of a pipeline, sure, we may only be on the job for six weeks, but then we go to a another job for six more weeks and another job for six more weeks and I was struck that these working families benefit not from the actual production of America's natural resources but from the transportation of America's natural resources.
 
So the economic benefit to working families and middle-income families doesn't just stop with those who are perhaps doing the drilling, but it continues downstream. As I mentioned earlier, it even extends to a family like mine.
 
Now, let me mention another aspect of this that brings benefits to our country, to our working families and to our middle-income families. One thing I was helpful with was the restoration of the Historic Tax Credit. The Historic Tax Credit is a federal tax credit first made permanent by President Ronald Reagan, that allows somebody to go to an older building in a community and to restore it, returning it to commerce, so instead of a portion of our architectural heritage being destroyed, instead it is refurbished and it is there for future generations to enjoy.
 
Now, it is more than the kind of aesthetics of seeing an older building become beautiful once more. It creates jobs. Let's go back to this legislation creating better jobs for working families and middle-income families.
 
First, it affects everybody. More than 40 percent of the projects under the Historic Tax Credit program in the last 15 years have been in towns of less than 25,000 people. In my state, since 2002, the Historic Tax Credit has contributed to 782 projects being built, bringing $2.2 billion worth of investment into these cities and towns across my state.
 
Now, when you have that much money, you create lots of jobs. It is thought nationwide, according to the study by the National Park Service, that the Historic Tax Credit has encouraged more than $131 billion in private investment, rehabbing 42,000 buildings, creating more than 2.4 million trade jobs, returning a net positive to the U.S. Treasury.
 
Since fiscal year 2002 in Louisiana alone, again has fostered more than $2.5 billion in private investment, creating more than 38,000 jobs. These are jobs, construction jobs, rehabilitation jobs that allow a family to live with a good living wage. That is part of this legislation.
 
The next thing I want to mention that benefits working families and middle-income families—oh, by the way, I should mention one thing in particular that's very topical on the historic tax credit. The World Trade Center in New Orleans is currently being refurbished. Built in the 1960's, being transformed into a world-class condominium complex.
 
What does it bring the city of New Orleans? $400 million dollars in infrastructure spending, 1,600 jobs in construction trades, as well as more than 450 permanent full-time jobs. Instead of a crumbling eyesore, you have a jewel. But more than a jewel, you have 1,600 jobs created and 450 permanent jobs.
 
Let me mention the last thing that benefits working and middle-income families. My friends on the other side of the aisle have talked about supposedly negative effects on Social Security and Medicare. I’m a doctor. I've been working in the public hospital system of Louisiana for 25 years. I understand the importance of safety net programs, if you will, like Medicare, that allow our senior citizens to have the health care that they need. Now the dirty little secret is that according to the people that run Medicare and Social Security, those trust funds are going bust. Yeah, bankrupt.
 
Now under the Obama Administration, they tried to address it by raising taxes. K, so you put an income tax, a higher income tax on people. And the trust funds are still going bankrupt. Under Obamacare, there was different things to try to save money within the system, delivery system reforms and some were frankly good ideas. Although I oppose Obamacare in general, on some of these it was good ideas and I continue to endorse them. And the trust funds are still going bankrupt. So we raise taxes, we're trying to save money, and the trust funds are still going bankrupt.
 
What can we do, Mr. President, what can we do to try and rescue these programs that are so significant, so important to senior citizens, to all of us in this country, Social Security and Medicare in particular? Well, what about economic growth?
 
I did an analysis once with another man. It shows that if we just return to the economic growth that is common in our country, about 3.5 percent GDP growth per year, that we would fully fund our trust funds for Medicare and Social Security. Because, keep in mind, although we're cutting rates for corporations, the rates for funding Medicare and Social Security are staying where they are.
 
So if our economy is doing better year over year, there will be more money going into these trust funds—not because the rates are higher; the rates remain the same—but because there's more money to apply rates to.
 
And is it reasonable to have that kind of growth? Absolutely. From 1946 to the beginning of President Obama's Administration, through ten and a half recessions, including one half of the great recession, we averaged over three percent growth as a country. Now under President Obama's presidency, it was about 2 percent growth. Two percent versus 3.5 is all the difference in the world because it compounds. It goes like this if it's two percent. It goes like this if its 3.5 percent, and at the end of 10, 15, and 20 years, those differences are remarkable.
 
Now I will say under President Obama—excuse me, under President Trump, for the last two quarters, we've had over 3 percent GDP growth. Republicans take over, the economy begins to do better. Next quarter it's estimated it will be over three percent.
 
With this legislation, increasing the amount of money families have in their pockets, building out our energy resources as we are in Alaska, creating jobs for Americans across the way, using things like the Historic Tax Credit, returning money to the Treasury but also creating American jobs, will create that prosperity, that economic growth that instead of this two percent growth we've had for the last eight years, the 3.5 percent growth that we historically have had, that is a promise of this legislation. That will restore funding for Social Security and Medicare. That is the answer that has eluded the other side.
 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/saturday-cassidy-hosts-interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-in-louisiana-for-wetlands-protection-and-energy-discussions-observation,"Saturday: Cassidy Hosts Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in Louisiana for Wetlands Protection and Energy Discussions, Observation",2017-11-30,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.30.17
			 Saturday: Cassidy Hosts Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in Louisiana for Wetlands Protection and Energy Discussions, Observation 
			
			This Saturday, December 2, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke will join U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and John Kennedy (R-LA) and U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA) for events in Baton Rouge, Thibodaux, and Ama, Louisiana.
 
In June, Cassidy invited Secretary Zinke “to visit Louisiana to view the coast, learn how Louisiana uses offshore leasing revenues for coastal restoration projects, and how cuts to those revenues would impact vulnerable regions as well as America’s energy supply chain.”
 
The events will focus on Louisiana’s land loss crisis and the state’s Coastal Master Plan to address it, the federal government’s role in the effort, and the national economic importance of coastal restoration and protection as a vital part of U.S. energy dominance. The Water Institute of the Gulf, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Greater Lafourche Port Commission, local government officials, environmental organizations and members of the Louisiana business community will join Secretary Zinke and the members of Congress in discussing these issues.
 
Secretary Zinke, Senators Cassidy and Kennedy, and Representative Graves will hold on-camera media availabilities in Baton Rouge and Thibodaux. Members of the media wishing to attend must RSVP to ty_bofferding@cassidy.senate.gov and interior_press@ios.doi.gov to receive exact locations.
 
Saturday, December 2, 2017
 
U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA)
U.S. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA)
U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA)
 
9:30 – 10:00 AM CT
Media availability following closed-press briefing at the Center for Coastal & Deltaic Solutions
Baton Rouge, LA
 
1:15 – 1:30 PM CT
Media availability following closed-press discussion at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Thibodaux, LA
 
2:15 PM CT
Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion observation by airboat – closed press
Ama, LA
 
 
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-honors-fallen-naval-airmen-matthew-chialastri-of-louisiana-on-the-senate-floor,VIDEO: Cassidy Honors Fallen Naval Airman Matthew Chialastri of Louisiana on the Senate Floor,2017-11-30,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.30.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy Honors Fallen Naval Airman Matthew Chialastri of Louisiana on the Senate Floor 
			
			U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) spoke on the Senate floor today in honor of Naval Airman Matthew Chialastri, a Louisiana native who lost his life on November 22 while serving in the Philippine Sea.
 
A full transcript of Cassidy’s remarks is below. TV stations can download broadcast quality video here.
 
CASSIDY: I want to first recognize and honor our fellow Americans serving overseas in our military. Men and women dedicating their time and efforts to keep our country safe, working far from home and often in danger. Every day, they risk their lives to defend our freedoms.
 
Today, I want to talk about one in particular, U.S. Naval Airman Matthew Chialastri, who not only risked his life, but gave his life.
 
Matthew was born and raised in Louisiana, graduating valedictorian at Woodlawn High School in Baton Rouge, class of 2013. There, a member of the JROTC program, after graduating choosing to enlist in the Navy.
 
After completing his training, he began his active duty service with Patrol Squadron 30, a P-8 training squadron. Then he served aboard the aircraft carrier USS America, serving from December 2015 to October of this year. He was then sent to Commander Fleet Activities in Japan, to begin preparing to join the USS Ronald Reagan.
 
During the course of his service he earned the National Defense Ribbon and the Navy Battle “E” ribbon.
 
Sadly, on November the 22nd, during a transport flight to the USS Ronald Reagan, Matthew’s cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing in the Philippine Sea.
 
Eight survived, three did not. Matthew and two of his fellow Navy servicemen lost their lives in service to our country.
 
This is a terrible tragedy. Our hearts go out to Matthew’s family, his mother Marty and father Phillip, his fellow sailors, and friends in Louisiana. We grieve with them.
 
As one of his former high school classmates said, Matthew “could have had any scholarship he ever wanted, to any school. He could've went anywhere he wanted, he just believed that serving our country was first. That was his everything.""
 
Others who knew him described Matthew as smart, dedicated, and a strong leader. They said he could always make those around him laugh with his dry sense of humor and smile.
 
As Americans, we mourn the loss of Naval Airman Matthew Chialastri. As folks from Louisiana, we mourn the loss of one of our own.
 
But we honor his memory and the example he set for those of us who benefitted from his willingness to sacrifice. We thank him for choosing to serve.
 
For his sacrifice, we are forever grateful.
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-tax-reform-will-bring-business-and-investment-back-to-america-grow-the-economy,"VIDEO: Cassidy: Tax Reform Will Bring Business and Investment Back to America, Grow the Economy",2017-11-30,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.30.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy: Tax Reform Will Bring Business and Investment Back to America, Grow the Economy 
			
			
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Charles Payne on Fox Business tonight to discuss the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, legislation that would cut taxes for working families in Louisiana.
 
Key excerpts of Cassidy’s comments are transcribed below.
 
CASSIDY: We are changing from a worldwide to a territorial tax system, in which case there could be up to $2.5 trillion dollars more invested in the United States. So we think there’s some other macro factors that are working in addition to the tax cuts, that, again, will elevate us from this 2.0 [percent] per year [economic] growth to something far more robust.

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		    	Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2017/11/29/lafayette-parish-students-win-congressional-app-challenge-louisianas-third/,Lafayette Parish Students Win Congressional App Challenge for Louisiana’s Third District,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,clayhiggins,https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Today, Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) announced that David Calais and Deonta Trim of Carencro High School, Jeremiah Willis of Acadiana High School, and Marjorie Hooper of David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy won first place in the Congressional App Challenge. The team’s app titled “Rescue Me” helps connect volunteers with victims in the wake of a natural disaster.

More than a dozen students participated in this year’s competition, which was open to all K-12 students in Louisiana’s third district.

“All of the students who participated in this year’s challenge showcased impressive computer skills as well as creativity. The high level of participation is a strong testament to the success of science and technology programs at many of our local schools,” said Congressman Higgins. “I want to congratulate David, Deonta, Jeremiah, and Marjorie for their winning app. In South Louisiana, we’ve seen first-hand with civilian rescue efforts how social media and technology can aid disaster recovery. Their app really embodies those principles and has the potential to make a significant impact on bringing communities together after a disaster.”

The winning team was selected by a panel of expert judges including computer science and software professionals from McNeese State University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Waitr’s software development team.

“I also want to thank the Lafayette Parish School System’s GEAR UP program, New Vision Leadership Foundation of Acadiana, and the staff at CGI for partnering with my office,” said Congressman Higgins. “Their guidance and outreach was a tremendous help to the students, and we’re looking forward to growing this initiative even further next year.”

Congressman Higgins will recognize the participating students and their families during a reception at CGI’s Lafayette Center on December 18.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T22:12:50Z
https://clayhiggins.house.gov/media/press-releases/lafayette-parish-students-win-congressional-app-challenge-louisianas-third,Lafayette Parish Students Win Congressional App Challenge for Louisiana's Third District,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Clay Higgins,H001077,clayhiggins.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) announced that David Calais and Deonta Trim of Carencro High School, Jeremiah Willis of Acadiana High School, and Marjorie Hooper of David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy won first place in the Congressional App Challenge. The team’s app titled “Rescue Me” helps connect volunteers with victims in the wake of a natural disaster. More than a dozen students participated in this year’s competition, which was open to all K-12 students in Louisiana’s third district. “All of the students who participated in this year’s challenge showcased impressive computer skills as well as creativity. The high level of participation is a strong testament to the success of science and technology programs at many of our local schools,” said Congressman Higgins. “I want to congratulate David, Deonta, Jeremiah, and Marjorie for their winning app. In South Louisiana, we’ve seen first-hand with civilian rescue efforts how social media and technology can aid disaster recovery. Their app really embodies those principles and has the potential to make a significant impact on bringing communities together after a disaster.” The winning team was selected by a panel of expert judges including computer science and software professionals from McNeese State University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Waitr’s software development team. “I also want to thank the Lafayette Parish School System’s GEAR UP program, New Vision Leadership Foundation of Acadiana, and the staff at CGI for partnering with my office,” said Congressman Higgins. “Their guidance and outreach was a tremendous help to the students, and we’re looking forward to growing this initiative even further next year.” Congressman Higgins will recognize the participating students and their families during a reception at CGI’s Lafayette Center on December 18.
--  About the Congressional App Challenge  The U.S. House of Representatives officially launched the Challenge in 2015 to help inspire innovation and learning in computer science and coding. The Challenge is a nationwide effort that allows students to compete against their peers by creating an application or ""app"" for mobile, tablet, or computer devices.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congressman-graves-making-government-more-efficient,Congressman Graves on making government more efficient.,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"S Rep. Garret Graves, in his weekly visit, not only talked about The House initiative for mandatory training on sexual misconduct, but also about ways to make disaster allocations, and the functioning of government as a whole more efficient.  To listen click here",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-applauds-passage-house-resolution-mandating-harassment-training,Scalise Applauds Passage of House Resolution Mandating Harassment Training,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made the following statement regarding the passage of a resolution to require each member, office, and employee of the House of Representatives to complete a program of training in workplace rights and responsibilities each session of Congress:
“Today's strong passage of Congresswoman Barbara Comstock's resolution sends a message that workplace harassment of any kind is unacceptable, including here in Congress. Everyone deserves the right to a safe and fair workplace environment, and working in Congress is no exception. It's important that we take every step we can to ensure those who work here know their rights and have clear boundaries which make it known that inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. I commend Congresswoman Comstock for her leadership and for bringing forth this resolution so we can work together to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place.""
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-our-bill-cuts-taxes-and-creates-jobs,"Scalise: Our bill ""cuts taxes and creates jobs""",2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Steve Scalise,S001176,scalise.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – At the weekly House Republican leadership press conference this morning, Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) discussed GOP tax reform efforts and confronting the issue of sexual harassment.   
	 


Click here or the image above to view Scalise's full remarks. 

	Remarks: 

 
“Right before we left, I was really proud of the work that the House did in passing, overwhelmingly, our bill to cut taxes and create jobs. With 227 votes, we sent a strong message that the House stands up for working people. We want people to have more money in their pockets, because we know they're going to do a lot more [with] it…and make sure that we get the economy moving again, make our country competitive again, and bring jobs back to America.
		 
		“I'm really glad that the Senate passed their bill out of…the Finance Committee yesterday. I encourage them to continue working until they get a bill passed through the Senate. Then we're going to go to Conference and work out the differences [to] ultimately put a bill on President Trump's desk…that will achieve those goals that we've all set out to do: to cut taxes for working families, put more money back in their pockets, and create more jobs.
		 
		“I also want to commend Chairman Harper and his committee for the work they've done to confront the problem of sexual harassment. And I especially want to single out Barbara Comstock for bringing forward the resolution that we're going to pass...to start this process of increasing—not only educational awareness—but also transparency.”
 
 
###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-were-one-step-closer-to-enacting-tax-cuts-for-working-families,Cassidy: We’re One Step Closer to Enacting Tax Cuts for Working Families,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.29.17
			 Cassidy: We’re One Step Closer to Enacting Tax Cuts for Working Families 
			
			U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement after the Senate voted to proceed to final consideration and debate of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:
 
“We’re one step closer to enacting tax cuts for working families in Louisiana,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bill will let Americans keep more of their own money, create jobs, and grow our economy so we can address the budget deficit. We need to come together and get this bill to President Trump’s desk.”
 
In an open letter to Congress today, 137 economists announced their support for the tax reform effort, writing, “Economic growth will accelerate if the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passes, leading to more jobs, higher wages, and a better standard of living for the American people.”
 
According to the Tax Foundation’s analysis, the bill will boost take home pay for Louisiana families by more than $1,800 a year and create more than 12,600 new jobs in Louisiana alone.
 
The Senate tax reform bill:
 

 
 
Doubles the Child Tax Credit to $2,000.
 
 

 
 
Nearly doubles the standard deduction to $12,000 for an individual and $24,000 for a couple filing jointly.
 
 
 
Preserves deductions for home mortgage interest and charitable contributions.
 
 

 
Earlier today, Cassidy called on Democrats to support the bill.
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-democrats-should-support-tax-cuts-for-middle-class-americans,VIDEO: Cassidy: Democrats Should Support Tax Cuts for Middle-Class Americans,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.29.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy: Democrats Should Support Tax Cuts for Middle-Class Americans 
			
			

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Trish Regan on Fox Business today to discuss the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, legislation that would cut taxes for working families in Louisiana.
Key excerpts of Cassidy’s comments are transcribed below.
REGAN: The president is in Missouri today. Senator [Claire] McCaskill [D-MO] is not expected necessarily to be in favor of this, is there any chance he may be able to twist her arm or any other Democrats for that matter?
CASSIDY: I sure hope so. We double the standard deduction so for most Americans, like 78 percent now, they don’t itemize, they take the standard deduction. So as we double that we actually increase the number who will have their tax cut and their filing simplified. Now that’s good policy, and good policy is good politics, whether you’re Republican or Democrat. I hope Senator McCaskill will vote for that. 
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-introduces-louisianan-kyle-duncan-at-senate-judiciary-committee-hearing,VIDEO: Cassidy Introduces Louisianan Kyle Duncan at Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing,2017-11-29,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.29.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy Introduces Louisianan Kyle Duncan at Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing 
			
			U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced Baton Rouge native Kyle Duncan at today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Cassidy previously introduced Louisiana judicial nominees Terry Doughty and Michael Juneau at their respective hearings.
 
A full transcript of Cassidy’s remarks today is below. TV stations can download broadcast quality video here.
 
CASSIDY: I come today to voice my strong support for Louisiana native son Kyle Duncan, to serve as a judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is well qualified and he is well prepared.
 
He’s here today with his family, his wife Martha, four of his children, Joseph, Thomas, Michael, Rosemary in the beautiful red dress, and four-year-old Andrew is not here.
 
Mr. Duncan was born and raised in Baton Rouge. He is a graduate of McKinley High School, which is an inner-city school that my children attended, my son graduated from, that I can actually hear their band on Friday night as they play from my front door. …
 
He graduated summa cum laude from Louisiana State University and then went on to get his law degree from LSU's Paul M. Hebert Law Center where he was the executive senior editor of the LSU Law Review.  He also graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif. After law school, Mr. Duncan clerked for the Honorable Judge John Duhé, Jr. on the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He went on to further his legal education by earning an LLM from Columbia University. Extremely well qualified.
 
He has accrued career experience in all three states that make up the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He served as assistant solicitor general at the Texas attorney general's office, taught at the University of Mississippi School of Law in Oxford, Mississippi, and then went on to be special counsel for the state of Louisiana before entering a successful private practice.
 
Throughout his career, Mr. Duncan has been involved in a variety of civil and criminal cases, and has wide subject-matter expertise that has prepared him for a seat on the circuit court.
 
Senator Feinstein found fault that he represented Hobby Lobby. But in my mind since the Supreme Court agreed with Hobby Lobby that means the Constitution’s meaning was advanced, and this is not a criticism but rather a badge of honor.
 
Throughout his career, his cases have run the gamut, from maritime, criminal, contracts, property, healthcare, business, Section 1983 claims, adoptions, false imprisonments, ADA regulations, privacy, and the list goes on. He will be well prepared from day one to handle any type of case that comes before him. 
 
He has extensive litigation experience in federal and state courts, including arguing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, which I gather is what has brought him to this area.
 
And Mr. Duncan has also appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Tenth, and D.C. Circuit Courts, and the Louisiana and Texas Supreme Courts.
 
Mr. Duncan has excelled in every role he has taken in the legal field. I have every confidence he will continue to excel in that role. He has the ability to understand complex litigation, and the integrity to rule fairly based on the facts as presented and the law as written.
 
Now let me speak a little bit about his selection process, because Senator Kennedy, who is my good friend, kind of has raised questions about that.
 
I’m a gastroenterologist, what do I know about the law? So what I did was I appointed a committee of attorneys, business folks, who would then make the selection for us. We took 12 members of Louisiana, most of them attorneys, from across our state, and formed a committee in which all applicants for this would come before.
 
There’s like 16 different people who applied for this, maybe more. Of those, all excellent. They selected the three best.
 
Among their criteria are, “do these people represent Louisiana?” And are, if you will, as Senator Franken said, the kind of atmosphere of us. And those 12 attorneys chose Mr. Duncan along with two or three or four other people whose names I submitted.
 
Those representatives of the legal profession in my state chose Mr. Duncan as being among the best of the best.
 
Senator Kennedy had a chance to look at those. We then submitted them to the White House and they chose among that list. I did not designate, rather, the committee chose.
 
And I felt like this was a way to remove politics. It is at arm’s length from me, it removes politics and has a chance for getting the best person.
 
Let me emphasize it is made up of community leaders, it actually has Democrats on it, business women and men of varying ages across the political spectrum.
 
Now, part of that by the way is that a resume might look good, but a peer has the ability to shed light on someone’s true character and ability, better than a resume and better than a gastroenterologist, which is why I chose them.
 
Mr. Duncan, they decided, was exactly the caliber of jurist that our country needs to serve in our federal courts. His character shines brightly at a time when our country needs to see good men and women using their talents for public service, and the good for others.
 
I recommend Louisiana native son Kyle Duncan to this committee without reservation and urge his swift confirmation through this committee and the Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-cassidy-economic-growth-from-tax-cuts-will-improve-deficit-projections,VIDEO: Cassidy: Economic Growth from Tax Cuts will Improve Deficit Projections,2017-11-28,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.28.17
			 VIDEO: Cassidy: Economic Growth from Tax Cuts will Improve Deficit Projections 
			
			U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Stuart Varney on Fox Business today to discuss the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, legislation that would cut taxes for working families in Louisiana.
 
Cassidy specifically addressed some Republican senators’ concerns about tax reform’s impact on the federal budget deficit. Key excerpts of Cassidy’s remarks are transcribed below.
 
VARNEY: My understanding is, that if this package goes through roughly as-is, then everybody’s paycheck or almost everybody’s paycheck goes up in the early part of next year because federal tax rates come down. Am I right?
 
CASSIDY: Absolutely. If you look at the percent of the families benefiting, disproportionately they are working and middle-class families. …
 
CASSIDY: As regards to debt and deficit, for example, this bill was scored as if our gross domestic product would only grow by 1.9 percent over 10 years. We’ve already had two quarters of over three percent growth; [we’re] projected to have another three percent growth next quarter. If we just raise growth to 2.4 or 2.5 percent, the increased growth of our economy, with therefore more tax revenue, pays for itself. Now, that addresses the debt and deficit issue. I think as people become aware of that, more comfortable with it, their concerns will be addressed. …
 
VARNEY: I just can’t believe that the Republican Party, at the very last minute, would say no to a tax cut package like this. I just can’t believe some Republicans would say no.
 
CASSIDY: It isn’t just because it’s the Republican Party and it’s a tax cut. It’s because middle-income families do better. It’s because we set the stage for more economic growth. That is the Republican message. Let’s have a more prosperous economy, and a more prosperous economy benefits all.
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/graves-bill-improve-fema-s-performance-signed-law,Graves Bill to Improve FEMAs Performance Signed into Law,2017-11-27,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC – A bill authored by Congressman Garret Graves (R-South Louisiana) to directly address the frustrations disaster victims experience regarding the status of federal assistance administered through FEMA, was signed into law by President Trump last week.  Graves worked with local flood victims and parish and state officials to address these challenges through legislation.
“It’s just wrong that disaster victims are often re-victimized by FEMA inefficiencies,” said Graves. “Here we are in the 21st Century, living private lives that revolve around technology – yet interacting with the government is like going back in time. Flood victims still have to dial an 800 number, sit on hold and wait for one of the hundreds of FEMA call center employees to search a database to get an update on a claim’s status. The process is filled with uncertainty, is expensive and leaves taxpayers feeling extraordinarily frustrated.”  
Graves’ H.R. 1679, the FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017 requires the agency to modernize its grant management system and provide secure online access to applicants. It would ensure FEMA’s improvement efforts include robust applicant accessibility and transparency measures.
Graves continued, “This bill would also bridge the current information gap between state and local government efforts that undermines their ability to complement federal recovery programs. This does not pass even the most basic common sense test. Gathering and sharing information on response and recovery work is a basic management principle and serves only to improve efficient execution of overall efforts.”
Rep. Graves is a leading voice in the effort to modernize the federal government and a number of his technology solutions have made significant progress, including his FEMA Modernization, Accountability and Transparency Act, the Innovation in Offshore Leasing Act and a provision in the FAST Act that encouraged better application of technologies to improve traffic systems – which was signed into law. This year he was invited to the White House to participate in the president’s American Technology Council, accompanying CEOs from Amazon, Microsoft and other companies at the forefront of tech-innovation. Graves is also a member of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s innovation working group, which exists to identify legislative opportunities to innovate how the government operates to improve its performance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-colleagues-seek-answers-from-uber-regarding-data-breach,"Cassidy, Colleagues Seek Answers from Uber Regarding Data Breach",2017-11-27,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.27.17
			 Cassidy, Colleagues Seek Answers from Uber Regarding Data Breach 
			
			U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), John Thune (R-SD), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) are seeking answers from Uber Technologies Inc. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi regarding recent reports of a data breach involving the personal information of 57 million customers, including names, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers. Uber failed to disclose the breach promptly.
 
“The company maintains that its outside forensic experts have not seen any indication that customer trip location history, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, or dates of birth were downloaded. Nevertheless, the nature of the information currently acknowledged to have been compromised, together with the allegation that the company concealed the breach without notifying affected drivers and consumers, and prior privacy concerns at Uber, makes this a serious incident that merits further scrutiny,” states the senators’ letter to Uber.
 
Cassidy is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy, which has jurisdiction over the protection of social security numbers and programs that are often targeted by identity thieves. 
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/opinion-editorial-another-reason-give-thanks,OPINION | Editorial: Another reason to give thanks,2017-11-24,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Thoughts this time of year often focus on reasons for which we should feel thankful -- family, shelter and wellbeing, among others. Residents in south Louisiana may need to add another item to that list.
Would you believe it’s the efforts of a few folks in Washington, D.C.?
The news that the White House Office of Management and Budget will ask for disaster supplemental appropriations, which include $12 billion for flood mitigation projects and another $1.235 billion for the school repairs not covered by FEMA, is a huge reason to give thanks.
The funds would be doled out through the Community Development Block Grant program and the Hurricane Education Account.
Possible beneficiaries to this legislation include the long-awaited Comite River Diversion Canal, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has all but written off the books. The plan offered by the White House would possibly help with the completion of the project, which has been on the drawing board since the 1980s.
The funding package would also help with millions of dollars in flood-related school repairs for Livingston, East Baton Rouge and Ascension parishes. The money would help the parishes get past the FEMA-driven logjam on the $500,000 per building deductible which would cripple most school systems.
In addition, a bipartisan bill by Congressmen Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, and Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, would also waive the so-called “Duplication of Benefits” ban in which many residents who were urged to seek SBA loans were later told they could not qualify for FEMA grants.
The legislation would serve as a huge breakthrough for many residents whose comeback efforts have been slowed to a crawl because of the absurd regulation.
The asterisk on this whole equation is that it still awaits federal approval, but the concurrence by President Trump serves as an indication that south Louisiana still has a fighting chance for more help with what will be a long recovery process.
Disasters in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico have made Louisiana’s flood plights of 2016 seem like a distant memory. But we should give thanks that we have representation on Capitol Hill – from both sides of the floor, in fact – who continue to fight for us.
It’s good to know a few people in Washington still care.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-johnson-welcome-zachary-wilson-home-from-detainment-in-guatemala,"Cassidy, Johnson Welcome Zachary Wilson Home from Detainment in Guatemala",2017-11-22,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.22.17
			 Cassidy, Johnson Welcome Zachary Wilson Home from Detainment in Guatemala 
			
			WASHINGTON—Zachary Wilson, a Keithville, Louisiana, native detained by Guatemalan authorities since March 2017, returned to the United States today. While attempting to return to the U.S. at the conclusion of a mission trip with the Word of God Church, authorities discovered old hunting ammunition in Wilson’s bag and placed him under arrest. Since then, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and U.S. Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04) worked to secure Wilson’s release.
 
“It is fitting that Zachary Wilson arrives home the day before Thanksgiving,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We do give thanks—to Zachary for the mission that brought him to Guatemala; to Ambassador Espina and the Guatemalan government for expediting his judicial process; to the American embassy staff; and most of all to his wife Lisa and the many others who supported Zachary and prayed for resolution. Congressman Johnson and I were privileged to be involved.”
 
“My colleagues and I have worked tirelessly with the Guatemalan authorities to ensure the safe and timely return of Mr. Wilson,” said Rep. Johnson. “I am pleased that all of our efforts have paid off and so he can finally come home. I would like to thank Senator Cassidy, Guatemalan Ambassador to the U.S. Manuel Espina, U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Todd Robinson, and their staffs for their assistance and continued engagement in this matter. All of us look forward to welcoming Zack back to the United States.”

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https://garretgraves.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/qa-rep-garret-graves-explains-how-his-food-stamp-bill-would-result-more,Q&A: Rep. Garret Graves Explains How His Food Stamp Bill Would Result in More Americans Working,2017-11-21,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Garret Graves,G000577,garretgraves.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., spoke to The Daily Signal’s Rachel Del Guidice earlier this month about his bill that would implement work requirements for those dependent on food stamps. The following is an edited transcript of the interview:
Del Guidice: Earlier this year you introduced a bill for work requirements for recipients of food stamps. Tell us a little bit about that bill, what it does.
Graves: Sure. We looked at models and what happened in pilot programs in Alabama, in Kansas, and in Maine. And there were some extraordinary success stories about how they were able to transition people from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, into the workforce. 
For example, in Alabama, in 11 counties where they tried this out, what they did is they transitioned about 85 percent of the people off of the SNAP program. In Kansas when they did this, they were able to incorporate 60 percent of work-capable individuals into the workforce. Exactly what we all seek. And of course it’s great for taxpayers and it’s great for those that are unemployed. 
And then in Maine, looking at the way that they did it and extrapolating that program with some other modifications at the federal level, we believe we could save somewhere between $8-9, maybe even more, billion per year. Huge things for taxpayers. 
So the bill is modeled after those pilot programs and it would simply connect job assistance programs and job training opportunities with those that are on the SNAP program, those that are unemployed, or impoverished, and dependent on government programs. So helping get people into the workforce, helps improve livelihood, improve health care, improve outcomes, and save taxpayers’ dollars. It really is a win-win-win opportunity. 
Del Guidice: And you just finished up a panel here at The Heritage Foundation, our viewers can watch that at Heritage.org. You mentioned how work requirements, how incentivizing work is so needed in today’s world where we don’t incentivize work. Can you talk a little bit about that? 
Graves: We were just with Congressman Jim Jordan and Congressman Jason Smith, and Congressman Smith was talking about nearly the $25 trillion that we’ve spent as a nation. Let’s keep in mind that is taxpayers’ dollars, hardworking taxpayers’ dollars. That’s $25 trillion we’ve spent over decades trying to fight this war on poverty, when effectively it has been a lost war. We have more people in poverty today. 
So the idea is that we are not incentivizing work anymore in this country. That was an incentive in America, in our young nation. That you incentivize people to work, and that’s what caused us to become the most successful nation. Our citizens literally out-worked other countries. And so we’ve transitioned from that to incentivizing people to not work, by making it lucrative to be dependent upon government programs. 
So the work requirement connects people with job opportunities, connects to job training, and it helps to change that incentive from not working to incentivizing people to actually work. And this is more than just about getting people off of government programs, you have people that are stuck generation after generation in a cycle of poverty. If we can put them on a pathway to prosperity, it is not just about income. You can look at studies that show improved livelihoods, that show improved health care, they show overall improved outcomes for these people. And breaking that cycle for future generations, it’s a huge opportunity here. And again, this isn’t some dream. This is modeled after successful pilot programs in states. So we’re really excited about this. 
Del Guidice: In 2009, I believe, the Obama administration did away with the work requirements. And how do you answer push back from people who don’t want to see work requirements come back? How do you respond to that?
Graves: First of all, I think it’s important to note that those work requirements were put in place in ’96, that President [Bill] Clinton agreed with it, that Sen. Ted Kennedy agreed with it, and understood that the importance of that, of incentivizing people to work. And you can look at the success that occurred after the implementation of the ’96 welfare reform. 
In 2009, President [Barack] Obama demanded that the work requirement be waived, 37 states, even today, still have a waiver in place. And that is when we saw the spike. So let me give you a few numbers: In 2000, you had approximately 17 million people that were dependent on the SNAP program. Today, it’s nearly 46 million people. In terms of financials, back around 2000 it was around $20 billion a year being spent. And it has absolutely exploded to an excess of $80 billion today. 
So this isn’t a partisan issue, it doesn’t matter if you’re impoverished, if you’re a liberal, if you’re conservative, if you’re making high income. This really does benefit everyone. Because it benefits those that are unemployed, or those that are impoverished by giving them more opportunities and connecting them to the program and skills they need to get back into the workforce. And if you’re paying for these programs, it helps us to dedicate those limited tax dollars to other national priorities: reducing the debt, addressing infrastructure, and other things we need to be doing as a country.  
Del Guidice: Yeah, we’re not just throwing away free money. We’re saying we want to help out our society here by doing this. I think you introduced this bill in June, what are the chances of it passing this year? Could it be tacked on to any major legislation? What are the chances of that happening in 2017? 
Graves: I think in 2017, with the limited time we have, with our focus on tax and other things, it’s going to be difficult to do in 2017. But as you know, we’re likely going to be moving on a farm bill next year. There’s always been this connectivity between farm bill and food nutrition programs for the welfare programs. 
And so, what we’re doing is we’re working to demonstrate broad support for this concept and building upon these models to where if they continue to have the connection between the two that we would have the opportunity to have real fundamental reform. And really address better outcomes, to where you give the impoverished a pathway for prosperity and we help to free up these tax dollars to address true priorities like deficit reduction, addressing infrastructure needs, and other things that our country is falling behind on. 
Del Guidice: Well, Congressman, final question, today is a big day for the House because it is going to vote on tax reform. Do you think we’re going to see that become law by Christmas, as Trump is saying? And it’s a big, historic day for the House, for sure.  
Graves: I’ll be very candid. I think this thing is going to pass out of the House, I think we’re going to have a good vote. I’m not sure that Americans fully appreciate how historic this is. This is an opportunity to just light the fire under the U.S. economy. To really improve our competitiveness. To help provide more economic opportunities. To help improve the health of the U.S. economy. This is something that truly can help every single American that’s out there. 
My optimism about what’s going to happen in the Senate has dropped a little bit in recent days, looking at some of the concerns expressed by a few senators. But I still think that overall, everyone understands the importance of getting this done. In terms of really igniting the economy, really helping improve the health of the economy, and really raising wages giving us more employment choices. Huge, huge opportunity. I do think we can get this done by Christmas.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-natural-gas-deal-with-poland-is-great-news-for-louisiana,Cassidy: Polish Natural Gas Deal is Great News for Louisiana,2017-11-21,2017,2017-11,Republican,House,LA,Bill Cassidy,C001075,www.cassidy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"11.21.17
			 Cassidy: Polish Natural Gas Deal is Great News for Louisiana 
			
			WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement regarding the deal announced by Polish Oil and Gas Company Group (PGNiG) to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Sabine Pass LNG export terminal in Louisiana:
“This is great news for Louisiana’s natural gas workers,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Not only will our state be exporting American energy to Poland, an important ally of the U.S., but it will also be playing an important role in reducing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ability to bully Europe.”
			
			
			
		
		
	
	  

	
	
	
	
	 
		
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