Cassidy: Infrastructure bill guaranteed to help La.
Published 9:51 pm Tuesday, November 16, 2021
- President Joe Biden speaks to a crowd gathered at the Lake Charles Civic Center with the I-10 Bridge in the background during his May 6 visit to Lake Charles. (American Press Archives)
The bill is written in such as way that it is guaranteed that Louisiana will receive portions of the funding. “And I proudly take credit for some of that language,” he said.
Some funds are a direct allocation for Louisiana, like $50 million for the Lake Ponchatrain Restoration Project and $9 million for the hurricane-damaged Calcasieu ship channel. Other funds are driven by formula like the state’s allocation of $5.8 billion for roads and bridges.
Regarding flood mitigation funds in the bill, Cassidy said Louisiana “will get a significant portion of that money” because one-third of the claims to the National Flood Program have come from Louisiana. Additionally, there is several billion dollars set aside for coastal restoration, prioritizing areas hit by natural disasters in the last six months.
“Clearly that language is pointing to Louisiana,” he said.
The bill also includes discretionary spending that states will “compete for.” Typically a state gets at least one project, he said.
“That’s up to local communities putting forward good competitive projects.”
Cassidy also expressed opposition to the Democrat-proposed budget reconciliation bill, which he nicknamed a “tax-and-spending spree.”
“I believe it will ignite inflation and torch the savings of middle income families when inflation goes up faster than their income. The administration needs to show they care more about the American people than cementing their legacy.”
Inflation is currently at record highs, he said, growing faster than it has in 30 years and worst today than it was at the height of the Great Recession.
