“I am committed to ensuring our servicemen and women who volunteer have the supplies they need to succeed; most importantly, this bill funds our troops,” Boustany said. “In addition, the bill funds $5.8 billion to continue Louisiana levee construction, which is critical to protecting our coast from another major storm. This is a responsible bill that meets our priorities, and I urge my Senate colleagues to pass it soon to get these funds to our troops in the field.”
“I appreciate Governor Jindal traveling to Washington to discuss the state’s needs with the delegation,” Boustany said. “We had a productive conversation, and I will work to secure long-term sustainable funding to rebuild our coast in a responsible way. In addition, the Governor and I talked about added representation for our area on the CPRA, a critical component to future rebuilding projects. The meeting I called in February proved as an important beginning to the process.”
“Increasing American energy production is the single most responsible solution to our energy crisis, and I am fighting for sensible energy policy,” Boustany said. “The price of gas at the pump will continue to rise if Congress only blames OPEC. American energy production leads to more American jobs, more supply to lower cost and reduced dependence on foreign sources like Venezuela and the Middle East. I am proud to support this energy plan.”
“As Southwest Louisiana families struggle with high prices at the pump, increasing domestic supply is the most effective way to ease these price hikes, and liberal Washington Democrats finally started to realize it,” Boustany said. “This is only a small start to increase supplies of gas and crude oil to lower the price. Now, Congress needs to do more by increasing responsible American energy production to increase the supply further and drive costs down as soon as possible.”
“A new WRDA bill will be critical to continuing the progress Southwest Louisiana has made, and I will again advocate for sound projects that meet our long-term needs,” Boustany said. “Dredging is important for Louisiana, and it is important for the US economy. Shipping along the Louisiana coast spurs trade and leads to new buyers for American-made goods. These are dedicated funds which are being used to cover irresponsible spending, and its hurting potential economic growth across Southwest Louisiana and nationwide. More than four and a half billion dollars sit idle at a time when the Army Corps of Engineers is proposing to shift Southwest Louisiana’s dredging funds to other operations.”
“Southwest Louisiana continues to rebuild and recover from Hurricane Rita, and I appreciate General O’Dell’s commitment to our region,” Boustany said. “Today, we talked about FEMA’s draft flood maps, funding for dredging in the Calcasieu Ship Channel and Freshwater Bayou and other recovery projects. General O’Dell is focused on helping people across Louisiana who suffered from both hurricanes to rebuild their lives and their communities. His experiences during the initial recovery effort in South Louisiana make him uniquely qualified for this difficult position.”
“I am pleased with today’s decision to leave the funding for the Calcasieu Ship Channel,” Boustany said. “After protesting the Corps’ original plan both in Washington and in Louisiana, I am glad the Corps listened to my objections. This would have been a crushing blow to operations along the Calcasieu River and Freshwater Bayou, and I will continue to fight to ensure these funds are not taken away from Southwest Louisiana.”
“Our nation has a growing demand for natural gas and this amendment will help to ensure domestic LNG expansion,” Boustany said. “This week I was pleased to attend the opening of Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass LNG facility located in Cameron Parish. Once fully operational, the facility will be the largest LNG receiving terminal in the world and will play a critical role in meeting U.S. energy demands.”
“Liquefied natural gas is a sensible solution to America’s energy needs, and the Sabine Pass is an example of this solution in action,” Boustany said. “I am proud of the cooperation between Cheniere Energy, local, state and federal agencies and members of the local community. This demonstrates what can be accomplished when people work together, and I am glad Southwest Louisiana is a national leader in supplying the energy our country needs.”
“I am confident Major General O’Dell will continue the good effort Donald Powell began,” Boustany said. “We have made strides to rebuild all of Louisiana, but much remains to be done. I look forward to working with Major General O’Dell on rebuilding Southwest Louisiana, making our area safer.”
“As we continue to rebuild Southwest Louisiana, I am proud of the cooperation between our civic and business leaders,” Boustany said. “I will continue to support sound economic principles to strengthen Southwest Louisiana businesses and their employees.”
“I am glad the IRS is finally working with people who received Road Home funding,” Boustany said. “Anyone with questions about their 2007 tax returns should attend the Lake Charles meeting to get answers directly from IRS officials.”
“Today’s announcement by the Governor is an important step toward repairing our endangered coastline that thousands of families in Louisiana depend on for protection,” Boustany said. “I will continue to work to bring federal funds to these projects, and the state’s commitment now allows us to move forward on the Southwest Louisiana Hurricane and Flood Protection Plan, which is critical for our region. Additional funding for Southwest Louisiana for improvements along the I-49 corridor also demonstrates the importance of continuing our growth to the state.”
“General Honorè is a testament to the service, dedication and resiliency of our Armed Forces,” Boustany said. “He stepped into a difficult situation with lives on the line, and he displayed true courage and leadership. For that, I will be forever grateful. It is important to remember the two hurricanes that devastated Louisiana, and it is equally imperative to remember those heroes who served so nobly in the recovery effort.”
