“A solid transportation system is important for Lafayette as the city continues to grow and prosper,” Boustany said. “This grant will help increase our transportation capacity, and I trust the funds will be used effectively. I am glad the multimodal transportation project is moving forward.”
“Liberal Democrats, including Speaker Pelosi, continue to talk about their secret solution for skyrocketing gas prices, but they fail to produce any answers,” Boustany said. “Raising taxes on American energy producers isn’t an answer to lower the price, so let’s look at increasing American production in a responsible way. Increasing supply will help reduce speculation and lead to lower costs at the pump.”
“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.”
“The funding for water improvement will help communities in Vermillion, St. Landry and Jefferson Davis upgrade their systems, providing safe, clean, quality water,” Boustany said. “In addition, these funds will help each parish meet new environmental standards. Clean drinking water is essential, and I trust this will greatly benefit people in Southwest Louisiana.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“As the price at the pump continues to soar, American families do not need more Washington taxes,” Boustany said. “We must reward innovation and ingenuity as we look for alternatives to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, but dramatically increasing taxes isn’t the solution for Southwest Louisiana.”
