No images? Click here Your Weekly Dose of D.C. Politics By Jeremy Alford & David Jacobs March 27, 2024 Issue 6 $1.2 Trillion Senate & POTUS finish off funding pkg. The U.S. Senate kicked a $1.2 trillion appropriations package to President Joe Biden over the weekend, capping off spending negotiations for a fiscal year that commenced nearly six months ago. Nearly $1.3 billion from a dozen appropriations bills is headed to Louisiana, including $28 million for the Morganza to the Gulf project, more than $12 million for water infrastructure, $5.5 million for mental health and substance abuse services, and $6 million for the Team Gleason Foundation for ALS health services, to name some examples. “This funding boosts our economy and strengthens our communities by improving roads and bridges, upgrading our electric grid, supporting our military, and more,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy. Louisiana's full list (get ready for a long scroll) includes the following... Homeland Security — $2,300,000 for Port of Morgan City for Emergency Operations Center Upgrades Financial Services and General Government — $2,000,000 for University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) Biomedical Innovation Center — $1,875,000 for University of Louisiana at Monroe Biomedical Innovation Lab Transportation, Housing and Urban Development — $3,000,000 for World War II Museum for facility upgrades — $5,000,000 for Howell Village Community Transformation Project for the development of affordable housing in Baton Rouge — $4,000,000 for City of Ruston for Utility Upgrades — $3,690,000 for Feed the Second Line in New Orleans for the Get Lit, Stay Lit Project — $6,000,000 for Lafayette Regional Airport for a Taxiway Realignment Project — $2,200,000 for Acadia Parish Vie Terre Beau Bridge Project — $5,000,000 for Route 167 Highway Improvements in Vermillion Parish Commerce, Justice & Science — $3,500,000 for Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA for Empowering North Louisiana Research Support for Domestic Semiconductor Technology and Workforce Development — $3,000,000 for Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) for Coastal Louisiana Deployment and Hardening of Gauges and Data Collection Platforms — $400,000 for Lower Mississippi River Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System Sensors — $2,400,00 for City of New Orleans Office of Criminal Justice Coordination for Crime Lab Equipment — $250,000 for Covenant House, New Orleans for an Enhanced Victim Services Transitional Program — $1,800,00 for St. Landry Parish for Law Enforcement Technology and Equipment Upgrades — $340,000 for Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office for Emergency Communications Equipment Military Construction and Veterans Affairs — $7,000,000 for Air Force Reserve at Barksdale Air Force Base for the 307 Bomb Wing Medical Facility Addition Agriculture — $5,000,000 for USDA/ARS for Sugar Cane Research Facilities in Houma, LA — $800,000 for Town of Livingston for Renovations to the Livingston Parish Courthouse — $1,000,000 for Precision and Digital Agriculture Technologies — $500,000 for Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for West Nile Virus Interior and Environment — $3,000,000 for City of Gretna, LA for Wastewater Upgrades — $5,000,000 for Lafayette Consolidated Government for the North Lafayette Galvanized Water Line Replacement Project — $720,000 for Town of Livingston for Drinking Water Storage and Distribution Systems Improvements — $2,778,000 for Jefferson Davis Parish for Drinking Water Improvements — $520,000 for West Sterlington Water Systems. Inc. for Drinking Water Improvements Energy and Water — $28,000,000 for Corps of Engineers, Mississippi River and Tributaries for Morganza to the Gulf — $9,000,000 for Corps of Engineers, Construction for Calcasieu River and Pass — $500,000 for Corps of Engineers, Investigations for the Houma Navigation Canal Deepening Project — $500,000 for Corps of Engineers, Investigations for the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Feasibility Study — $250,000 for Corps of Engineers, Investigations for the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet — $4,000,000 for Department of Energy to LSU for the Research Environment for the Advancement of Clean Hydrogen Labor, Health and Human Services — $3,000,000 for Louisiana State University and A&M College for facilities and equipment — $1,735,000 for LSU Health Sciences Center for facilities and equipment, including information technology — $4,500,000 for Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana Inc. and Subsidiaries, LA, for facilities and equipment — $1,000,000 for Mercy Family Center, LA, for mental health and support services, including case management and information technology — $6,000,000 for Team Gleason Foundation, LA, for addressing the needs of individuals with ALS, including the purchase of equipment and assistive technology — $3,000,000 for Center for the Innovative Training of Youth, Inc., LA, for a STEM program, including the purchase of equipment — $2,100,000 for Southern University and A&M College for legal education, including the purchase of equipment and technology — $365,000 for Southern University and A&M College for technology education, including the purchase of equipment and technology Defense — $7,000,000 for Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City for defense research to improve B-52 capabilities — $10,000,000 for Fort Johnson, Henrico for additional civil engineering survey equipment — $30,000,000 for Department of Defense, Shreveport for technical Assistance Center — $12,500,000 for Cyber Innovation Center, Bossier City, for Global Strike Command Technology Transition and Innovation Center — $7,500,000 for Biomedical Research Foundation at Barksdale Air Force Base for the development of next generation satellite communication capabilities for the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center — $6,000,000 for LSU for research to anticipate threats to natural systems — $22,000,000 for Biomedical Research Foundation in Shreveport for Innovative Projects for B-52 Modernization — $30,000,000 for Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City for the construction of new yard, building, additional repairs, berthing improvements, and a new messing vessel barge — $6,500,000 for Stephenson Stellar Corporation in Shreveport for development of advanced satellite capabilities. — $3,000,000 for Stephenson Stellar Corporation in Shreveport for the continuation of defense-in-depth spacecraft research — $10,000,000 for Radiance Technologies in Shreveport and Ruston for the development of advanced packaging technologies for hardware security — $585,000,000 for Textron Systems in Slidell for Department of Defense (DoD) Procurement of four additional ship-to-shore connectors hovercraft — $5,000,000 for Praeses in Shreveport for Development of new Air Force multi-domain command and control system in Louisiana — $2,000,000 for Praeses in Shreveport for research to improve the B-52 Agile Pod Capability — $4,500,000 for Mezzo Technologies in Baton Rouge for Aluminum microtube heat exchanges — $10,000,000 for Precision Pump & Valve in Lake Charles for weather resistant materials research — $40,000,000 for DoD for Peer-Reviewed ALS Research Program — $110,000,000 for DoD for Peer-reviewed Prostate Cancer medical research — $150,000,000 for DoD for Peer-reviewed Breast Cancer medical research — $24,200,000 for National Civil Air Patrol Operations for Louisiana Civil Air Patrol — $53,000,000 for STARBASE DoD High School Educational Program How to Reach Us 225-772-2518 -- Sponsored Content -- Please join notable companies such as Kean Miller, Our Lake of the Lake Health, Baton Rouge Area Chamber and many others by taking the Pledge to Fly BTR to DC. It is essential that our capital city maintains nonstop service to our nation’s capital. We need your support to increase bookings on the flights. Flying local supports economic and airport growth in our region while providing confirmation to the airlines that new BTR nonstop routes will be supported. You are helping our region by supporting your local airport, which provides an annual economic impact of over $1 billion. WHY FLY BTR TO DC? — Time & Convenience Flying out of BTR is the ultimate in ease and convenience. No long drives, no parking lot shuttles, no long waits at security. If you value time and convenience, BTR is always the best choice. — Business travelers can make a one-day, roundtrip to DC BTR has the earliest flight to DC, even earlier than flying out of New Orleans. The flight is nonstop from Baton Rouge (BTR) to Reagan National Airport (DCA) each morning. The return flight from DC to BTR is in the evening. — Competitive Ticket Pricing When you factor in the time and cost to drive to New Orleans, plus time-consuming and costly parking coupled with longer lines, flying out of BTR is more efficient and economical. — You asked and we delivered This flight was the most requested flight by Baton Rouge flyers. Not only will it help BTR keep this flight, but it will also improve BTR’s prospects for more service by showing the airlines that our community will support new service. Take the pledge to fly BTR to DC at https://flybtrtodc.com. Delegation Roundup JNK moves FEMA bill... Carter on abortion pill... Higgins on community funding... — KENNEDY FEMA BILL ADVANCES: The Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt Response and Recovery Act, bipartisan legislation U.S. Sen. John Kennedy cosponsored with U.S. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, has passed the Senate. The bill would enable the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond to disasters and other emergencies more efficiently and promptly, according to Kennedy’s office. “The Senate just unanimously passed our common-sense solution to help the private sector and federal officials work better together to respond to emergencies,” Kennedy said. “Now the House needs to send this solution to the president’s desk.” — CARTER ON ABORTION PILL: Congressman Troy Carter weighed in on the Supreme Court case regarding access to the medication mifepristone, which he called “a safe and effective way to receive an abortion.” “This case is rooted in politics, not medicine, and is an attempt to restrict reproductive freedom,” he argued on social media. Attorney General Liz Murrill joined peers from 24 other states in encouraging the justices to revert use and prescribing of the medication abortion pill mifepristone to what was in place prior to 2016. “Removing the in-person dispensing requirement puts women and girls at risk with no doctor-patient relationship,” Murrill claimed on social media. — LETLOW GRILLS VILSACK: Congresswoman Julia Letlow questioned U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week about the steps his Department is taking to provide assistance to the agriculture industry following last year’s droughts, specifically urging him to use his authority to provide relief to the crawfish industry. “I'm happy to work with you and your team on how whether or not we have the discretion that you believe we may have,” Vilsack said. “You most certainly do,” she responded. “I had language included in the final Fiscal Year 24 appropriations bill directing you to do this.” — JOHNSON SEEKS UKRAINE SOLUTION: Speaker Mike Johnson is working on a potential House proposal to deliver aid to Ukraine, amid opposition from many members of his party. Though the Senate already has approved a funding package that includes aid to Ukraine, Johnson has not brought it up for a vote. His speakership may again be in jeopardy, following Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s motion to vacate made Friday. Some Democrats have suggested they may vote for Johnson to remain as speaker if he agrees to allow a vote on the aid. — SCALISE RAPS ENERGY POLICY: Majority Leader Steve Scalise took to the House floor on Thursday to denounce President Joe Biden’s energy policies. “Why would we want to embolden Vladimir Putin with our energy policies when we have enough energy in America to crush Putin, to crush Iran, to crush Venezuela?” he said near the end of his speech. “OPEC would be irrelevant if we just produced more American energy and the only person standing in the way right now is Joe Biden.” Crude oil production in the United States set a global record last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. However, Scalise said “oil production today is a result of investments made five and ten years ago,” not during the current administration. — GRAVES SOUNDS SHRIMP ALARM: Congressman Garret Graves and Congresswoman Mary Sattler Peltola of Alaska have sent a letter to President Biden urging him to immediately halt shrimp imports into the United States from India, following reports of food safety issues and labor violations in Indian shrimp processing facilities. Graves has cosponsored legislation to stop “illegally produced shrimp” from reaching domestic consumers, claiming that much of the foreign shrimp contains illegal antibiotics or are products of illegal fishing operations. — HIGGINS TOUTS $4.3M FOR 3RD: Congressman Clay Higgins said his district will receive an additional $4.3 million in Community Project Funding through H.Res. 1102, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives. “I opposed House Resolution 1102 because of the total level of overall spending and the removal of many Conservative policy riders through the Senate,” Higgins said. “However, I dedicated months of effort to get our community funding language included in the 12 appropriations bills that were passed through the House.” The funding is comprised of $2.3 million to the Port of Morgan City for upgrades to the Emergency Operation Center and $2 million to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for the development of a Biomedical Innovation Center. Have a Story You Want to See Here? Send your pitch to JJA@LaPolitics.com and watch for the next issue! On the Record FEC stuff... Items leading the news... — THE WEEK AHEAD: Congress is on a two-week recess through next week. — FEC WEBINARS: The Federal Election Commission will host FECFile webinars for PACs and party committees on Wednesday, April 3, and for candidate committees on Thursday, April 4. During these live, interactive training events held via Zoom, FEC staff from the Reports Analysis Division will discuss filing information, demonstrate the Commission’s free e-filing software and take questions. Space is limited. You can register here. — MAILING THE FEC? The Federal Election Commission has approved a final rule which clarifies that the agency’s 20463 ZIP Code should be used only for U.S. Postal Service deliveries. For purposes of physical location as well as for all other deliveries, including by courier or by private delivery service such as FedEx or UPS, the Commission’s ZIP Code is 20002. — FROM THE POST: TRUMP JOB INTERVIEWS: “Those seeking employment at the Republican National Committee after a Trump-backed purge of the committee this month have been asked in job interviews if they believe the 2020 election was stolen, according to people familiar with the interviews, making the false claim a litmus test of sorts for hiring.” (Read) — FROM POLITICO: SCOTUS & ABORTION: “The Biden administration’s effort to preserve expanded access to the abortion drug mifepristone found more traction among the conservative justices than many observers expected. Three members of the court’s right flank expressed doubts about the legality and even the wisdom of allowing a coalition of anti-abortion medical groups to challenge the Food and Drug Administration’s conclusions about the safety of mifepristone, the pill used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions. The Supreme Court arguments Tuesday morning provided windows not only into how the conservative-dominated court may rule in this legal showdown, but on other thorny issues likely to come before the bench in the months and years ahead.” (Read) — FROM THE HILL: A BETTING CULTURE: “What our country has developed is a lottery culture, which normalizes the act of people buying lottery tickets to win large amounts of easy money. This culture has contributed to the gambling culture, particularly sports gambling. More states are legalizing sports gambling, particularly online gambling, making it possible to place bets from your smart phone in real time.” (Read) — FROM AXIOS: AN INDEPENDENT POTUS BID: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that he is tapping attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his running mate for his independent presidential bid… His vice presidential selection allows him to ramp up signature collection in nearly two dozen states, as he presses on with his bid to qualify for the ballot in all 50 states. (Read) Have a Story You Want to See Here? Send your pitch to JJA@LaPolitics.com and watch for the next issue! INSIDE PERSPECTIVE Congress Takes on "Energy Week" By Jeff Brooks Adams and Reese LLP Aside from Mardi Gras and Po Boys, few things have become synonymous with Louisiana such as oil and gas production. The state ranks among the highest producers of crude oil and natural gas nationwide, and its ports facilitate the shipment of nearly two-thirds of the country's liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. On top of that, Louisiana’s robust energy production apparatus makes the state the highest per capita energy consumer in the country. — HR 1023 would repeal methane emissions charges created under Democrat’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Regardless, “Energy Week” gives Americans and Louisianans a glimpse at the current majority’s energy priorities if the GOP regains control of the White House in November. Jeff Brooks is in his sixth term as the Executive Committee Chair at Adams and Reese, and he is a Partner in the DC office. Jeff helped establish the national law firm’s DC office in 1997, and since, he has been an integral member of the Adams and Reese Government Relations practice that has developed a longstanding relationship with Louisiana’s current delegation in Congress. Adams and Reese has built a substantive GR practice with attorneys, advisors, and lobbyists across 20 offices in 10 states, including DC. Adams and Reese represents clients’ interests at the federal, state, and local levels, in diverse areas, including energy, transportation, public works, budget appropriations, education, and financial services, among others. Want to write the next Beltway Beat op-ed? Send your best shot to JJA@LaPolitics.com! THE END. Bringing the Statehouse to your house. Read unbiased, fact-based coverage from our newsrooms. State Affairs Pro: policy intelligence platform for government insiders Pro Indiana | Pro Kansas | Pro Louisiana | Pro North Carolina For questions, please contact support@stateaffairs.com |