WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued the following statement ahead of votes on a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill, which failed to include long-term hurricane recovery resources for South Louisiana.
“Democrats released their $1.5 trillion, 2,700-page omnibus spending bill in the dead of night, mere hours before a scheduled vote. This is reflective of the broken budget process plaguing Congress. We must return to regular order and take action to reduce uncontrolled deficit spending.
“Further, our request for increased hurricane recovery funding was left out of this bill. There are no additional dollars for disaster block grants in response to Hurricanes Laura, Delta, or Ida. That’s unacceptable. It is yet another reason I cannot support this bill.
“Despite my objections to the bill in its totality, we worked closely with the House Appropriations Committee to secure funding for several important Louisiana projects. A tremendous amount of work went into our effort, and our 3rd District project funding language being included in the final bill is a testament to the dedication of our office to work closely with appropriations committee staff for the betterment of Louisiana. My overall assessment of this massive bill clearly leads me to a solid NO, but Louisiana citizens should note the outstanding effort that my Congressional staff has delivered, as confirmed by the fact that Louisiana project language is included in the bill, as opposed to being restricted to separate amendments or absent altogether. We will never stop working for Louisiana, and we will not waver on core principles. That sometimes leads me to vote against a bill that includes some sections that I strongly support.”
The following are projects specifically requested and secured by Congressman Higgins in the final legislative text:
- $10 million for construction on the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Hurricane Protection project in Calcasieu, Cameron, and Vermilion parishes.
- $1.2 million to support the Acadiana Gulf of Mexico Access Channel (AGMAC) project at the Port of Iberia.
- $5.2 million to construct an emergency operations center in Vermilion Parish.
- $5 million for construction on the University Avenue Corridor project in Lafayette.
