A Note From the Desk of Congresswoman Letlow

That’s a wrap on another busy and productive month! Because of what we were able to accomplish in March, we can now say that the government is fully funded for the remainder of the fiscal year. I applaud my colleagues for working together push this imperative legislation through. Through community funding project requests, I am sending over $37 million directly back to the Fifth District. These projects include targeted investments for improvements to our airports, ports, roads, water systems, law enforcement, and rural hospitals. Additionally, these funding packages include millions of dollars in funding for our agricultural programs, educational institutions, border security technology and agents, and defense systems to ensure military readiness in a time of global unrest.

While in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity this month to question Secretaries from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Energy, and Health and Human Services, in an effort to obtain the answers so many of you need.

From hearing about your greatest concerns, bolstering our domestic energy sector and combating the invasion taking place at our borders continue to remain a top priority.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with your questions and concerns. Our team is always accessible through this newsletter and our website. We are here to serve you!

Sincerely,

Julia Letlow, Ph.D.
Member of Congress

Continue reading for more on my travel through the Fifth and work in D.C. for Lousianans.

The U.S. domestic energy industry has been under attack since day one of President Biden taking office. He has canceled pipelines, stalled new energy infrastructure projects, and placed countless restrictions on fossil fuels. This bias against fossil fuels - namely oil and natural gas - is hurting our country and our allies. We should be bolstering our energy production so that we can in turn create reliable and affordable energy for our country and our allies overseas.

House Republicans took action by passing the H.R. 1 - the Lower Energy Costs Act - in 2023. In an effort to continue the pushback on the Biden Administration’s energy policies, we dedicated a week to introducing pro-energy bills on the House floor. Together, we were able to pass the following pieces of legislation to counteract Joe Biden’s war on American energy:

PASSED:

• H.R. 1121 - Protecting American Energy Production Act
• H.R. 1023 - To repeal section 134 of the Clean Air Act, relating to the greenhouse gas reduction fund
• H. Res. 987 - Denouncing the harmful, anti-American energy policies of the Biden administration
• H.R. 6009 - the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act
• H.R. 7023 - Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act
• H. Con. Res. 86 - Expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy

With my seat on the House Appropriations Energy & Water Subcommittee, I was able to directly question U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Granholm about why her department and the Biden administration continue to place restrictions on our oil and gas sector, which is evident in the recent decision to pause consideration of new LNG projects.

Read more about what Secretary Granholm had to say HERE.

I know that almost all Louisianians have experienced sticker shock this spring with their first crawfish purchase.

The high prices are a result of the hardships that Louisiana’s hardworking crawfish farmers have had to battle over the past year. From Rayne to Rayville, the effects of record-high temperatures that led to extreme heat and drought led to depleted production levels for crawfish farms across our state.

I jumped into action months ago by introducing the Drought Assistance Improvement Act to provide assistance to livestock and cattle farmers. This bill extends disaster relief for crawfish and takes drought conditions into consideration for assistance. While crawfish is a major commodity in our state, we need to make sure the industry is protected.

I was able to question the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary in the House Committee on Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee hearing. I asked him directly if he would do everything in his power to provide farmers and ranchers with the assistance they need to combat drought. Click below to watch our conversation:

Read my full op-ed also on the topic of fighting the crawfish crisis HERE.

Last year, I introduced the Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. This bill authorizes State Entities that receive grants through the Charter Schools Program (CSP) to use a portion of their funding to support experienced educators navigate and complete the complex charter school application process. The bill also allows additional technical assistance activities including finding a location for charter schools to operate.

The bill was brought before the Education and the Workforce Committee this month for a vote, and I had the chance to speak on all of its potential benefits. I am proud to say this bill passed through committee and is now eligible to be called to the House floor for a vote.

To watch my full Committee remarks, click HERE.

Through my seat on the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, & Education Subcommittee, I was able to question U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra during a time when our southern border is in crisis. With the millions of illegal immigrants who have come across our borders, our overcrowded facilities, and our lack of border agents, I asked him how his Department is able to ensure the safety of each child who comes across.

The fact of the matter is this administration has failed to secure the border and enforce our laws. As a repercussion of their failures, unaccompanied children are at risk of exploitation such as child labor and sex trafficking. This must end now.

Listen to our discussion below:

I was humbled to be awarded the Golden Plow Award by the American Farm Bureau. I am so grateful to the American and Louisiana Farm Bureau for their steadfast support of our work for the agricultural community.

I will always make sure our farmers, ranchers, and producers are supported and I look forward to continuing collaboration with the Farm Bureau to support Louisiana's agricultural goals.

I am honored that so many of you came to the nation’s capital to visit this month! Your advocacy for your communities is so important. Listening to you and your needs helps me to best serve and represent you here in Washington, D.C. We discussed many topics in March, from sugar cane and infrastructure projects to educational opportunities and public broadcasting policy. I am always willing and eager to sit down with you and collaborate on ways we can work together to make Louisiana great.

Richland Parish Chamber Banquet

It was an honor and a treat to be the keynote speaker for the Richland Parish Chamber Annual Banquet! Our local chambers of commerce deserve the credit for what they do for our communities and the growth of our state. I want to make sure they know I support them and always welcome a chance to talk directly to them!

Louisiana Delta Community College’s Advanced Technology Center

This month, we unveiled the new Advanced Technology Center at Louisiana Delta Community College in Monroe. I was thrilled to secure community funding projects that made this facility possible and will be instrumental in training future members of the workforce. It will be the only medical lab with the most current equipment in any purely educational facility in the country! The $1,555,000 I sponsored will aid in the creation of the first teacher education apprenticeship program in Louisiana, as well as a health science program. There are already students enrolled in the program, and I am looking forward to seeing the growth of this crucial investment.

March Legislative Update:

Floor Activity:

• I supported H.Res.863, a resolution denouncing President Biden’s refusal to enforce existing immigration laws and encouraging the reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols.
• I supported H.R.6009, the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act, which acts to prevent the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed rule entitled Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process which will impose new fees and regulations harming our domestic energy producers.
• I supported H.R.7511, the Laken Riley Act requiring the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting and giving states the power to sue the federal government for failing to enforce immigration laws.
• I supported  H.R.3838, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023, which extends funding until 2028 for programs addressing maternal mortality, improving maternal health outcomes, and mandates the CDC to share best practices with healthcare providers to reduce maternal mortality.
• I supported H.R.3821, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023, which reauthorizes funding until 2028 for the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer helping to better understand and reduce cancer among firefighters.
• I supported H.R.1121, the Protecting American Energy Production Act, which prohibits the President from halting hydraulic fracturing (fracking) without the consent of Congress and protects our vital energy production.

Committee Activity:

• The Committee on Education and Workforce marked up H.J.Res.116, which would repeal the Department of Labor’s Independent Contractor Rule and stop the Biden Administration's attempts to impose costly and overburdensome economic tests on companies.
• The Committee on Education and Workforce marked up H.R.6418, the Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act, legislation I introduced to allow states to use Charter School Program grants to support the development of new charter schools and increase the percentage of grant funds state entities can use for state technical assistance.
• The Committee on Education and Workforce marked up H.R.3724, the Accreditation for College Excellence Act of 2023, which prevents accreditors from mandating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion standards to receive accreditation and ensures accreditors can not coerce institutions to violate any right protected by the Constitution.
• The Committee on Education and Workforce marked up H.R.7683, the Respecting the First Amendment on Campus Act, which upholds campus free speech by making it a condition of receiving Title IV funds and ensuring students are aware of their First Amendment rights.

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