A Note From the Desk of Congresswoman Letlow

It’s been a busy summer season kicking things off back home to spend much-needed quality time across the district making numerous visits to hear from constituents and local leaders about community business updates, new projects, and expanding opportunities for the Fifth District. It felt so good to be back home with all of you!

In D.C., we’ve had a successful Appropriations season continuing our work to rein in wasteful spending and protect taxpayers against government overreach. This month the House Appropriations Committee officially upheld our promise to write and report all 12 Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations bills and prioritized advancing one of them on the House floor.

It was great to meet with local groups who traveled to visit with our office and talk about policy and priorities needs back home. Hearing about your goals and what is affecting you the most is a crucial step in our process to move Louisiana forward. Your continued support and engagement are vital as we work together to address our community’s needs and build a brighter future for all.

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 Louisianans.

I am pleased to say the House Appropriations Committee has now written and reported all 12 appropriations bills, keeping our commitment to pass conservative, fiscally sound bills that reject Democrats’ inflationary spending:

1. FY25 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
2. FY25 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
3. FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
4. FY25 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
5. FY25 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
6. FY25 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
7. FY25 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
8. FY25 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act
9. FY25 Homeland Security Appropriations Act
10. FY25 Defense Appropriations Act
11. FY25 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act
12. FY25 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act

In the month of July alone, the FY25 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act was fully considered and passed on the House floor. This bill will help reduce energy costs, bolster American jobs, and protect access to our public lands to hunt, fish, and develop our natural resources. Additionally, the bill pulled back the reins of the Environmental Protection Agency and halted a number of their overreaching and burdensome regulations. Each of these things are key components to move Louisiana forward and I am proud to have played a part in the passage of this bill.

Since day one, the Biden Administration has led numerous attacks on everyday American families. First, he targeted our gas stoves, and more recently our refrigerators.

Fortunately, the House scored a critical win this month with the passage of the Refrigerator Freedom Act. This legislation will prevent the Department of Energy from placing energy efficiency standards for refrigerators that are not cost-effective or technologically feasible, or ones that fail to save a significant amount of energy.

Believe it or not, your refrigerator usage is something the Administration actually tried to regulate… It would have been yet another regulatory overreach move that would have increased prices and created unnecessary hoops you would have to jump through.

Rest assured, my House Republicans colleagues and I will always fight against attempts like these by the current administration.

It was an honor to welcome Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to U.S. Congress. His words were powerful and much needed. He reminded us of the importance of America and Israel standing together to fight against the spreading terrorism and anti-semitic rhetoric and actions. I am in awe of the courage and strength Prime Minister Netanyahu has shown over the last 10 months. He and the Jewish people in Israel deserve our support, and I am committed to always stand with our greatest ally in the Middle East Israel.

It was my honor to announce the winner of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition - Laura Arnold!

Laura is a proud Fifth District resident and recent graduate of Quitman High School. She won the competition with her piece “Chicken Bits,” which features a hen made of beautiful colors and various materials. It encapsulates the uniqueness of our agriculture industry and the daily lives of so many Louisianans.

Her piece is now displayed in the halls of Congress alongside other winners from each district across the country and I have loved showing it off to constituent groups that come to visit D.C.

It’s no secret that education is my true passion, and as a former educator, I jump at every chance I get to thank Louisiana’s teachers for what they are doing for our children. I met with a group of them at the Teacher’s Symposium in Monroe to celebrate their dedication and personally thank them.

I enjoyed seeing both familiar and new faces from Louisiana in Washington, D.C. this month. In a sea of politicians and government officials, we are always grateful to see each of you in our nation's capital!

July Legislative Update:

Cosponsorships and Floor Activity:

• I supported H.Res.1371 - Which strongly condemns the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harris's, failure to secure the United States border.
• I supported H.Res.1367 - A resolution that establishes a Congresional Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump.
• I supported H.R.8281 - the SAVE Act requiring individuals to provide in-person proof of citizenship when registering to vote and removing non-citizens from voter rolls.
• I supported H.R.7637 - the Refrigerator Freedom Act which would protect consumers from the Secretary of Energy imposing burdensome regulations on refrigerators and freezers if they are not cost-effective or technologically feasible.
• I supported H.R.7700 - the Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act which prevents the Department of Energy from issuing energy conservation regulations that add costs to consumers.
• I cosponsored H.Res.1369 - Which honors the life of Corey Comperatore who passed away on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
• I cosponsored H.R. 2407- the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act to ensure our seniors have timely access to multi-cancer early detection technology through Medicare.
• I signed a letter to the Secretary of Education expressing concerns with his proposal to expand the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program to individuals working for-profit entities. This program is for those in public service and is another attempt by this administration to further cancel student loan debt using taxpayer dollars.

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