Bill Cassidy
U.S. Senator makes surprise appearance at Louisiana House
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy made a surprise appearance on the floor of the Louisiana House Tuesday afternoon and encouraged state lawmakers to take advantage of green energy opportunities. Cassidy gave brief remarks to the House lawmakers at the request of House Speaker Clay Schexnayder. The Republican senator from Baton Rouge said Louisiana would soon receive […]
Cassidy blasts Trump legal team’s ‘terrible’ performance, supports impeachment trial
WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana was one of six GOP senators who voted Tuesday to uphold the Senate’s authority to hold an impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, taking Republicans aback by reversing the position he took in a vote last month. Speaking to reporters Tuesday evening, Cassidy also contrasted the “focused, […]
Louisiana congressional members respond to Trump’s violent mobs at Capitol
Members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation spoke out against a violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol in what some lawmakers from other states are describing as an attempted coup incited by President Donald Trump to prevent Congress from certifying the November election results. At least one woman was shot and killed during the chaos, according […]
The Good, Bad and Ugly in 2020 Louisiana politics
No year in recent memory offered Louisiana’s political leaders more opportunity to shine than 2020. If the state’s citizens ever needed those who manage their government institutions to provide courageous policies and competent leadership, the year past was it. Fortunately, Louisiana had some such leaders. Unfortunately, too many failed the test, cultivated their own narrow […]
Sen. John Kennedy casts doubt on Biden’s election: ‘I’m not so sure something didn’t happen’
Two days after Joe Biden officially secured enough Electoral College votes to be declared the next president of the United States, Republican Sen. John Kennedy, sent out a mass email casting aspersions on the integrity of November’s election. Claiming that there has been “a lot of tomfoolery and a few too many shenanigans with this […]
Sen. Bill Cassidy says he’s tested positive for COVID-19
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy announced Thursday that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Cassidy, a gastroenterologist, has been vocal about the need for Americans to wear masks and practice social distancing during the pandemic. But health officials say wearing a face mask — which prevents the spread of droplets from the mouth and nose — […]
DEBERRY: Did the ‘hardworking Louisianians’ that politicians praise up and decide to become less so?
You’d be hard pressed to find a politician who hasn’t described the people he or she represents as hardworking. That modifier is such a part of the political lexicon that it’s rarely noticed. It’s similar in that regard to the way that every governor claims to lead “the great state of…whatever.” In political speech, everybody […]
Sen. Bill Cassidy pushes for money for state and local governments, but his Republican colleagues resist
WASHINGTON – GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy is making a strong push to rescue ailing state and local governments in a fifth coronavirus relief bill — but his party’s leaders are resisting as they debate the contours of the next package. The freshman senator is pressing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for $500 billion in […]
Gap in federal unemployment payments all but certain after Senate adjourns without unveiling proposal
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders slammed Republicans Friday for leaving in the lurch millions of jobless Americans who are relying on enhanced unemployment benefits to stay financially afloat amid ongoing public health and economic crises. Republicans in Congress and the White House were engaged in heated negotiations this week over the details of their party’s proposal […]
An unemployment fiscal cliff lies ahead; will Congress continue $600 federal aid?
It was surprising Thursday evening to hear an aide for U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins express such concern and support for Louisianians who say they’ve been making do with the unemployment benefits they’ve been getting but fear they’ll be put outdoors if the larger, federal share of those checks is cut. Louisiana Republicans haven’t exactly oozed […]
Sen. Bill Cassidy encourages Louisianians to wear masks and keep their distance
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy posted a COVID-19 update on his campaign website Friday that calls for Louisianians to wear masks to help slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus and decrease the number of people getting sick. Cassidy is a gastroenterologist who worked and taught at the charity hospital in Baton Rouge and co-founded […]
Washington unites for the Great American Outdoors Act, Louisiana against
The U.S. Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act June 17, a significant piece of legislation that permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund and addresses the backlog of maintenance projects at national parks and other federally-owned land. Although there are very few bills that bring Republicans and Democrats together, with 73 senators for […]