(Henderson, LA) – Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M., endorsed Dr. Charles Boustany in this fall’s race for the United States Senate in Louisiana.
Strain said: “No one fights harder for Louisiana’s agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry industries than Dr. Boustany. Serving on the House Agriculture Committee, Dr. Boustany wrote common-sense Farm Bills supporting Louisiana agriculture. He has worked to open markets for Louisiana-grown and manufactured products, and written law to stop illegal foreign products from undercutting our domestic producers. Louisiana agriculture needs Dr. Boustany in the U.S. Senate to fight for us. I support him as our next Senator.”
Boustany said: “There is no better friend to Louisiana agriculture than Commissioner Mike Strain. I’m tremendously humbled by his endorsement. Louisiana agriculture remains the backbone of our economy and we cannot afford to send a Senator to Washington who does not understand the importance of this industry to our state’s future. Our next Senator will be in office when the next Farm Bill is written and we need an effective leader at the table. That is why I’m working hard to earn the support of the Louisiana agriculture industry this fall. As our next Senator, I will deliver results.”
Serving on the House Agriculture Committee from 2005-2009, Dr. Boustany played an integral role in authoring the 2008 Farm Bill preserving the no-cost sugar program and supporting Louisiana agriculture. He was a leading voice supporting passage of the 2014 Farm Bill making market-based reforms to national agriculture policy, preserving the no-cost sugar program, and ensuring southern crops like rice and soybeans have workable crop insurance policy in case of disaster.
As a Member of the House Ways & Means Committee, Boustany fought tirelessly to open new markets for Louisiana products, spearheading efforts to increase market access for Louisiana rice to Iraq, Japan, and Cuba.
Boustany authored the PROTECT Act, legislation that was signed into law earlier this year granting greater enforcement mechanisms for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to identify and stop illegally-dumped foreign seafood and other manufactured products at the border.
