Louisiana Family Forum Urges Citizens to Petition Governor and Attorney General Regarding Restroom Issue

Photo source: Protect Louisiana Children

As per the email sent out to their supporters this afternoon, the Louisiana Family Forum urges citizens to take part in a petition to Gov. Edwards and AG Landry over the Obama administration's decision to implement radical changes regarding gender issues within the state of Louisiana:

If you thought the Obama administration would gently ride off into the sunset, think again.

The Departments of Justice and Education are once again exceeding their lawful authority by sending a letter to every public school district in America threatening loss of federal aid if local districts do not adopt genderless bathroom policies, which would allow self-identified transgendered students to use facilities such as restrooms, showers, and locker rooms of the opposite biological sex. Under the farce of "protecting students from discrimination," these federal bullies have painted a bulls-eye on little girls and boys.

If Louisiana does not speak up now, there's no limit to what the President will do next. Please join LFF in signing the petition below urging Governor Edwards and Attorney General Jeff Landry to protect the safety of Louisiana children. 11,000 have signed the petition so far. Let your voice be heard today! SIGN NOW and forward to your friends!

Boustany, Fleming Tout Energy Credentials in Senate Race

Image source: The Hill  

They’re all good guys,” said Don Briggs, president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, adding, “excluding Foster Campbell.”

“I don’t have to tell you what our industry is going through,” Briggs said. “If we ever needed support in D.C. and in the state, we need it today.”

Read more: Boustany, Fleming Tout Energy Credentials in Senate Race

Fleming: Voters Frustrated by Both Parties' Leadership

Photo source: The Advocate

“The Democratic Party has moved so far to the left that it’s fully aligned with socialism,” Fleming, a Minden Republican who is running for the U.S. Senate, told the Press Club of Baton Rouge.

Coupled with that, he said, are Republicans, who in 2010 asked voters to give them a majority in the U.S. House so the party could fix problems. “But nothing changed.” In 2014, voters also gave Republicans a majority in the U.S. Senate. “And folks, nothing changed,” Fleming said.

Read more: Louisiana congressman John Fleming: Voters frustrated by both Republicans and Democrats' leadership

Boustany Announces Iberia Parish Healthcare Grant

(Lafayette, LA) – Dr. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a $3,546,420 Health Center Cluster Grant to the Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center in New Iberia, Louisiana. The grant program provides funding for community health centers in rural and underserved areas.

Boustany said: “As a doctor, I know the health of Louisianans in rural communities depends on access to high-quality healthcare close to home. This grant supporting healthcare services in Iberia Parish will help improve outcomes for patients and improve public health in the surrounding areas.”

Families Affected By "Honor Code's" Lies on School Choice Speak Out

Photo source: YouTube

The below video was recently released by the American Federation for Children and is in response to Gov. Honor Code's cutting of funding for schools of choice. 

Vitter Commemorates 6th Anniversary of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Senate Floor

Source: YouTube

Below are excerpts from Vitter’s remarks:

“Today I rise to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that took the lives of 11 men and devastated many Gulf Coast communities. The men who lost their lives during this devastating incident will not be forgotten. Their names were:

Jason Anderson – 35, Midfield, Texas

Aaron Dale “Bubba” Burkeen – 37, Philadelphia, Mississippi

Donald Clark – 49, Newelton, Louisiana

Stephen Ray Curtis – 40, Georgetown, Louisiana

Gordon Jones – 28, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Roy Wyatt Kemp – 27, Jonesville, Louisiana

Karl Dale Kleppinger, Jr. – 38, Natchez, Mississippi

Keith Blair Manuel – 56, Gonzales, Louisiana

Dewey Revette – 48, State Line, Mississippi

Shane Roshto – 22, Liberty, Mississippi and

Adam Weise – 24, Yorktown, Texas

“In Louisiana, offshore oil and gas development is more than just our state’s largest economic drivers – it is a way of life, having supporting countless jobs and families across the region. That’s why our top priority must always be maintaining the highest level of safety standards, and in the last six years, we have been working to make sure this kind of human tragedy and subsequent economic losses never happen again. We must support policies that create a strong balance between having a strong regulatory scheme that promotes stringent safety standards while also allowing the energy industry to thrive. Fortunately, Louisiana’s resilience and recovery cannot be easily measured in terms of numbers and figures, but I can say with confidence that each and every Louisianian should be proud of how far we have come in recent years.

“In the six years since the tragic Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Louisiana has done what we do best – recover, rebuild, and progress. In order to build a brighter future for our families, businesses, and communities, we must also protect the symbiotic relationship between federal regulations and the oil and gas industry.”

Attorney General Jeff Landry Stands with LAGOP Against Sanctuary Cities

The following email was sent out by AG Jeff Landry concerning the issue of sanctuary cities, specifically New Orleans, and the need to end this practice.  The text of the email is below:

My Fellow Republicans,

We must end sanctuary cities... now!

As your Attorney General, I am committed to ensuring the rule of law is followed by everyone. It is a matter of justice and public safety.

Reports of illegals breaking the law and getting away with it are becoming a regular occurrence.  We ask that our elected officials stand with us to uphold the rule of law and protect our communities.

Tens of thousands of illegals live in Louisiana and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

What's worse is that liberals have enacted sanctuary policies that encourage illegal aliens.

According to the Immigration Task Force led by State Representative Valarie Hodges:

- 5,339 illegals receive SNAP benefits (also known as Food Stamps)
- Illegals are a $3.2 million burden on our state's prisons
- Louisiana foots $16 million for Medicaid welfare coverage of illegals - an amount surely to rise with Medicaid welfare expansion

In February, New Orleans issued policy guidance to its police officers requiring them not to inquire about the immigration status of suspects they encounter and to not cooperate with federal authorities - making New Orleans a sanctuary city.

Allowing illegals to commit crime then roam free in our communities is an immense threat to the safety of our people.

Where do you stand? Join me in saying NO to sanctuary cities.

Sanctuary policies and the elected officials who support them are actively undermining the rule of law.

Sign the petition today and say NO to sanctuary cities.

Vitter: Obama Blowout Preventer Rule Kicks Oil & Gas While It’s Down

Vitter has legislation to protect small businesses from new overreaching rule

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) issued the following statement upon the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) issuing its final well-control rule on offshore oil and gas drilling. As Chairman of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, Vitter has introduced an amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act that would protect small businesses from the economic severity of DOI’s well control rule.

“As we approach the sixth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that took the lives of 11 men in the Gulf of Mexico and devastated our coasts, my top priority continues to be ensuring this kind of human tragedy and subsequent economic losses never happens again. Maintaining high safety standards always takes precedence, but that is not the question here,” said Vitter. “What the Obama Administration’s ongoing anti-energy and anti-jobs crusade fails to acknowledge is that Louisiana’s energy industry supports families, small businesses, and our ongoing coastal restoration efforts. The Department of Interior’s well-control rule is bad news for Louisiana, and certainly has the potential to kick our oil and gas industry while it’s down.”

In September 2015, Vitter testified before the House Natural Resources Committee on the impacts of federal policies on energy production and economic growth in the Gulf of Mexico. Click here to read more.

Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, President Obama imposed a drilling moratorium in the Gulf, which substantially damaged Louisiana’s energy industry and economy. During that time, Vitter successfully blocked the nomination of Interior Department nominee Dan Ashe until the Department issued fifteen deepwater exploration well permits and responded to his previous requests for answers on the permitting process. Vitter also successfully blocked a nearly $20,000 pay raise for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar until Interior resumed issuing new permits at the same rate as before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Vitter was an original co-sponsor of the RESTORE Act, which dedicates at least 80 percent of the Clean Water Act (CWA) penalties paid by BP and other responsible parties to the Gulf States to restore coastal ecosystems and economies damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Vitter shepherded the legislation through the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where it passed unanimously in November 2011 and through the Senate in March 2012. As a leading Republican conferee on the Highway Bill and the only member from the Louisiana delegation involved in the negotiations, Vitter continued to make the enactment of the RESTORE Act a top priority by insisting that the language be included in the final version of the bill.

Louisiana dedicates 100 percent of the revenue from offshore oil and gas development to coastal restoration, which is Louisiana’s highest environmental priority. In 2006 Vitter helped pass the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), which established revenue sharing of 37.5 percent that Gulf States - Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama - could collect from offshore oil and gas production. Vitter is continuing the fight to expand the number of states receiving OCS revenue sharing and, starting in 2027, raise the amount of money each state could get per year from $500 million to $1 billion

Congressman John Fleming Blows Whistle on Bailout of Puerto Rico

Congressman John Fleming of Louisiana has recently blown the whistle on an attempt to ram through a bailout for Puerto Rico.  

The following piece highlights that attempt:

In a bizarre turn, members of the House Natural Resources Committee were read the Puerto Rico bailout bill and according to Rep. John Fleming were then instructed to allow it to pass committee by a voice vote with no amendments and no dissent. Fleming was told to walk away from the vote if he had any objections, an account verified by two other offices. 

Louisiana should be proud of the representation of Fleming in DC. 

Boustany Applauds U.S. Army’s First Female Infantry Recruit

APRIL 12, 2016

Photo source: Daily Mail

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Tammy Grace Barnett of Robeline, Louisiana, for being the first female recruit to enlist with the United States Army infantry.

I am tremendously proud of Tammy, a Louisianian who has stepped forward and answered the call to serve our nation.  Prior to enlisting with the Army, Tammy has been serving her community in Louisiana as a law enforcement officer. On April 7, she gave up her Louisiana law enforcement badge and courageously took the Oath of Enlistment to become the first female recruit to enlist in the United States Army infantry division.  Ms. Barnett truly reflects the spirit of Louisiana by living a life of service.  We are forever indebted to these brave men and women.  To commemorate this fact, I include an article, written by Troy Washington of KSLA News, into the Congressional Record in its entirety here:

 ROBELINE, LA - A Robeline native is making armed forces history as the first woman to enlist in the infantry in the United States Army.

Women in combat has been a topic of controversy for years, but now progress is being made.

Tammy Barnett was a police officer but traded in her badge to make history.

She's looking forward to seeing action on the front lines and making gains for women in the military.

Thursday, Barnett proudly raised her hand to take the Oath of Enlistment.

Dressed in tennis shoes, jeans and a t-shirt, 25-year-old Tammy Barnett stepped into the history books.

Barnett has been meeting with a recruiter since November and this week, at the military processing unit in Shreveport, she took a leap that's never been made before, she joined the infantry in the U.S. Army.

"They told me that I would be the first female in history to go infantry in the military," said Barnett.

Recently, the defense department lifted gender-based restrictions on military service. The historic change cleared the way for women like Barnett who want to serve on the front lines.

On April 4, the processing center received word that women would be allowed to sign up for combat jobs. Now, Barnett is hoping that others will follow her lead.

"I hope that I give them the courage, because I'm a small female, if I can do it, they can do it too, this could give them the courage to step out of their comfort zone," explained Barnett.

Barnett isn't fond of the limelight, but she has no problem stepping forward when it comes to service.

"I was going to go military police, but infantry is similar, and they are more on the front lines, like law enforcement here and I said that's what I want to do," said Barnett.

With her mind made up, Barnett isn't looking back, only forward to a future full of possibilities and breaking barriers for women in the military.

Barnett will head to Fort Benning, Georgia to start training. In the meantime, she says she's going to celebrate her history-making moment by going fishing this weekend.ve the front lines for my country.”

Vitter: Long-Awaited BP Settlement to Bolster Louisiana Recovery Efforts

Federal judge grants final approval for 2010 BP oil spill settlement; Louisiana to receive more than $6.8 billion for restoration efforts

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) issued the following statement regarding a federal judge granting final approval for $20.8 billion British Petroleum (BP) settlement agreement for civil claims as a result of 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This is an increase to the $18.7 billion, which was originally announced in July. Louisiana is expected to receive more than $6.8 billion. Funds are to be paid out over the next 16 years. Vitter was an original co-sponsor of the RESTORE Act, which dedicates at least 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties paid by BP and other responsible parties to Louisiana and other Gulf States to restore coastal ecosystems and economies damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

“Louisiana has been working nonstop to overcome the devastating losses along our coastline, in our coastal communities, and in our economy,” said Vitter. “Eleven men tragically lost their lives in the devastating explosion and oil spill, and in the five years since, Louisiana has done what we do best – recover, rebuild, and progress. While it has been an uphill battle to ensure that Louisiana was fairly compensated, we did achieve substantive wins, including passing the RESTORE Act, and the final approval of the $20 billion BP settlement provides Louisiana the long-awaited avenue to advance the rebuilding and revitalizing process.”

The BP settlement agreement includes:

•           $5.5 billion federal Clean Water Act penalty, plus interest;

•           $8.1 billion in natural resource damages, including restoring coastal habitats; and

•           $600 million in claims for reimbursement of federal and state natural resources damage assessments costs and other unreimbursed federal expenses.

Today’s settlement will include $5.5 billion in the Clean Water Act civil penalties, as well as additional billions to cover environmental damages. As a leading Republican conferee on the Highway Bill in 2012 and the only member from the Louisiana delegation involved in the negotiations, Vitter ensured that the final version of the bill included language requiring the enactment of the RESTORE Act.

In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and resulting moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico, Vitter pushed the Administration and the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) to ensure that those in the Louisiana seafood industry who were directly impacted were not ignored. In the initial claims process, very few fishermen, seafood processors, and distributors whose jobs were directly tied to the offshore spill zone were paid. As a result of Vitter’s action, businesses and individuals in retail sales and service jobs, such as restaurants, bars or hotels, were able to get their claims processed quickly.

LANDRY: AG Jeff Landry Moves Quickly to End the “Buddy System”

Less than two months after taking office, Attorney General Jeff Landry is wasting no time declaring that there is a new sheriff in town.

Landry ran on a reform agenda, which led to a resounding defeat of the former two-term incumbent attorney general. Now he is moving quickly to make good on his campaign promise to end the corruption that had taken root in the state’s Department of Justice under his predecessor.

Cronyism and backroom deals in the Attorney General’s Office have been a concern of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch for a long time. In 2013, LLAW partnered with the political blog TheHayride.com and WWL TV to launch a series of investigations that exposed former AG James “Buddy” Caldwell’s practice of awarding highly lucrative no-bid legal contracts to his top campaign contributors. Under the scheme, which became known as the “Buddy System,” politically connected law firms made more than $54 million off of state legal contracts awarded by Caldwell.

In February 2016, Attorney General Landry put an end to many of those “good old boy” deals, cancelling dozens of legal contracts that benefited two of Caldwell’s top campaign contributors and nearly 50 contracts with the private law firms of district attorneys around the state.

Landry also announced a new policy that prohibits attorneys on his staff from doing private legal work on the side, a step that will help avoid even the perception of impropriety.

Clearly these concrete reforms took tremendous guts and political fortitude to make, and we join many people across Louisiana who are applauding Attorney General Landry for making them. The apparent pay-for-play system that flourished under his predecessor left a stain on the integrity of the Attorney General’s Office and unquestionably contributed to our state’s reputation as a “judicial hellhole.”

Without a doubt, these changes will help to improve that negative perception, and they go a long way toward correcting some of the sins of the past.

It is also encouraging that Attorney General Landry acknowledges there is more work to be done. After announcing a slew of new good government policies last month, Landry said, “Reform at the Department of Justice does not end today. We will continue to find ways to make the office an honest, ethical, and hardworking agency that the citizens of our State can rely upon and be proud of.”

Indeed, we couldn’t agree more. As the state’s chief law enforcement officer, the attorney general has a sworn duty to protect and serve the people of Louisiana. The people he hires to help carry out that duty should be selected based on their experience and expertise—not their personal and political connections.

Given AG Landry’s commitment to ending the “Buddy System,” we fully expect that will be the case.

Melissa Landry (no relation) is executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW), the state’s leading grassroots legal watchdog organization. To learn more visit, www.LLAW.org <http://www.LLAW.org>

Members of Louisiana Delegation Send Letter to the Department of the Interior Regarding New Rule Facing Oil and Gas Industry

Photo source: BOEM.gov

The text of the letter can be found below and a signed copy can be found here.

 Dear Secretary Jewell:

We write to urge you to postpone the implementation of a new Notice To Lessees (Notice) No. 2015-N04, regarding supplemental financial assurance for decommissioning platforms on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leases and encourage you to instead reopen the proposed rule process. As written, the proposed Notice will cause major increases in the levels of financial assurance required of OCS lessees.  Much of that increase goes far beyond what is needed to protect the interests of American taxpayers.  As a result, the Notice will have disastrous impacts on state economies throughout the Gulf Coast, and will also put our national security at risk.  

On August 19, 2014 the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making seeking industry input on "risk management, financial assurance, and loss prevention."  However, instead of continuing to follow the rule making it had begun, BOEM released its "proposed guidance" on August 17, 2015.   At a time when thousands have lost their jobs, companies are closing their doors and state economies are being negatively impacted by a struggling oil and gas industry, it is more critical than ever to take stakeholder input into account before releasing radical changes that will place many more businesses in distress.

As we understand it, one of the main reasons for BOEM to propose these changes is because of an increase of bankruptcy filings throughout the Gulf, and concerns that the American taxpayer could be left with the tab for decommissioning wells.  We have heard from numerous independent oil and natural gas explorers and producers who make their living on the OCS expressing concern that this Notice itself will force them into bankruptcy - causing the very thing that BOEM seeks protection against.  These companies are critical to the domestic energy supply, having drilled more than 50 percent of all wells and more than 50 percent of exploration wells over the past decade in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. 

In our opinion, BOEM's current system for assuring that companies have adequate capital to insure their offshore production facilities is broken.  The federal government has never yet had to spend a penny to plug old offshore wells or remove production facilities.  We would argue that the proposed bonding requirements are duplicative and in some situations multiplicative.  For example under the new NTL each party is assessed at 100 percent on shared leases, and a joint operating agreement is no longer accepted.  This means that if there are 4 companies sharing a project, and it would cost an estimated $20 million to remove that particular platform, BOEM would make each present a bond which includes $20 million to remove that same platform.  It hardly seems necessary to have $80 million in bonds to assure that a $20 million job would be completed.  

Additionally, this Notice would also require that companies operating on the OCS are liable for all possible wells that are mentioned in their exploratory plan, even though the well may not even be drilled, and if it is, no actual drilling will take place for at least a year or two.  For offshore facilities that are already in production the Notice goes even further, requiring capital assurance for the lifetime production value of the property every year.  Meaning that each year a lessee is now responsible for 100 percent of every production facility, 100 percent for any exploration activity, and 100 percent of the lifetime production value of the property.  BOEM's approach does not make taxpayers any more secure, yet assures hard times for companies trying to comply with new, unaffordable requirements.   

BOEM's proposed changes will tie up capital that would otherwise be available for exploration, development, jobs, revenues to states and the federal government, and - most ironically - for platform decommissioning itself.   These changes are simply impossible for many of our domestic independent oil and gas producers to be able to afford, especially in a time when oil prices are low and companies are already permanently closing their doors. 

America cannot be a global energy leader without policies that foster innovation, investment and development of our nation's energy resources.  A new Notice To Lessees on supplemental bonding will stifle the oil and gas production on the OCS and throughout the Gulf of Mexico.  We urge you to postpone the implementation of this drastic proposal and urge you to work with industry to find a solution that ensures safety and security for all.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.  We appreciate your attention to this important matter.

Boustany Renews Call for Disaster Tax Relief Amid Louisiana Flooding

Image source: Daiky Caller  

(Washington, DC) – Dr. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) renewed his efforts to pass H.R. 3110, the National Disaster Tax Relief Act. Boustany is a cosponsor of the bill along with his Louisiana colleagues Reps. Cedric Richmond (LA-2), Ralph Abraham, MD (LA-5), and Garret Graves (LA-6).

Boustany said: “Bridget and I continue to pray for the safety of our friends across the state of Louisiana. Unfortunately, Louisianans know well that it only takes one storm or natural disaster to destroy your home, business, church, or school. But Louisianans have proven time and again we have the grit and determination to rebuild.

“I believe we must give Louisianans whose lives are turned upside down the chance to rebuild. That’s why I am renewing my efforts to pass federal tax relief for disaster victims to ensure we give hard-working families every opportunity to get back on their feet.”

Boustany has been in contact with local officials in western Calcasieu Parish amid concerns of flooding along the Sabine River in Louisiana’s Third Congressional District. Additionally, Boustany supported Governor Edwards’ request for a federal disaster declaration in seven parishes in North Louisiana. Boustany says he will continue to work with the Governor’s office and his congressional colleagues to include more affected parishes in the disaster declaration as flooding continues to affect more parishes in the state.

The National Disaster Tax Relief Act will:

ØAllow expensing of qualified disaster expenses such as removal of debris or demolition

ØIncrease the tax deduction for charitable contributions for disaster relief

ØAllow the use of tax-exempt retirement plan funds in federally-declared disasters without penalty

ØAllow an additional tax exemption for individuals who are displaced as a result of a federally-declared disaster

ØAllow an exclusion from gross income of imputed income from the cancellation of indebtedness resulting from federally-declared disasters

ØProvide a special rule to allow individuals affected by a disaster from 2012-2015 to claim a full earned income tax credit

ØAllow the issuance of qualified disaster area recovery bonds 

One Photo Shows the Liberal Definition of Diversity

In what appears to be a photo taken in the Governor's Office in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Governor's Instagram account shared a photo of "Chief Diversity Officers" for colleges and universities across the state meeting to discuss the session and the budget.  In what can only be defined as liberal logic, all of these "diversity officers" are African-American.

Photo source: Instagram

Imagine, if you will, if the Republican Party would put together a group of people meeting in the Capitol to discuss the session who were all of one race and call themselves "diversity officers", the howls that would be heard around this state.

But, hypocrisy knows no boundaries when it comes to the Democrat Party and the liberal agenda.

These Representatives Voted To Raise Your Taxes Today

Remember these names when it's election time again.  

Charles Boustanty Calls Out Caroline Fayard Over Obama's Gitmo Comments

During another one of his almost daily legacy making speeches as of late, President Obama has decided to push his agenda of moving Guantanamo Bay prisoners to the US, effectively pandering to the left on his quest to close this facility. 

In what is shaping up to be an epic battle for the seat in the US Senate being vacated by Sen. David Vitter, Charles Boustany issued the following today:

Campaign Manager Michael Hare: “If Caroline Fayard won’t stand up to protect Louisiana families now, how will she stand up for them in the United States Senate? President Obama is hell-bent on bringing hardened terrorists to our backyard, but Caroline Fayard hasn’t said a word about it. Dr. Boustany will continue to stand up to protect Louisiana families from President Obama’s dangerous terrorist resettlement plan. He won’t let President Obama put families at risk just to allow the President to fulfill an eight-year-old campaign promise.”

Boustany had the following to say today during a radio interview on Baton Rouge 107.3:

“If the President tries to close Guantanamo Bay, he will be in direct violation of the law. I won’t stand for that. Congress makes law, not the President, and we will not allow him to put American families at risk.”

Let's see if this latest shot over the bow provokes a response from the Democratic candidate Fayard.

Obama Signs Into Law H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act

Enrollment ceremony for the bill to officially send it to the President for signature

President Barack Obama has signed into law H.R. 644, which will accomplish the following:

• Create a dedicated unit within U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to prevent and investigate trade evasion
• Create a CBP point of contact for private sector trade evasion allegations with the authority to direct evasion investigations and the duty to inform interested parties about the status of investigations
• Require CBP and Commerce to establish procedures to ensure maximum cooperation and communication in order to quickly, efficiently, and accurately investigate allegations of trade evasion
• Direct CBP to enter into agreements with foreign countries to enable proactive investigation overseas
• Require CBP to annually report to Congress on all of the agency’s activities to combat trade evasion

The bill also contains the PROTECT Act safeguarding Louisiana seafood from illegally dumped foreign product.  The Act was shepherded through the Congress by Congressman Charles Boustany, LA-03.

The following was said regarding passage of this bill:

Boustany: “It’s simple – if foreign competitors want to sell in our markets, they need to play by our rules. The PROTECT Act provides necessary safeguards to ensure no foreign entity can undercut American businesses and jobs in our own backyard. This is a monumental win for Louisiana. I’ll keep fighting to ensure our trade laws are fair and work to support American commerce.”

John Williams, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance: “Simply stated, this would not have happened without the intensive and persistent efforts of Congressman Boustany.  While the Congressman has been an effective champion of the US shrimp industry for many years, the enactment of this legislation may be the most far reaching and beneficial of all.  Every year illegal shrimp imports defraud the federal government and American taxpayers of tens of millions of dollars in unpaid duties.  They have also seriously injured our shrimp fishermen and the economies of coastal communities in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf and South Atlantic.  This legislation will substantially strengthen the ability of US Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies to investigate, prosecute, and end these harmful fraudulent activities.”

34 Senators, 171 Reps. Urge Circuit Court to Block EPA's Clean Power Plan

Amicus Brief Asks the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to Vacate EPA’s So-Called “Clean Power Plan”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Led by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and House Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), 34 Senators and 171 House Members filed an amicus brief today in the case of State of West Virginia, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al.

The amicus brief is in support of petitions filed by 27 states seeking to overturn the EPA final rule identified as the Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units, EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602, 80 Fed. Reg. 64,662 (Oct. 23, 2015), also known as the “Clean Power Plan.” A copy of the brief can be found here.

As Senators and Representatives duly elected to serve in the Congress of the United States in which “all legislative Powers” granted by the Constitution are vested, the members state that:

The Final Rule goes well beyond the clear statutory directive by, among other things, requiring States to submit, for approval, state or regional energy plans to meet EPA’s predetermined CO2 mandates for their electricity sector. In reality, if Congress desired to give EPA sweeping authority to transform the nation’s electricity sector, Congress would have provided for that unprecedented power in detailed legislation. Indeed, when an agency seeks to make “decisions of vast ‘economic and political significance’” under a “long-extant statute,” it must point to a “clear” statement from Congress. Util. Air Regulatory Grp. v. EPA, 134 S. Ct. 2427, 2444 (2014) (quoting FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., 120 S. Ct. 1291, 1315 (2000)). EPA can point to no statement of congressional authorization for the Final Rule’s central features, precisely because there is none.

Nor has Congress authorized EPA to make the policy choices that are reflected in the Final Rule—a rule that imposes enormous costs on States and the public without achieving meaningful climate benefits. Because of the Final Rule, States will face unprecedented new regulatory burdens, electricity ratepayers will be subject to billions of dollars in compliance costs, and American workers and their families will experience the hardship of job losses due to power plant shutdowns, higher electricity prices, and overall diminishment of the nation’s global economic competitiveness. Choices of this nature are inherently Congressional decisions. See W. Minn. Mun. Power Agency v. Fed. Energy Regulatory Comm’n, 806 F.3d 588, 593 (D.C. Cir. 2015) (“Agencies are empowered to make policy only insofar as Congress expressly or impliedly delegates that power.”) (citing Util. Air Regulatory Grp., 134 S. Ct. at 2445 (2014)). Congress has not authorized EPA to make the central policy choices in the Final Rule and, in many respects, has affirmatively rejected those policies, as it certainly did with respect to cap-and-trade programs for CO2 emissions from power plants.

Accordingly, the Final Rule that has been properly stayed by the Supreme Court should now be vacated by this Court.

Additional Information: Thirty-nine lawsuits seeking review of the Final Rule have been consolidated in the D.C. Circuit. The Final Rule was stayed by the Supreme Court on Feb. 9. The D.C. Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the consolidated cases on June 2. An amicus brief, or “friend of the court” brief, can be filed in order to address concerns and advise the Court on a matter of law that directly affects the case at hand.  

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Plan could cause average electricity rates to rise as much as 43% for families in some states.

Several members of the Louisiana delegation were supportive of this brief, such as Senators Cassidy and Vitter, as well as Congressmen Boustany, Scalise, Fleming and Graves.

Americans for Prosperity - Louisiana Release "Enough is Enough"

Photo source : YouTube  

AFP Louisiana has responded with the below video regarding the decision by Gov. "Honor Code" to seek higher "sources of revenue" (more of your money) to solve the budget mess that he personally took part in while a member of the Louisiana Legislature.