On a recent Chamber SWLA mission to our nation’s Capital, we saw first-hand that the Louisiana Congressional Delegation is growing in seniority and influence.   

Highest on the list is Rep. Steve Scalise, who is now the House Majority Leader.  With Republicans in the majority in the U.S. House, Scalise is number two in the House, second only to Speaker Kevin McCarthy.  

Mike Johnson, the Congressman for the 4th District is number five in the House as Vice Chair of the House Republican Caucus. Johnson was tapped by McCarthy to serve on the Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

The newest member of the Republican delegation from Louisiana is Julia Letlow.  She was elected after her husband Luke was elected but passed away from covid before he could take office. She has a slot on the House Appropriations Committee which is very rare for a freshman member.

Garret Graves, the Congressman from district six in the Baton Rouge area was named by Speaker McCarthy to head up the Elected Leadership Committee and to a seat on the House Republican Steering Committee. He is also set to become Chair of the House Transportation subcommittee that oversees the nation’s airports. There is talk Graves may decide to run for Governor, but with his increased influence in the house, this appears unlikely.  

Our third district Congressman Clay Higgins enters his 4th term as the top Republican on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and serves on the Homeland Security Committee. He has been named Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations.  

Rep. Troy Carter of New Orleans is the only Democrat in our congressional delegation.  He has influence as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and has a good working relationship with the Biden Administration. He serves on the important Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and on the House Small Business Committee.

On the Senate side, our senior U.S. Senator, Dr. Bill Cassidy has proven himself effective for the state.  He will be the ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (known as HELP). Cassidy, perhaps more than others in the delegation, has shown that he can work across party lines. One of his main accomplishments was leadership in the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).  Senator Cassidy helped craft this legislation and saw to it that Louisiana will get millions of dollars for roads and bridges, water and sewer projects, the Cameron Ferry, airports and ports, money for broadband and additional funding for the I-10 Bridge.  

Senator John Kennedy is one of the most visible members of our delegation. His quips that get his point across in a memorable way, have made him a media favorite. Senator Kennedy has a busy committee schedule. He serves on the important Appropriations Committee as well as Banking, Budget, Judiciary, and Small Business committees.  

An example of the influence of our Louisiana delegation was shown at the Economic Development Luncheon in Washington, DC. Held in conjunction with DC Mardi Gras, The eight regional economic development organizations, which includes The  SWLA Alliance, conduct the luncheon to highlight our state’s industries and hear from our congressional members. Keynote speaker was Gayle Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans.  She talked about the need to give back to causes that benefit our state.  A surprise guest was Speaker McCarthy who was introduced by Congressman Graves, who was one of a special team which worked to corral votes for McCarthy who was elected on the 15th Ballot.  With the republicans in the Louisiana delegation sticking with McCarthy, and with Scalise in the number two slot, our Louisiana Delegation has moved back into a position of influence. 

Regardless of your politics, this is a good thing for the state.