(Lafayette, LA) – Dr. Charles Boustany endorsed Treasurer John Kennedy in Louisiana’s open Senate race.
Boustany said: “Republicans who care about the future of our country need a Republican in the Senate who will work with Donald Trump to roll back the failed liberal policies of President Obama. I endorse John Kennedy and urge all my supporters to cast their vote for him.”
Posts filed under Charles Boustany
Time for Career Politician Foster Campbell to Strap On His Tap Dancing Shoes
(Lafayette, LA) – The Boustany for Senate campaign released the following statement after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced it is re-opening the Hillary Clinton email investigation after new emails “pertinent to this investigation” surfaced.
Boustany Communications Director Jack Pandol said: “Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt major-party nominee in modern history. Not even Obama’s FBI can justify ignoring mounting evidence that Clinton risked our national security for her own political expedience by using a private email server. Dr. Boustany encourages the FBI to investigate this matter the fullest extent of the law and hold Secretary Clinton accountable for her actions.”
Democratic candidate for Senate and career politician Foster Campbell frequently says he doesn’t own any “tap dancing shoes” while deriding tap dancing politicians who don’t talk straight with the people. But Campbell has been doing some tap dancing of his own avoiding the question of whether he supports corrupt Hillary Clinton for President.
Tap dancing career politician Foster Campbell refused to even say Hillary Clinton's name at the Louisiana Public Broadcasting debate in Ruston.
In an article in The Advocate titled “While most U.S. Senate candidates back their party’s presidential nominee, one Louisiana candidate won’t talk about it,” Foster Campbell tap danced around the question of who he’s supporting for President. Campbell said: “Talking about Hillary Clinton distracts people.”
Campbell has been criticized by his Democratic opponent, Caroline Fayard, for continuing to avoid the question. Fayard said: “The facts are the facts. Commissioner Campbell refuses to even say Hillary Clinton’s name publicly, or say whether he voted for President Obama.”
In a letter to the editor written by Terrebonne Parish Councilwoman Arlanda Williams titled “Foster Campbell trying to pull fast one on black voters,” the Councilwoman criticizes Campbell for continuing to tap-dance around the question. Williams writes: “Where were you for Secretary Hillary Clinton? To this day, when you are expecting Democrats to fall in line and vote for you, you’re nowhere to be found when it comes to supporting our party’s nominee for president.”
Boustany Communications Director Jack Pandol said: “Career politician Foster Campbell continues tap dancing around the question of whether he supports Hillary Clinton for President. He says ‘talking about Hillary Clinton distracts people.’ Foster Campbell needs to stop tap dancing like the career politician he is and man up. After today’s revelation that Hillary Clinton is under federal investigation for risking our national security, does he support the most corrupt major-party nominee in modern history, or will he continue to hide from the people of Louisiana?”
Boustany Picks Up Endorsement of Baton Rouge Business Report
Per the piece that was released today, Boustany was endorsed for his race to replace Sen. David Vitter on the US Senate from Louisiana.
There are 24 candidates in the race for this seat. They range from longtime, yellow dog, populist Democrats to a longtime, ultra-conservative, white supremacist. Louisiana can ill afford to send either of these extremes to Washington to represent our state. We need to elect an intelligent and effective senator with integrity, who can team up with Sen. Bill Cassidy to help our state and nation.
Congressman Charles Boustany, a Republican who has served for the past 12 years, will make TEAM LOUISIANA solid in the Senate.
Boustany’s experience includes the House Ways and Means Committee and serving as chairman of the Tax Policy Subcommittee. He advocates for a simpler tax code and reduced regulation on business. Boustany is also a heart surgeon and understands the negative impact of Obamacare on patients, small business and the medical profession. He has voted to repeal the law and offered market-based solutions.
In talking with others who know and work with Boustany, they described him as, “Serious. Working hard every day. Studying the issues.” They also said, “He doesn’t crave the spotlight. He is intelligent, principled and effective for Louisiana.” Finally, one said, “His heart is right and he works well with people to get things done.” High praise.
Boustany is a native of Louisiana who graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and got his medical degree from LSU in New Orleans. He and his wife, Bridget, have raised their two children here.
Boustany has a record of accomplishments for the people of Louisiana and is the best choice for the U.S. Senate. He will make us proud.
Read more: Publisher: Endorsements for Boustany, Graves and Gissel
Charles Boustany Releases "Publicity Hound" Ad
Photo source: YouTube
The latest from Boustany's campaign takes aim at John Kennedy and his history of candidacies in various political races within the state of Louisiana.
Charles Boustany Receives Endorsement from The Daily Advertiser
Photo source: The Daily Advertiser
In Sunday's edition of The Daily Advertiser out of Lafayette, Congressman Charles Boustany received their endorsement for his candidacy in the Senate race for the seat being vacated by David Vitter. Boustany is running in a crowded field of 24 candidates and has been leading the pack in polling numbers for several weeks. In the endorsement, the paper highlighted Boustany as offering "right intention, dogged determination and sincere and informed leadership consistent with the needs of Louisiana and the nation."
The Daily Advertiser also highlighted Boustany's leadership on issues directly affecting the citizens of Louisiana, chief among them, the oil and gas industry. Additionally, his lead on coastal restoration, international trade, American security and international affairs were among the issues that were most important in their endorsement.
The story can be found at the The Daily Advertiser.
Charles Boustany Releases a Piece Called "Finally" Regarding Treasurer John Kennedy
Photo source: YouTube
Congressman Charles Boustany, running for the seat being vacated in the US Senate by David Vitter, is in a heated contest with, among others, State Treasurer John Kennedy. It seems that Boustany has set his sights on Kennedy with the latest piece being put out by the campaign, along with an accompanying video, highlighting what Boustany calls a "truth telling parody".
Below accompanied the video in an email released today:
The ad says: “He’s a career politician. He’s run for office ten different times.1 Backed a $1.1 billion tax increase.2
“John Kennedy led costly short-term budget gimmicks that cost taxpayers $200 million.3 Wasted taxpayer money renting office space from one of his campaign contributors.4
“Budget gimmicks. While the state’s credit rating is downgraded.5 John Kennedy: finally, someone is calling him out.”
1Career politician John Kennedy ran for office ten different times from 1991-2016.
1991 – Attorney General (D), lost
1995 – Attorney General (D), withdrew
1999 – Treasurer (D), won
2003 – Treasurer (D), won
2004 – Senate (D), lost
2007 – Treasurer (R), won
2008 – Senate (R), lost
2011 – Treasurer (R), won
2015 – Treasurer (R), won
2016 – Senate (R)
2John Kennedy backed a $1.1 billion tax increase on Louisiana oil & gas earlier this year as a way to make up the state’s budget shortfall. On WWL-Radio New Orleans, Kennedy claimed: “The total amount of waste and inefficiencies that the legislative auditor in these 36 reports identified just last year, in 2015, is $1.745 billion.” When challenged on his numbers, Treasurer Kennedy provided a report on government waste to Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards identifying $1.7 billion in ‘waste’ – including $1.148 billion in uncollected revenue from the state’s temporary tax exemption on hydraulic fracturing from 2010-2014.
3A performance review of the Louisiana Bond Commission in February found that short-term budget gimmicks employed by Kennedy as Chairman of the Bond Commission dating back to the 2010-2011 budget year helped plug short-term budget gaps, but incurred long-term costs to the state of as much as $231 million.
4A report by The Advocate found that the Treasurer’s Office has leased office space since 2011 at One City Plaza in Baton Rouge at a cost of $369,597 per year to taxpayers. The Treasurer repeatedly ignored attempts from the Office of Facility Planning and Control to move to state-owned office space that would have saved the state $293,868 per year. Kennedy has received $21,600 in campaign contributions from the owner of the facility.
5Louisiana’s credit rating was downgraded by Moody’s in February 2016. According to the AP: “Treasurer John Kennedy said Moody’s decision surprised him."
Fleming Surges to Statistical Tie with Boustany and Campbell in Senate Race
In the latest poll by JMC Analytics, Congressman John Fleming has surged to a statistical tie with Rep. Boustany and PSC Campbell for the race to replace Sen. David Vitter in the US Senate in Louisiana. Fleming has moved up 6 points since the last poll done in July, while both Boustany and Campbell have held steady with support since the last poll.
A copy of the results of this poll can be found here.
Is John Kennedy Getting Desperate?
Photo source: The Advocate
On Wednesday, Charles Boustany refuted a story being circulated that he was someone involved with a prostitute that ended up murdered. Per this piece, Boustany went on to state "it is all total lies – and everyone, even John Kennedy, knows it."
Read more: Congressman Charles Boustany blames John Kennedy for spreading prostitute-involved claims
Boustany Tours Flood Damage on Congressional Delegation Trip with Garret Graves, Out-of-State Members
(Baton Rouge, LA) – Dr. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) helped lead a congressional delegation trip with Representative Garret Graves (R-Baton Rouge) to Baton Rouge yesterday. The trip included several of the Louisiana congressmen’s out-of-state colleagues to tour flood-damaged areas in Baton Rouge.
Boustany said: “I’m proud to help lead a congressional delegation trip with Garret Graves to Baton Rouge to show our out-of-state colleagues the devastation in this area as our state begins the grueling task of rebuilding. I am committed to working with local, state, and federal officials to get Louisiana back up and running.”
BOUSTANY: The Painful Truth About Louisiana's 'Forgotten Flood'
Nearly one third of Louisiana’s parishes were underwater last week, but the country’s attention was fixated elsewhere.
Rain began falling on Friday, August 12. In some of the hardest-hit areas, it rained for days on end. Rivers ran backwards, levies overflowed, and the water kept rising.
Once the rain stopped, I immediately began touring damaged areas, meeting with local, state, and federal officials, and helping coordinate response efforts. The incredible resiliency and spirit of the people of Louisiana is inspiring, to say the least.
On Sunday, August 14, as I toured neighborhoods with standing water several feet deep in Youngsville, Louisiana, our truck pulled alongside a young man fishing in his front driveway. I asked him if he’d caught anything. “Two bass and an eel!” he replied with excitement, brandishing a proud smile that belied the damage all around him.
I talked with residents as they floated supplies down the street to their neighbors who were in need of water and food. Flood victims waved from cookouts in their front yard, standing in water up to their calves. The Chief of Police, acting as our guide, pointed out his own flooded house. He had no time to begin cleaning up because he was working around the clock to keep his community safe.
The stories are powerful and heartbreaking. But in Louisiana, frustration is mounting that the rest of the country could care less.
It took the president of the United States over a week to come to Louisiana. While the floodwaters rose, he continued to play golf on Martha’s Vineyard – a decision that struck many in my home state as callous. Especially after the media took former President George W. Bush to task for a supposed lack of empathy for victims of Hurricane Katrina over a decade ago.
The New York Times, to its credit, apologized in an editorial to its readers titled “On Gulf Coast Flooding, The Times Is Late to the Scene.” In the editorial, the Times notes that reader Catherine Holmes of Georgia wrote to the paper: “Disappointing that Trump’s latest gaffe and the Olympics totally dominate your front page this morning, when so many in south Louisiana are suffering.” Similar stories highlighting the lack of focus on the crisis ran in USA Today, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, and Salon.
Arriving in Louisiana last Tuesday, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate told me, Governor Edwards, and Congressman Cedric Richmond that he didn’t believe official Washington had any idea of what was going on in Louisiana. It took the agency several days to declare sixteen parishes that had been hit with severe flooding a disaster area, unlocking access to federal assistance for affected families. By Wednesday, 70,000 people in Louisiana had applied for assistance through FEMA.
Many of the victims don’t live in a federally-designated flood plain, meaning they have no flood insurance to recoup damages.
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon estimates only 14 percent of Lafayette residents affected by the flooding have flood insurance, and only 12 percent in Baton Rouge.
Even for those with flood insurance, the maximum disbursement is $250,000. While FEMA and private aid will help make up some of the difference, it could easily not be enough for many residents.
Applicants in non-flood zones may only receive up to $33,000 in assistance from FEMA. If this disaster requires supplemental assistance from Congress, I worry Members who haven’t been informed about the damage in Louisiana may not have the information they need to make good decisions when the body reconvenes in a few weeks.
The Red Cross labeled this 500-year flood “the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Superstorm Sandy.” On the ground in Louisiana, many are already calling this disaster the ‘Forgotten Flood.’
Governor John Bel Edwards surmised part of the reason this disaster has flown under the radar is due to the lack of a catchy name.
Unfortunately, now it has one. And that’s a shame.
Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD, represents Louisiana’s Third Congressional District covering Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Morgan City.
Boustany Requests Disaster Declaration for Additional Parishes
(Lafayette, LA) – Dr. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) sent a letter urging the President to issue a Major Disaster Presidential Declaration for Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Cameron, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, and West Feliciana parishes. Currently, only East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes have received a federal disaster declaration.
Boustany said: “The flooding has turned our roads into rivers, washed away homes, and forced more than 10,000 individuals to seek temporary shelter. Louisianans are resilient and ready to rebuild, but we need some assistance to get back on our feet. I am thankful that the President quickly granted four parishes with disaster declarations, but the damage extends far beyond those parish lines. I am urging him to quickly provide these additional parishes with a Major Disaster Declaration as we continue to evaluate the damage.”
On Sunday, August 14, in response to historic flooding, both Louisiana Governor Edwards and the Louisiana Congressional delegation sent letters to the President urging him to expedite a federal disaster declaration for Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Cameron, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, and West Feliciana parishes. The declaration will provide vital resources to protect our communities and support the recovery effort. Late Sunday night, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent notification that four of the requested 23 parishes were declared a federal disaster.
In light of more than 20,000 individuals rescued, over 10,000 people forced from their homes, and the 15 rivers throughout south and central Louisiana that are in record flood stage, Dr. Boustany sent a letter urging President Obama to the fulfill the State of Louisiana’s full request for a Major Disaster Presidential Declaration and allow Louisiana to continue its rescue missions and begin rebuilding efforts.
The full text of the letter is copied below.
Dear Mr. President,
I write to you in support of the State of Louisiana's full request for a Major Disaster Presidential Declaration as a result of unprecedented rainfall and flooding. On Friday, August 12, Governor Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Louisiana. All of us throughout Louisiana are thankful for the federal government's quick response to our request for an emergency declaration, provided on August 14, 2016 for four specific parishes. The situation remains precarious as rivers, bayous, canals and streams continue to rise throughout the state.
I urge you to grant the State of Louisiana's request for all parishes affected by the rainfall and historic flooding, specifically: Individual Assistance for Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Cameron, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington and West Feliciana, to include Categories A and B under the Public Assistance program and Hazard Mitigation statewide.
According to most recent reports, over 20,000 people have been rescued and five people have died as a result of flooding caused by historic amounts of rain falling on South Louisiana. As of Sunday night, more than 10,000 people have arrived at shelters scattered throughout the state. Rescue workers are currently focusing on search and rescue missions of people who need to be evacuated from residences, nursing homes and vehicles. Complicating matters more, the state Department of Transportation and Development has also reported the closure of about 200 roads, including more than 30 washouts of state highways. Another 1,400 critical bridges need to be inspected before traffic can freely travel over them. Reports indicate that 15 rivers throughout South Louisiana are in record flood stage.
The National Weather Service is predicting more rain throughout the region. As the waters continue to rise in parts of South Louisiana, creating the need for additional evacuations and rescue operations, a Major Disaster Presidential Declaration for all parishes impacted by the rainfall and flooding would go a great length to help ease the fear and uncertainty for many Louisianans.
Thank you again for your quick response to the Governor's request.
Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain Endorses Dr. Charles Boustany
(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.
Boustany Announces $1.1 Million Raised in Second Quarter
(Lafayette, LA) – The Boustany for Senate campaign announced it raised $1.1 million in the second quarter of 2016. This is the biggest fundraising quarter in the 2016 cycle for Boustany, who leads all U.S. Senate candidates with nearly $4.3 million raised in 2015-2016.
Boustany Communications Director Jack Pandol said: “Louisianians from Abbeville to Zwolle are coming together to support Dr. Boustany because they want a conservative leader they can trust to get things done. Dr. Boustany is humbled by the incredible support across Louisiana and energized by the growing momentum for his campaign.
“This quarter’s fundraising number is a strong statement that Dr. Boustany is building support in every corner of Louisiana. The Boustany campaign will have the necessary resources to run a first-rate campaign and bring Dr. Boustany’s conservative, results-oriented leadership to the United States Senate.”
Boustany: In Light of FBI Decision, Clinton Should Withdraw Candidacy
(Lafayette, LA) – Dr. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) said that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should withdraw her candidacy for President of the United States after Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey said the FBI will not recommend criminal charges against her for using a private email server while serving as head of the State Department.
Boustany said: “Today’s announcement by the FBI may be a victory for Hillary Clinton’s personal ambitions, but it is a tragedy for the American people and the integrity of our institutions. No one should be surprised the American people no longer trust their government when they continue to witness people at the top getting away with breaking the law while families and small businesses are struggling. We need honest leaders who can work to rebuild the trust of the American people in their government.
“Given the FBI admitted Hillary Clinton’s email may have been hacked, this puts her at an unprecedented risk of manipulation and blackmail by foreign governments with sensitive classified material at her fingertips. No candidate in history has run for President as such a national security liability. It’s clear Hillary Clinton doesn’t belong in the Oval Office. She should immediately withdraw her candidacy for President of the United States.”
In Comey’s address, he said the FBI identified 110 emails in 52 separate email chains that included classified materials at that time. While the FBI could not directly confirm Clinton’s private server was hacked, Comey acknowledged it was possible. Comey characterized Clinton’s use of a private server as “extremely careless” but said the FBI could not identify any intent to break the law.
On June 26, former President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch met privately on the tarmac of the Phoenix, Arizona, airport amid the ongoing Department of Justice investigation into the use of a private server by Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State.
Boustany Says Democrats’ Misguided Sit-In ‘Misses the Point’
Photo source: Flickr
(Washington, DC) – Dr. Charles Boustany released the following statement as House Democrats held a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives to protest lack of action on gun control measures after the terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida, earlier this month.
Boustany said: “The Democrats gutted the military, tied the hands of the intelligence community, and deny the murderous nature of radical Islam, but they still blame the Constitution for terrorism. This sit-in shows the Democrats haven’t just missed the point on this issue; they’re not even playing in the same ballpark. Louisiana families have lost their jobs, their healthcare, and now their security is at risk because of the policies of this President and congressional Democrats.
“Why won’t they sit-in to lower healthcare costs, reform the tax code, and get our economy moving again? The people of Louisiana are waiting for an answer.”
Boustany Continues Fight against IRS Overreach
(Washington, DC) – Dr. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) supported passage H.R. 5053, the Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act introduced by Representative Peter Roskam (R-IL). The bill prohibits the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from requiring a tax-exempt organization to include the name, address, or other identifying information of any contributor in annual returns.
Boustany spoke in support of H.R. 5053 on the House floor today.
Speaking on the House floor in support of the bill, Boustany said: “Back in 2012 when I was Oversight Subcommittee Chairman on Ways & Means, I started the investigation into the IRS’s unconstitutional targeting of conservative groups for their political beliefs… Taxpayers deserve to know whether the IRS is violating their privacy. This bill furthers that effort by preventing the IRS from targeting non-profits, prohibiting the agency from collecting the identity of donors who contribute to these organizations.
“The IRS still operates under the shadow of a scandal in which it admitted to targeting organizations based on their political beliefs… To successfully carry out its mission, the IRS must be viewed as an unbiased arbiter of the law. It cannot do that without coming clean. H.R. 5053 is a necessary step to require more accountability and transparency at the IRS, and I urge my colleagues to support this critical bill.”
Boustany launched the original investigation into the IRS as Chairman of the House Ways & Means Oversight Subcommittee after conservative groups approached him with complaints of unlawful targeting by the agency. Boustany authored three bills to bring greater transparency and accountability to the IRS that passed the House in 2014. The bills are:
Ø H.R. 5418: Prohibiting officers and employees of the IRS from using personal email accounts to conduct official business.
Ø H.R. 5419: Providing a right to an administrative appeal relating to adverse determinations of tax-exempt status by the IRS of certain organizations.
Ø H.R. 5420: Permitting the release of information regarding the status of an investigation to aggrieved individuals or organizations.
BOUSTANY: Promoting Employment for Welfare Recipients Is True Compassion
Photo source: Wikipedia
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the great civil libertarian of a generation whose courageous stand changed the course of our country, once said: “Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation.” America is a compassionate nation. We have spent our history liberating, not conquering; providing aid to Africa and Southeast Asia; and protecting our allies from South Korea to Israel.
But we can’t allow ourselves to confuse the true definition of compassion when put in practice. This is evident in today’s welfare programs and the billions of dollars wasted every year on individuals who don’t truly need this assistance. As the former Chairman of the subcommittee tasked with reforming our federal welfare program, I am too familiar with the confused line of thought that argues the more money we put into these programs, the better they will be. That is a falsehood that has kept families trapped in poverty across generations, creating a class dependent on government handouts and without the necessary skills to contribute in the modern workforce.
That’s not compassionate at all. In a way, it is cruel. It denies welfare recipients the dignity of work and transports our nation away from our founding principle of individual liberty.
It may or may not be hard to believe, but today our primary federal welfare program, known as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, is not adequately measuring the success of moving recipients off of welfare rolls and into work. First created twenty years ago, this program has not been reformed since its creation. Every government program should be pressed to prove it is meeting performance goals and providing value to our society.
That’s why I am proud my bill, the Improving Employment Outcomes of TANF Recipients Act, was recently passed by the Ways & Means Committee and sent to the House floor for consideration. This is a common-sense bill requiring states to measure their success in three areas: moving TANF recipients off of welfare into work, keeping former recipients in work, and helping former recipients increase their earnings over time. Additionally, the bill would require states to work with the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to set goals for each of these measures, taking into account each state’s unique demographic and economic conditions.
If we truly want to address poverty in this country, we cannot spend our way out of it. Current welfare programs are structured so poorly, they provide incentives for recipients to avoid work and stay dependent on permanent handouts. This system was never intended to function this way, and it shouldn’t. It’s damaging to the fabric of our society and increasing our debt. Recipients must be empowered to lift themselves out of poverty by giving them the tools to be successful in work and increase their income over time.
I believe that is true compassion - getting government out of the way, ensuring a safety net is there in case of occasional stumbles, and unleashing the true potential of our people.
Congressman Charles Boustany
Boustany Calls on VA Secretary to Apologize to Louisiana Veterans
(Lafayette, LA) – Dr. Charles Boustany issued the following statement after media outlets reported that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald compared veterans’ wait times seeking much-needed healthcare to a trip to Disneyland.
McDonald said: “The days to an appointment is really not what we should be measuring, we should be measuring the veterans’ satisfaction. When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? What’s important?”
Boustany said: “Secretary McDonald’s comments trivializing the struggle of Louisiana’s veterans to get even basic care from the VA showcases everything that’s wrong with the agency. Secretary McDonald has been charged with the health and well-being of the men and women who return home from serving our country in combat. The Secretary’s contemptuous comments are disgraceful, and he should apologize to our veterans immediately.”
In Congress, Dr. Charles Boustany has led the charge to increase access to care for Louisiana’s veterans. In 2014, Boustany passed legislation winning authorization for two new veterans’ healthcare clinics in Lafayette and Lake Charles. Additionally, Boustany was a main proponent of the Veterans’ Choice Program created in 2014, which allows veterans to seek care from private healthcare providers in their communities. Boustany has introduced legislation expanding the Veterans’ Choice Program for veterans in communities that are under-served by the VA, like Lafayette and Lake Charles. He has continued to keep pressure on the VA to keep its promise to Louisiana’s veterans and complete clinics in Lafayette and Lake Charles as soon as possible.
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
Boustany on Rate Hikes: “All Our Worst Fears About ObamaCare Are Coming True”
Dr. Charles Boustany issued the following statement after news reports surfaced showing millions of Americans who have signed up for health insurance plans under ObamaCare will likely experience double-digit rate hikes in November.
Boustany said: “All our worst fears about ObamaCare are coming true. The President said you could keep your plan and your doctor – that’s been rated ‘Lie of the Year.’ The President said rates would go down, but instead rates have gone up. Now rates are projected to spike again by November.
“As a doctor, I know working families in Louisiana just can’t afford ObamaCare. We need a Senator who doesn’t just talk about how terrible this law is. We need a Senator who can actually get something done about it. As Louisiana’s next U.S. Senator, I’ll make sure ObamaCare is a distant memory, and I’ll work on policies that will actually lower costs and increase access to high-quality care for Louisianians.”
Last month, UnitedHealth Group announced it was pulling out of the ObamaCare exchange in Louisiana after an internal review showed the company expects to lose more than $1 billion nationwide in the exchanges for 2015 and 2016. UnitedHealth represents 13% of Louisiana’s 214,000 enrollees in the ObamaCare exchanges.
Dr. Boustany is the author of the largest legislative defeat to ObamaCare to date. Boustany wrote the bill and built the coalition in Congress to repeal the CLASS Act – an $86 billion budget-cooking scheme in ObamaCare even former Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius admitted was “totally unsustainable.”
Read more: Obamacare's November surprise
