Cassidy Discusses Jobs, Infrastructure, Health Care on Northshore

WASHINGTON - Yesterday afternoon, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) spoke in Mandeville at a luncheon hosted by the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce and the Northshore Business Council on his work to make life better for families and business owners in St. Tammany Parish, including by authoring the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which has funneled millions into the area for roads, bridges, and flood mitigation.

"I've worked with the Northshore community to understand their needs," said Dr. Cassidy. "To address these needs, I've delivered things such as $1.2 billion to tackle drainage, sewage, and flood risk around Lake Pontchartrain, and $92 million for road projects such as widening I-12. These are your tax dollars returning to work for you."

Cassidy also was a major supporter of the Working Families Tax Cut Act, which ended taxes on tips and overtime work, and included provisions to expand school choice and increase oil drilling in the Gulf of America. As Chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Cassidy also inserted provisions to strengthen Pell Grants, encourage individuals and businesses to fund scholarship awards for K-12 students, and end inflationary loan programs that drive up the cost of college.

Cassidy was greeted at the luncheon by both Ms. Lacey Osborne, CEO of the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Kevin Davis, Executive Director of the Northshore Business Council.

"We are grateful for our senior Senator's visit to St. Tammany during the recess to provide our members an opportunity to meet him in person," said Ms. Osborne. "With the many current concerns that affect business and families - gas prices, the future of healthcare funding to name just a few - we welcome this opportunity to hear first-hand from Senator Cassidy. We appreciate all that he has done to make our growing parish and region better. He understands that education and economic development work hand in hand to deliver a stronger workforce for all northshore businesses."

"Senator Cassidy has worked to fund road projects, support mental health providers, and help create an environment on the Northshore where we can create good-paying jobs for our neighbors," said Mr. Davis. "We appreciate his partnership, and thank him for visiting with us today."

Earlier in the day, Cassidy visited the North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond, where he met with doctors and nurses and discussed his recent work as Chairman to make health care affordable and improve patient outcomes.

"The doctors, nurses and support staff at North Oaks told me what works and what doesn't work in health care across Tangipahoa Parish," said Dr. Cassidy. "I'll take what I learned back to Washington to deliver better care for families back home."

Cassidy has recently convened HELP Committee hearings on lowering the cost of health care, improving patient outcomes by strengthening health information, and delivering lifesaving cures to American families. He also recently introduced legislation to eliminate the Medicare 190-day lifetime cap on impatient psychiatric care, which removes barriers to mental health care for Louisiana seniors.

At North Oaks, he was welcomed by Ms. Michelle Sutton, President and CEO of the North Oaks Health System.

"We are grateful to Senator Cassidy for visiting North Oaks Health System to provide a congressional update on health care," said Ms. Sutton. "Engaging directly with federal leaders allows our physicians, team members, and leadership to stay informed on initiatives and priorities that affect our industry and the patients and communities we care for every day."

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