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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Alma Adams (D-NC) recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Health Resources & Services Administration Administrator Thomas J. Engels urging the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) not to delay critical funding for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Newborn Screening Follow-Up Program (Follow-Up Program). The members want to ensure the important services provided by sickle cell disease community-based organizations (CBOs) do not lapse. Any delay in awarding grants will impact the continuation of the critical services provided by the CBOs that participate in the program.

“While newborn screening for sickle cell disease (SCD) occurs in every state, many individuals are lost to follow-up care or face barriers to access high-quality care throughout their lifetime,” the Members wrote. “HRSA’s Sickle Cell Disease Newborn Screening Follow-Up Program works in tandem with HRSA’s Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program (SCD TDP) to help address these access issues. The Follow-Up Program focuses on providing supportive services to individuals living with sickle cell disease and their families while the SCD TDP focuses on the clinical aspect of care for individuals with SCD and bolstering provider education related to SCD.”

The current five-year grant cycle for this program ends August 31, 2026, but HRSA has yet to issue a new Notice of Funding Opportunity for the next grant cycle. Without an announcement of future funding, it is unclear if the SCD Follow-Up Program will be extended. Congress provided full funding for the program in 2026 at $7 million and there is active support for continued funding in 2027.

“Sickle cell disease doesn't wait, and neither can we. The 25 community-based organizations funded through HRSA's Follow-Up Program are lifelines for patients and families across this country — connecting them to care, to specialists, and to hope,” said Rep. Carter. “Congress did its job by funding this program in 2026, and we stand ready to fight for continued funding in 2027. But right now, HHS must act. Every day without a new Notice of Funding Opportunity is a day these organizations are left in limbo, and every day they are in limbo, patients are at risk. I will not stop pushing until these grants are secured and the sickle cell community has the certainty it deserves.”

“I watched my sister suffer and lose her life to sickle cell disease at just 26 years old. That loss is why I have spent my career in Congress fighting to ensure no family faces that same devastating struggle alone, without access to proper care,” said Rep. Adams. “The 25 community-based organizations funded by the Follow-Up Program are the backbone of the sickle cell community, connecting patients with education and resources, linking families to specialists, arranging transportation to care, and providing financial support when families need it most. These organizations are not a luxury. They are the infrastructure that keeps patients alive. Every day this funding is delayed puts that infrastructure at risk of collapse. I am calling on HHS to issue a new Notice of Funding Opportunity for these grants immediately. We cannot allow politics or bureaucratic inaction to cost people their health, or their lives.”

“The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) thanks Representatives Troy Carter and Alma Adams for taking the lead on urging the Administration to extend the grants for HRSA’s Sickle Cell Disease Newborn Screening Follow Up Program. Since 2002, Congress has funded these grants to support sickle cell disease community-based organizations (CBOs). They are used to provide essential direct services, referrals, and education to those living with sickle cell disease,” said Regina Hartfield, President and CEO of SCDAA. “CBOs are the first place a sickle cell warrior goes for help. CBOs—and the sickle cell community--cannot have this grant program lapse.”

Additional lawmakers signing onto the effort include Reps. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Shomari Figures (D-AL), Al Green (D-TX), Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Robin Kelly (D-OH), Summer Lee (D-PA), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Nikema Williams (D-GA).

Read the full letter here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02) secured deadline extensions from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the Joint Infrastructure Recovery Request (JIRR) program in New Orleans to June 2, 2028. FEMA also agreed to review other active Katrina recovery projects across south Louisiana for potential extensions.

“Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, we are still dealing with the aftermath of the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history,” said Rep. Carter. “FEMA’s partnership and resources have been the backbone of Louisiana's rebuilding efforts. While Louisiana has closed out 99% of Katrina recovery projects, the scope and technical complexity of the few remaining projects require additional time to complete responsibly and in compliance with federal requirements. I am happy FEMA granted this extension and will continue to fight for all funding that my community needs.”

“This extension is critically important for the people of New Orleans because it gives us the ability to complete transformative infrastructure projects that are already underway and continue delivering long-overdue improvements to our residents,” said Mayor Helena Moreno. “An enormous amount of work went into securing this extension, and I am incredibly proud of our team for their relentless advocacy and coordination to help make this happen.”

JIRR is a comprehensive FEMA-funded initiative to repair 10,000 blocks of streets and drainage systems damaged by the historic floods of Hurricane Katrina. On Wednesday, Congressman Carter pressed Secretary Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a committee hearing to grant time extensions for these projects to ensure they are completed responsibly.

Additionally, Congressman Carter sent letters this past December and February to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in support of the state’s extension requests for the JIRR program and other active Hurricane Katrina recovery projects in Louisiana.

You can read those letters here and here.

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Updates School Signage with SAMHSA 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Information

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Congressman James Moylan (R-GU) introduced the bipartisan Student SuicidePrevention Awareness Act of 2026. This legislation would expand grant funds to support a public awareness campaign addressing youth mental health in middle schools and high schools. Specifically, the program would encourage schools to update their signage on campus to inform students about the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

“Too many young people are struggling with their mental health in silence, and too often help feels out of reach in a moment of crisis,” said Rep. Carter. “My bill is a simple, commonsense step to ensure every student knows exactly where to turn for help. If this bill helps even one young person pause, reach out, and get the support they need, then it will have done its job.”

Signage would be required to indicate this is a free and confidential service available 24 hours a day, giving students experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts resources to access immediate help. Signs should be displayed, or digitally posted, in locations easily visible to students including, but not limited to, entrances and exits of the school, student common areas, school counselor offices, school nurse offices, gymnasiums, auditoriums, art rooms, music rooms, libraries, student restrooms (including bathroom stalls and sinks) and locker rooms, and digital school bulletin boards, as applicable.

“The mental health and well-being of our students must remain a national priority, including for our youth in Guam,” said Rep. Moylan. “This legislation helps ensure students are aware of critical resources like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and encourages schools to foster environments where seeking help is supported and accessible. No student should feel alone in moments of crisis.”

“From the first time I met Congressman Carter and his staff, I knew they would be one of the best allies on Capitol Hill for mental health and suicide prevention. The pain and struggles that I have been through as someone with Clinical Depression and past suicidal ideation should be transformed into something that can help other young people across the country. And that is what Congressman Carter is helping us do. The Student Suicide Prevention Awareness Act of 2026 is such an important step to ensuring young people know about resources like the 988 Lifeline that are available to them. I see that there is so much stigma among my peers and hesitancy to seek help, along with a general lack of awareness. We need to be teaching our children that seeking help when you are struggling is a strength, not a weakness. By strengthening Project AWARE and helping schools be trusted messengers for this work, we are truly working to save young lives and provide hope to those in need. Thank you to Representatives Carter and Moylan for bringing this bill forward,” said Ayaan Moledina, high school student and Federal Policy Director, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT). 

“The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors endorses the Student Suicide Prevention Awareness Act of 2026 as this strengthens the awareness of 988 and highlights the importance of suicide prevention for youth in schools,” said Brian Hepburn, MD, Executive Director, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD).

“The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is proud to support the Student Suicide Prevention Awareness Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation led by Congressman Carter (LA-02) and Delegate Moylan (GU-At-Large) to expand awareness of and access to critical mental health resources, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline,” said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer at AFSP. “Research published in JAMA found suicide deaths among 15 to 23-year-olds were 11% lower than expected following the launch of the 988 Lifeline in July 2022 through December 2024. This legislation is a practical, life-saving step to help ensure students know where to turn during a mental health or suicide crisis. By promoting clear, consistent 988 signage in schools, it will help connect more young people to support and strengthen a culture of care, help-seeking, and suicide prevention in school communities.”

Background:

In January, Congressman Carter authored the Raising Awareness for Youth Suicide (RAYS) Prevention Act. This bipartisan bill requires middle and high schools to include mental health and suicide prevention information on student identification cards and school websites.

The Student Suicide Prevention Awareness Act is endorsed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychological Association, JJ's Hello Foundation, The Grace Loncar Foundation, Half a Sorrow Foundation, The Speedy Foundation, Western Youth Services, Jay Walkers, American Counseling Association, Inseparable, and the Association for Mental Health and Wellness.

Full text of the bill can be found here.

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Members of Congress Press for Action to Protect U.S. Sugar Producers from Predatory Trade Practices

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) joined Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) to send a bipartisan, bicameral letter, along with 112 of their colleagues, in support of efforts by U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer to utilize a Section 301 investigation into unfair and discriminatory trade practices by foreign sugar-producing countries. They call on USTR to take appropriate action to protect American sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers, processors, refiners, and factory workers from being undercut by discriminatory foreign trade practices. In the letter, the members of Congress:

• Highlighted that the tier two tariff, meant to defend U.S. sugar production from being undercut by discriminatory foreign trade practices, has not been updated in 26 years and has become wholly ineffective.
• Noted that the erosion of the tier two tariffs has led to a more than 700 percent increase in out-of-quota sugar imports between Fiscal Years (FY) 2021 and 2025 compared to the prior five-year period.
• Highlighted a recent study by the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Agricultural Risk Policy Center analyzing the impact of over-quota sugar imports on domestic sugar prices, which found that Tier-2 imports depressed U.S. domestic raw sugar prices and resulted in an estimated loss of up to $1.8 billion for the domestic U.S. sugar industry last year.
• Cited peer-reviewed research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics that confirms the retail prices of sugar-sweetened foods are not driven by the cost of sugar.
• Urged Ambassador Greer to take action to level the playing field for U.S. producers, including imposing tariffs sufficient to return sugar imports to historic norms.

“The sugar farming families and workers across our States support more than 151,000 jobs in more than two dozen states while generating more than $23 billion in economic activity each year. We are gravely concerned about the surge in unfairly traded foreign sugar imports, which, along with higher input costs, are plunging the domestic industry into crisis and presenting an imminent threat to the industry’s long-term viability,” the Members wrote.

“U.S. sugar policy is a necessary response to a global playing field where foreign countries routinely sell sugar at well below the world cost of production… In the past 10 years, 14 percent of our nation’s beet sugar processing facilities and 12 percent of our domestic cane sugar mills and refineries have closed, including the complete loss of sugarbeet farming in California (2025) and sugarcane farming in Hawaii (2016) and Texas (2024). Absent action to protect the domestic sugar industry from discriminatory foreign trade practices, these continued revenue losses will only mount, threatening the future existence of domestic U.S. sugar production. We strongly urge you to investigate these unfair trading practices that disadvantage our domestic sugar industry and take decisive action as appropriate.”

Read the full letter here.

The following organizations have endorsed the letter: Amalgamated Sugar Company, American Crystal Sugar Company, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Sugar Alliance, American Sugar Cane League, American Sugar Refining, Inc., American Sugarbeet Growers Association, Big Horn Basin Beet Growers Association, Big Horn County Sugar Beet Growers Association, Colorado Sugarbeet Growers Association, Elwyhee Beet Growers Association, Florida Crystals Corporation, Florida Sugar Cane League, Michigan Sugar Company, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Farmers Union, NebCo Beet Growers Association, Nebraska Sugarbeet Growers Association, Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, Snake River Sugarbeet Growers, Southern- Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative, Southern Montana Sugarbeet Growers Association, Sugarcane Growers Cooperative of Florida, US Beet Sugar Association, US Sugar, Western Sugar Cooperative, Wheatland Beet Growers Association, Wyoming Sugar Company, Alma Plantation, Cajun Sugar Company, LLC., Cora Texas Manufacturing Co, Enterprise Factory, Lafourche Sugars Corp, Louisiana Sugar Cane Co-op, Lula Sugar Factory, Raceland Raw Sugar Corp, St. Mary Sugar Co-Op, Sterling Sugars, and Westfield Sugar Factory.

Background:

Sugarcane production is a cornerstone of Louisiana's economy and culture, generating billions of dollars in economic impact annually. Louisiana’s sugarcane industry is why New Orleans proudly hosts the Sugar Bowl each year. Approximately 13 million tons of sugar cane are produced on more than 400,000 acres of land in 22 Louisiana parishes. Much of the cane is processed at the 11 raw sugar factories in the state. The industry supports roughly 17,000 jobs through the production and processing of sugarcane in Louisiana.

Last week, Congressman Carter and Congressman Higgins (R-LA) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer urging a Section 301 investigation into unfair practices harming the American seafood industry. Read that full letter here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressmen Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Clay Higgins (R-LA) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer urging a Section 301 investigation into unfair practices harming the American seafood industry.

Our fishermen have long played a crucial role in the Louisiana economy and culture, providing jobs, supporting coastal communities, and ensuring a reliable domestic seafood supply. Louisiana’s shrimp industry has led the United States in shrimp production, averaging about 100 million pounds in annual landings and accounting for nearly 50% of Gulf shrimp landings over the past 25 years. However, the ongoing influx of unfairly subsidized, low-cost imported shrimp has placed this industry in an untenable position. Foreign seafood companies have also been documented to engage in labor abuses and false labeling, among other issues. All of this has contributed to a significant decline in the domestic seafood industry. A Section 301 investigation offers an important tool for correcting trade imbalances and ensuring fair competition across the seafood sector.

“Consistent with the Executive Order and your stated intent, we respectfully request that the Office of the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) initiate a broad Section 301 investigation into unfair acts, policies, and practices affecting trade in seafood and seafood products,” the Members wrote. “A Section 301 investigation encompassing a broad spectrum of unfair practices, including false labeling and species designations, the abuse of banned antibiotics and fungicides in aquaculture, export and production subsidies, environmental harm, structural excess capacity, labor abuses, and permissive standards with respect to gear usage, would allow the Administration to effectively leverage access to our market to improve conditions overseas and level the playing field for the American seafood industry within its own domestic market.”

“Because of the breadth and complexity of these challenges, we encourage the USTR to pursue a seafood-specific Section 301 investigation that examines all unfair acts, policies, and practices across the full seafood supply chain from countries including, but not limited to: Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, Egypt, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam, ” the Members continued.

The letter is endorsed by many seafood industry associations, including the Catfish Farmers of America, Southern Shrimp Alliance, California Sea Urchin Commission, North American Marine Alliance, Oregon Trawl Commission, Hawaii Longline Association, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, North Carolina Fisheries Association, California Pelagic Fisheries Association, Fishing Communities Coalition, Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association, Alabama Farmers Federation, and the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.

“Time and again I hear from Louisiana Farm Bureau members who have a simple request of their lawmakers: help us do business on a level playing field. Congressmen Carter and Congressman Higgins clearly have heard that plea and are raising their voices for us in a big way. We appreciate them calling on USTR to initiate a Section 301 investigation on seafood and we join them in this request to give our crawfish farmers, shrimpers, and other seafood producers a fighting chance,” said Richard Fontenot, President of Louisiana Farm Bureau 

“The U.S. shrimp industry is grateful to Congressmen Clay Higgins and Troy Carter for spearheading a Congressional request to the United States Trade Representative to launch a Section 301 investigation — one that can comprehensively address the unfair acts, policies, and practices harming American seafood producers. We ask the Trump Administration to seize this opportunity to address unfair trade practices, eliminate unsafe imports, and level the longstanding unfair playing field for American producers. Under fair market conditions, American shrimpers can sustainably harvest tens of millions of additional pounds of shrimp each year — preserving a way of life for fishing families and boosting coastal economies from Texas to North Carolina,” said Blake Price, Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

Read the full letter here.

Background

Congressman Carter and Congressman Higgins are authors of the bipartisan Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act, which grants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) additional authority to order the destruction of foreign products that fail health inspections at import facilities, ensuring that contaminated, unsafe, and mislabeled seafood imports do not harm American consumers.

In March 2025, Congressman Carter and a bipartisan coalition of Gulf representatives introduced the Save Our Shrimpers Act of 2025, which passed the House on May 12, 2026. This bill requires U.S. representatives to the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, and other international financial institutions to oppose financial assistance to foreign countries for projects that support shrimp farming, processing, or exporting of shrimp from any foreign country to the United States.

Congressman Carter is also an original co-sponsor of the Safer Shrimp Imports Act, which would require foreign shrimp producers to meet the standards that domestic producers face before exporting their shrimp to U.S. markets.

Last year, Congressman Carter sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jameison Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick outlining his concerns about harms inflicted on the U.S. domestic shrimp industry due to unfair trade practices and non-reciprocal trade agreements.

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NEW ORLEANS, LA —Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released the following statement:

“While Senator Price’s SB 407 failed in committee last night, it is my sincere hope that its core principles can still be incorporated through amendments to SB 121, which did pass.

“SB 407 offered a fair and balanced approach by creating two districts in which African American communities would remain relatively whole, thereby preserving the opportunity for African American voters to elect candidates of their choosing.

“As this process moves forward, I will continue advocating for fairness, equity, and representation that truly reflects the demographics and voices of our great state.”

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View photos of the event here

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Yesterday, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02) in partnership with the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport announced the winner and nine finalists of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition from high schools in Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District (LA-02).

Each spring, the U.S. House of Representatives sponsors a nationwide high school arts competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in each Congressional District. The winning piece will be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol Building for a year. Additionally, reproductions of the nine finalists' portraits will be displayed at the Airport on Concourse A for six months beginning this summer.

“Each year, this nationwide competition reminds us that art is more than paint on a canvas or an image in a frame,” said Rep. Carter. “Art tells stories. It challenges injustice, sparks dialogue, preserves culture, and inspires hope. Here in New Orleans, creativity is woven into the very fabric of our communities, and these students carry that legacy forward with extraordinary talent. I want to congratulate our winner and all the finalists, as well as every student who participated this year, on a phenomenal body of artwork.”

This year’s winner is “Afro-futuristic Hairstyle” by Lauryn Landers. Lauryn used inspiration from her own hairstyles to create this piece out of acrylic and hair on canvas. “Hair is an important part of how I express myself, so this piece became a way to explore identity and culture in a personal way. I am able to push the hairstyle beyond realism while keeping it recognizable, using exaggerated shapes and textures to give it a futuristic, almost sculptural feel,” said Lauryn.

"This art competition is especially meaningful because we are committed to students and education," said Kevin Dolliole, Director of Aviation for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. "Our airport is the front door to New Orleans and the entire region, and we are proud to showcase the next generation of Louisiana artists to our passengers."

The 10 finalists for the 2026 LA-02 Congressional Art Competition are:

• Winner - Lauryn Landers, "Afro-futuristic Hairstyle" - New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, 12th Grade
• Frida Godwin, "Still Life with Snowball and Beads" and "Still Life with Trumpet" - Louise S. Mcgehee, 9th Grade
•  EdDion Baines, "One Swan Two Farms" - Edna Karr High School, 11th Grade
• Sara Vukelic, "Bridge Over Quiet Bayou" - The Willow School Nola, 9th Grade
• Vivian Stewart, "A Flag's Shadow" - Stewart Academy Home School, 10th Grade
• Molly Reyher, "Les Swamps Sales and Sel", Benjamin Franklin High School, 10th Grade
• Dathan April, "A Gentle Hand", Archbishop Shaw High School, 10th Grade
• Marianne Nguyen, "The Woman in the Pond", Benjamin Franklin High School, 11th Grade
• Sage M. Cooper, "I've Seen Stranger Things", White Castle High School, 11th Grade

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NEW ORLEANS, LA – Tonight, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) convened a Voting Rights Town Hall discussion at Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Congressman Carter was joined by Mayor Helena Moreno, New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell, Members of the New Orleans City Council, Members of the Orleans Legislative Delegation, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, and representatives from Louisiana ACLU and Power Coalition. This is the first in a series of Town Hall meetings following the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais.

“What we witnessed from the Supreme Court is not simply a legal decision about lines on a map. It is part of a larger struggle over who gets represented, whose voices matter, and whether the promise of American democracy truly belongs to all of us,” said Rep. Carter. “For generations, people marched, bled, sacrificed, and even died to secure the right to vote and the right to fair representation. Those rights were not handed to us. They were earned through courage, protest, prayer, and perseverance. This is bigger than politics. This is about preserving democracy for the next generation. History will remember this moment. The question is: when democracy was tested, did we stand up, or did we stand silent?”

You can read Congressman Carter’s past statements since the decision in Louisiana v. Callais here.

“Protecting voting rights means protecting fairness, representation, and the belief that every voice matters. Future generations will remember whether we stood up for democracy when it mattered most,” said Mayor Helena Moreno. “To critics who say that the Mayor of New Orleans should stay out of this issue, I say diluting the power of New Orleans’ Black voters, in particular, is a major issue for the City of New Orleans. I will absolutely stand up every time for this particular issue.”

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NEW ORLEANS, LA —Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released the following statement:

Statement from U.S. Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr.

“I have spoken with St. Bernard Parish President Louis Pomes, and I am relieved to report that, at this time, no fatalities have been associated with the plant fire. We are encouraged that the flames are now under control and that air monitoring systems are being activated out of an abundance of caution to help protect nearby residents and families.

“I want to thank Parish President Pomes, our local leadership, firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS teams, and all first responders on the scene for their swift, courageous, and tireless efforts during this emergency. Their professionalism and dedication are helping to keep the community safe during a very serious situation.

“We will continue monitoring developments closely and will remain in communication with local and state officials as more information becomes available.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) have introduced the Medicaid Outreach and Assistance for Communities Act of 2026. This bill will help ensure Americans keep their health insurance coverage under Medicaid—especially now that H.R. 1’s new work reporting requirements, starting in 2027, will make it harder for people to stay enrolled, even if they’re eligible. This month, Louisiana started sending out new Medicaid notices explaining upcoming changes.

“Louisianians deserve peace of mind knowing they won’t lose their health care simply because the federal government has made the system harder to navigate,” said Rep. Carter. “States like ours already work hard to help people sign up for Medicaid and stay covered. My bill gives states the resources they need to continue and expand that work so no one falls through the cracks because of red tape.”

As states prepare for the increased administrative burden created by more frequent eligibility checks and new reporting rules, this legislation strengthens state capacity by offering 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid outreach, application, and enrollment assistance. This enhanced federal match would apply to states who are conducting outreach and assisting all Medicaid-eligible individuals; including adults in Medicaid expansion populations who will soon be subject to work-reporting requirements.

“Republicans’ Big Ugly Law left millions of Americans without clear guidance on how to complete new paperwork and jump through administrative hoops to stay covered by Medicaid,” said Rep. McClellan. “Our bill addresses this looming crisis by requiring the federal government to help Medicaid recipients keep their health insurance and navigate new barriers to enrollment. As Virginians look to their state and federal agencies for relief, we must meet the moment and deliver much-needed relief to those worried about losing their health care coverage.”

Background:

The Medicaid Outreach and Assistance for Communities Act of 2026:

• Helps Americans stay enrolled in Medicaid.
• Provides financial support to states providing outreach and application/enrollment assistance to all Medicaid-eligible individuals, including the Medicaid expansion population who will be subject to work-reporting requirements outline in H.R. 1.
• Prepares states for the extra work caused by H.R. 1’s work‑reporting requirements.
• Protects eligible Americans from losing coverage simply because the system becomes more complicated.

Full text of the bill can be found here.

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“I have been adamant that Louisianians deserve fair representation that reflects our state – which is comprised of 1/3 Black residents. That means, according to the math, there should be two seats where Black voters get a say in who represents them in Congress.

“While multiple maps have been discussed, no one knows what a new congressional map will look like. I’m focused on ending the suspension of an ongoing election and the active voter disenfranchisement taking place in our state.”