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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) released the following statement after recent merger decision clears the way for passenger rail line between Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and beyond.
“A high-quality, fast way to get across Louisiana is one step closer to reality. Reviving rail service between our two largest cities is critical to resolving the region’s transportation infrastructure issues. A passenger train has not run between Baton Rouge and New Orleans since 1969 but is critically important to Louisianians and vital to fostering growth in the region. This will also enable the realization of passenger rail between New Orleans and Mobile.
“This has been one of my top priorities since I was elected to Congress. I will continue to monitor the progress of this merger to ensure that Canadian Pacific keeps the promises they have made to the citizens of Louisiana.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) and Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-Sc.) introduced the bipartisan Addressing Digestive Distress in Stomachs of Our Youth (ADD SOY) Act, a bill which requires schools to provide fluid milk substitutes upon request of a student or parent/guardian.
The ADD SOY Act makes soy milk available to children in schools who need an alternative to cow’s milk. This is especially important because large numbers of minority children particularly Black, Latino, Native American, and Asian-American, are lactose intolerant. These children experience adverse health effects simply because, in practice, dairy is the only type of milk offered in schools.
“It is abundantly clear that the current milk substitute system that USDA employs is delivering detrimental impacts on BIPOC school children,” said Rep. Carter. “Too many children who cannot safely or comfortably consume dairy are being forced to accept containers of cow’s milk on their lunch trays. My ADD SOY Act ensures the health and nutritional needs of all our nation’s students are met. America needs to embrace its diversity at the lunch counter.”
“The federal government is wasting $300 million of our tax dollars a year by mandating that every school kid getting nutrition assistance has a carton of cow’s milk on the tray even though millions of them don’t want it and get sick from it,” said Rep. Mace. “Thirty percent of kids throw the milk away in the carton, and hundreds of millions of tax dollars wasted is not spilled milk. Kids should have a healthy choice in lunchrooms.”
“Our nation’s ‘milk mandate’ is a sure-fire way to cause digestive distress and to impede classroom learning for millions of school kids with lactose-intolerance,” said Wayne Pacelle, President of Animal Wellness Action. “It's also a matter of reckless food and fiscal waste, easily remedied by giving kids a soymilk option. We are excited to work with Reps. Troy Carter and Nancy Mace to deliver nutritional choice in the lunchroom.”
Background
The rates of lactose intolerance in BIPOC communities are startlingly high, with 65 percent of Latino students, 75 percent of Black students, and 90 percent of Asian students unable to digest dairy milk without detrimental effects. Many children may not make the connection between consumption of the product and their feelings of discomfort and even illness. Currently, children who suffer adverse reactions from cow’s milk must produce a doctor’s note if they choose not to accept traditional milk with their lunch, this is in part due to Congress’ onerous “milk note” requirement. This requirement is an issue of equity as it places an unfair burden squarely on minority children.
Lactose-intolerance causes a range of health effects, from stomach pains to severe bloating to gas and diarrhea to even exacerbated asthma symptoms. This makes learning more difficult for children. Additionally, A USDA report in 2019 calculated the value of unopened, discarded milk at $300 million annually.
The ADD SOY Act is endorsed by Animal Wellness Action.
Full bill text can be found here.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator and the U.S. Secretary of The Interior calling on industrial corporations or entities to certify that there are no burial grounds of the formerly enslaved on sites being considered for development when seeking a permit.
“In my home state of Louisiana, the legislature created the Louisiana Slavery Ancestral Burial Grounds Preservation Commission in 2017. This Commission protects the interests of the descendants of ancestors buried over a century ago,” Rep. Carter wrote. “This effort is not only significant to the formerly enslaved, it is important to all Americans. To truly embrace the American experience we must acknowledge our tragic past as part of our shared cultural identity.”
Many burial grounds and cemeteries of the formerly enslaved are unmarked graves, leaving little information on who these people were, how they lived, their interpersonal connections, and most importantly: their link to their current descendants. The discovery of these burial grounds is critical to help families trace back their roots and preserve these sacred spaces for future generations.
“History should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future. Our community deserves better, and our ancestors deserve peace,” he concluded.
Read the full letter here.
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NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) joined Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson and community leaders to celebrate funding for their Justice Reform Initiatives. Last Congress, Rep. Carter secured $3,907,000 for the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) through Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations funding. This money will be used to design internal job training and education programs, release protocols, and post-release procedures to minimize the disruption of being detained and smooth the reentry transition. OPSO will also use this money to upgrade and modernize its information technology and data system infrastructure.
“I’m so happy to present this funding to Sheriff Susan Hutson and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Hutson has been on top of this from the moment she took office. This money will allow OPSO to provide critical anti-recidivism, educational, and inmate welfare programming and update technology for efficiency and modernization. This will make deputies lives better through better working conditions and lead to better retention and recruitment of good officers,” said Rep. Carter.
“Thank you to Congressman Troy Carter for being a leader in Washington who values building safer communities and who sees the importance of investing into community projects that support our citizens—even those in our care and custody. We encourage our community partners to request consideration for a partnership with OPSO to help with the implementation of programs that can support making positive steps to support those in custody and those returning to their communities as we collectively work to improve our community overall,” said Sheriff Hutson.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will grant $26,300,000 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Louisiana’s drinking water. This investment will be made available through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program and will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is bringing critical investments in our water systems, roads, bridges, and broadband,” said Rep. Carter. “Too many Louisianians are being harmed by exposure to PFAS and other dangerous contaminants in their drinking water. The funding announced today will provide millions of dollars to strengthen our state’s water infrastructure while protecting people’s health and boosting local economies.”
Congressman Carter advocated and voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. EPA announced the funds as part of an allotment of $2 billion to states and territories that can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.
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NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) released the following statement after hearing of the passing of New Orleans icon Bob Tucker:
“While New Orleans has lost its beloved native son, I have lost a true friend, mentor, and confidant. Bob Tucker was a master architect in building the city we love. His service to the public over multiple administrations, including work in the offices of Mayors Moon Landrieu and Dutch Morial, was transformational. I am so blessed and grateful to have known this phenomenal man, a real Trailblazer and Leader,” said Rep. Carter.
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NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) announced that the Federal Aviation Administration will award New Orleans $8,000,000 for airport terminal development projects. This funding was made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which Congressman Carter supported.
Specifically, this money will be used for site preparation work and the construction of a road between the North Terminal and South Campus parking and rental car facilities. This project will enhance safety, reduce carbon emissions from idling, and connect the terminal to transit and passenger rail.
“I am proud to share that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is bringing home $8 million to improve our airport terminal at Louis Armstrong Airport,” said Rep. Carter. “This is just one of the many tangible benefits of this bill in Louisiana and I was proud to support it.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.), Second Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), introduced a bill to honor Dr. Norman C. Francis with a Congressional Gold Medal.
Over the course of his dynamic career, Dr. Norman Francis was a leader in the drive towards a more equal society, leading our nation during the Civil Rights Movement to break down barriers in Louisiana. He is the longest-serving President of Xavier University, Congressman Carter’s alma mater, and set the standard for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) excellence in higher education. In 2006 he was given our country’s highest award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his “deep intellect, compassion, and character.”
“Dr. Norman C. Francis is an educator, institution builder, and civil rights activist whose mission to advance education empowerment through social justice has changed the nation,” said Rep. Carter. “He has dedicated his life to advocating for marginalized communities and his work will have an everlasting impact on my life. I thank him for his service and would be proud to present him with the distinguished recognition of a Congressional Gold Medal.”
The Norman C. Francis Congressional Gold Medal Act is co-sponsored by 34 members of Congress, including Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04), Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-02), Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee (TX-18), Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), Rep. Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Rep. Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-06), Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Rep. Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12), Rep. Bennie Thompson (MI-02), Rep. Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Rep. Don Davis (NC-01), Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-07), Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07), Rep. Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MI-09), Rep. Donald Payne (NJ-10), Rep. Shontel Brown (OH-11), Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43), Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33), Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Rep. Barragán (CA-44), Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09), and Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05).
Full bill text can be found here.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) announced the introduction of a House Resolution recognizing and celebrating the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott. This event was the first large-scale boycott in the segregated south and made local headlines, inspiring civil rights leaders across the region.
“The Baton Rouge Bus Boycott was a catalyst of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Rep. Carter. “Though it’s not mentioned in our history books, the four-day boycott demonstrated that change was possible and served as a starting point for one of the most consequential social revolutions in history. I am proud to introduce a resolution which recognizes the historical significance of this event.”
The full text of the resolution is below.
Resolution Text:
Recognizing and celebrating the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott.
Whereas, in 1950, the Baton Rouge city council revoked the licenses of nearly 40 Black-owned bus services, which transported residents to and from Black neighborhoods, jobs, and businesses within the city;
Whereas the bus companies pledged to provide full and fair services to all riders, but the realities of segregation would make that pledge nearly impossible to keep;
Whereas racial segregation was a pervading and inherent part of life in the South, and the city buses in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were a microcosm of the segregated society of the South;
Whereas, in 1953, the Black residents of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, took a courageous first step and staged the Nation’s first large-scale bus boycott, challenging segregation;
Whereas, during this time, Black bus passengers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were required to sit in the rear of the bus, to give up seats to White passengers, and, after paying their fare at the front of the bus, to exit and reenter the bus through the back door;
Whereas, during this time, 70 percent of the Baton Rouge bus companies’ business came from Black passengers;
Whereas, during this time, Black residents in Baton Rouge knew that protesting their unequal treatment could cause them to become victims of economic boycotts, violence, or other forms of intentional misconduct;
Whereas Martha White and other Black bus passengers were told to get up on a crowded bus by a White bus driver;
Whereas every Black passenger on the bus that day stuck together and refused to get off the bus;
Whereas the police were called to arrest the Black bus passengers, causing a walk out and a 4-day strike on local bus services;
Whereas Black church and civic leaders from all over Baton Rouge came together to form the United Defense League, with Rev. T.J. Jemison as president;
Whereas the United Defense League decided that nobody was going to ride the bus the next morning, prompting Black residents across Baton Rouge to carpool with each other;
Whereas this action cost bus companies $1,600 a day with no Black passengers due to the boycott and ceased bus operations across the city;
Whereas the boycott’s success reached far beyond the Baton Rouge city limits and gave Black people across the Nation inspiration and hope, setting the tone for the civil rights movement;
Whereas the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott represents the first large-scale, extended effort by Black people to success- fully challenge discrimination and segregation; and
Whereas, in 1956, 3 years after the Baton Rouge bus strike, the Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation on buses:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) recognizes and celebrates the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, to pro- vide an opportunity for the people of the United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the Nation;
(2) recognizes the historical significance of this milestone of the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott;
(3) reaffirms its commitment that history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future; and
(4) expresses support for the Secretary of the Interior to explore how to provide appropriate markings to identify places associated with the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott.
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NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) was joined by U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell at the Andrew P. Sanchez Multi-Service Center to announce the conclusion of the Road Home program.
“Hurricane Katrina made landfall almost 18 years ago, devastating families and whole communities,” said Rep. Carter. “After the storm, most New Orleanians struggled to cobble together enough money to rebuild their lives. The Road Home Program was supposed to be a solution. It’s true - some folks spent the money they received outside of program guidelines. Most of the people who hadn’t followed the rules were lower income or senior citizens who did not have sufficient resources to either rehabilitate their homes or to elevate them.
“Then the lawsuits started. For many low-income homeowners, the suits meant possible financial ruin and fear that their homes would be taken away.
“Today, all that stops. I’ve worked hard to find a solution everyone can agree on with the goal of bringing relief to Louisiana families. There will be no further payments required from impacted homeowners. The State will take final actions to close the Road Home Program and will repay the amount associated with non-compliance. They will also ensure properties acquired through Road Home are made available for redevelopment, prioritizing affordable housing. This announcement gives peace of mind to those who did their best to follow the program rules.
“Today, the Road Home ends.”
Background
In response to damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Congress awarded $13.4 billion in 2006 and 2007 of CDBG-DR funds to the State to address its housing recovery needs.
The State established several programs to restore disaster-impacted housing and, including programs targeting homeowners, affordable rental housing, housing for people experiencing homelessness, and developer incentives.
The goal of the Road Home Program was to assist single-family homeowners.
Over 130,000 Louisiana residents received more than $9 billion of these funds through the State’s Road Home program, to incentive them to remain and rebuild and protect their homes and rental properties from future storm damage.
Homeowners who decided to reinvest in their damaged homes were eligible for the most generous levels of assistance.
Road Home remains the largest federally funded disaster recovery housing program in history.
In 2010, the HUD IG issued audits of Road Home which found significant issues with the program, and it cited homeowner noncompliance with the terms of their awards.
As a result, the State has embarked on a years-long effort to recapture funds from non-compliant homeowners and to recover funds paid to its contractor (ICF). This means that liens and repayment plans were placed on individuals and families, who needed funds to support repairs and many Louisiana residents believe they did not receive sufficient funding to repair their homes.
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NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) led the Louisiana delegation in a bipartisan effort to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3901 MacArthur Blvd, in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the “Dr. Rudy Lombard Post Office.”
Dr. Rudolph “Rudy” Lombard was born in the Algiers neighborhood in 1939 and is remembered as a New Orleans icon for his work as a Civil Rights Hero, educator, and lifelong community advocate. He grew up witnessing widespread discrimination against Black New Orleanians and his early life experience prompted him to become an activist. As a college student at Xavier University, Lombard famously led a sit-in at the McCroy’s Five & Dime store in protest of Jim Crow laws. Joining him in these protests were the “CORE Four,” Lanny Goldfincy, Cecil Carter, Jr., and Oretha Castle. Their case made its way to the Supreme Court in 1963 and, after review, their criminal mischief arrests were tossed out. This was one of several cases that became precedent for striking down segregation laws and practices.
“Decade after decade, Dr. Lombard took the lead in addressing inequities,” said Rep. Carter. “He saw a need and he addressed it, whether that was based on civil rights, economic and cultural empowerment, or public health. He was a man of action, a leader by example. Dr. Lombard was a standard-bearer and had an innate ability to create synergy around issues, build coalitions, and create movements. I am honored to lead this bipartisan initiative to cement his legacy.”
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NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – Tonight, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) will be named Grand Marshal for the Krewe of Alla.
The Krewe of ALLA is one of the oldest and most storied krewes in Carnival. Established in 1932 during the depths of the Great Depression in Algiers, La., ALLA will celebrate its 91st anniversary in 2023. The krewe, now co-ed, has called the Uptown New Orleans parade route home since 2014 and is known for bright floats, generous throws, and multiple bands and marching groups.
“I am honored to be named Grand Marshal for the Krewe of Alla. Mardi Gras is an exciting time in New Orleans and I want to personally thank my friends at Alla for bestowing this upon me. I am truthfully humbled. Laissez les bons temps rouler!” said Rep. Carter.
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