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Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. launched his first Congressional Art Competition open to high school students who live in Louisiana’s Second Congressional District.

Initiated by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, the event is a nationwide annual art competition that allows high school students from all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories to showcase their artistic ability. The winning piece of art from each Congressional district is displayed in an eleven-month exhibit in the Cannon tunnel that leads into the U.S. Capitol and will be featured on The House of Representatives Congressional Art Competition page. This year’s competition is titled “An Artistic Discovery.”

“Southeast Louisiana is a hub for art, creativity and culture,” said Congressman Carter. “This competition gives young artists an opportunity to share their work with a bigger audience. Contests like these are the way we build our next generation of culture bearers. I am thrilled to see the beautiful, insightful creations that young people in the Second Congressional District submit to this competition, and I hope the students are able to achieve some ‘artistic discovery’ of their own.”

To enter a piece, LA-02 high school artists must print and fill out the “Student Information and Release Form,” and securely attach it to the back of the artwork. The release form requires signatures from the student, parent/guardian (if a minor), and an art teacher. Then, drop off the piece at one of two drop-off sites.

If artists cannot drop the piece off at a drop off site between 9am-6pm Monday through Friday, please call the office to coordinate a drop-off time: (504) 288-3777.

All entries must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws. Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 28 inches by 28 inches, may be up to 4 inches in depth, and not weigh more than 15 pounds. Paintings, drawings, photography, and several other two-dimensional mediums are accepted. More details and forms are available on the Congressman’s website: Troycarter.house.gov/services/art-competition. The winning artwork must be framed before being sent to the Capitol.

NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – Following the last day of Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearings, Congressman Troy A. Carter wrote a letter to Louisiana Senator Kennedy, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urging his colleague to vote in support of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to be the next Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

“As U.S. Representative for Louisiana’s 2^nd Congressional District that accounts for a large percentage of your constituency, I write to strongly urge your support and a “yes” vote for the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States,” write Congressman Carter. “Judge Jackson is not only exceptionally well qualified, but thoughtful, capable, and conscientious. Her exemplary career clearly demonstrates that she will be an outstanding successor to retire Justice Stephen G. Breyer.”

The full text of the Congressman’s letter is here, and below.

Dear Senator Kennedy,

As U.S. Representative for Louisiana’s 2^nd Congressional District that accounts for a large percentage of your constituency, I write to strongly urge your support and a “yes” vote for the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge Jackson is not only exceptionally well qualified, but thoughtful, capable, and conscientious. Her exemplary career clearly demonstrates that she will be an outstanding successor to retire Justice Stephen G. Breyer.

As one of our nation’s brightest legal minds, Judge Jackson’s nomination is a triumph for Louisiana and the United States. The American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary gave the unanimous opinion that Judge Jackson is “Well Qualified” to serve on the United States Supreme Court. This is the highest rating that the committee awards and notes that the nominee is, “at the top of the legal profession in their community; possess outstanding legal ability; breadth of experience; the highest reputation for integrity, and demonstrates the capacity for sound judicial temperament.” These are the qualifications that a Supreme Court Justice should possess, and it is evident that Judge Jackson has them all. Her judicial record demonstrates that of a thorough and thoughtful jurist who is committed to fairness and justice. In short, Judge Jackson is more than qualified for this role.

I fervently support Judge Jackson’s swift nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. She has twice been unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate and I look forward to witnessing her expedient confirmation by the U.S. Senate once again.

On behalf of the Second Congressional District of Louisiana, I ask that you vote “yes” in support of her nomination.

Sincerely,

Troy A. Carter, Sr.

Member of Congress

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a total allocation of nearly $3 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to help communities recover from disasters, move back into permanent housing, and build inclusive resilience to climate change.

Louisiana is receiving the following allocation, totaling nearly $1.3 billion:

State of Louisiana is receiving $1,272,346,000.

Baton Rouge is receiving $4,648,000.

Lake Charles is receiving $10,776,000.

“Today’s announcement is yet another example of the federal government showing up for the people of Louisiana,” said Congressman Troy Carter. “This more than $1.27 billion infusion into our state will not only help communities rebuild and recover from Hurricane Ida and recent floods, but will help build long-term strength and resiliency in our systems. These funds, along with the Infrastructure Law, are historic investments for Louisiana. I am proud to have supported and voted for these efforts.”

With today’s allocations, HUD has now allocated the remaining funds of the $5 billion for CBDG disaster recovery funds appropriated from the disaster aid supplemental measure that the House passed on September 30^th, 2021. Congressman Carter was proud to vote in support of this  measure and bring home billions to Louisiana.

In February, Congressman Carter joined his delegation members in a letter calling for more federal disaster relief resources as well as the allocation of funds from the September disaster supplemental. Today’s announcement meets many of the letter’s requests.

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SUNSET, L.A. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. joined Vice President Kamala Harris, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, and local and state officials in Sunset, Louisiana to celebrate the announcement of federal investments in Louisiana’s broadband system and flood mitigation programs. He joined the Vice President and Deputy Secretary in their flight to Acadiana on Air Force Two.

The first major announcement of the day was the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) award of $29.9 million to expand broadband in the Acadiana region, including Acadia Parish, Evangeline Parish, and St. Landry Parish. The award will be used to fund the Acadiana Regional Public/Private Partnership project, which will fund last-mile broadband deployment to the Acadiana region of Louisiana and serve 22,196 households. These awards serve as a down payment on the Louisiana’s broadband future and will pave the way for at least $100 million in investments to the state to expand broadband thanks to the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“Today I was proud to welcome the Vice President and Deputy Commerce Secretary Graves to Louisiana,” said Congressman Carter. “We heard directly from residents about the challenges they face due to lack of access to affordable, high-speed broadband and delivered a vision of a brighter future. Thanks to the President’s Infrastructure Law, which I was proud to support, we are now one step closer to bridging the digital chasm that has held back parts of Louisiana for far too long. Thanks to this $29 million award and the anticipated total $100 million coming our way, we will ensure Louisianians, wherever they live, can better advance their pursuits through reliable access the internet.”

Today, Vice President Harris also announced a new federal grant initiative that will help four states affected by Hurricane Ida, one of the most intense storms to hit the United States in recent years, build resiliency against flooding.

The new $60 million Swift Current initiative, made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allocates $40 million to Louisiana. This funding will equitably expedite mitigation grants to disaster survivors with repetitively flooded homes. This is the first FEMA initiative funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strengthen national preparedness and resilience.

Congressman Carter was one of just two members of the Louisiana congressional delegation to vote in support of the Infrastructure Law and was the only member of the delegation to attend today’s event with the Vice President.

“These investments show the federal government’s commitment to helping communities in Louisiana impacted by flooding get back on their feet,” said Congressman Carter. “We need to build resilience within communities, and these Swift Current grants put money in the hands of homeowners to do exactly that. We must reduce the financial burden facing families struggling to rebuild after a storm, and the next step is to address the rising cost of flood insurance facing many Louisianians.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $3.5 billion in Flood Mitigation Assistance grants over five years. As part of the $3.5 billion, the Swift Current program will help communities reduce flood damage by offering more equitable access to mitigation grants for projects such as eligible projects include property acquisition and demolition, elevation, and relocation. This program includes increased federal cost shares which can allow participation from communities that often face barriers to meeting their non-federal match.

Louisiana and three other states were selected because they hold the highest number of unmitigated severe repetitive loss and repetitive loss properties insured under the National Flood Insurance Program, as well as total flood insurance claims within their respective FEMA regions.

The $60 million in Swift Current funding will distribute $40 million to Louisiana, $5 million to Mississippi, $10 million to New Jersey, and $5 million to Pennsylvania.

To be eligible, buildings must be insured through the National Flood Insurance Program for FEMA to consider them for this funding opportunity.

The initiative promotes equity in line with the Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, as the Swift Current funding opportunity aims to prioritize help by providing at least 40% of the benefits to disadvantaged communities.

The application process for federal grants can be burdensome for socially vulnerable communities. FEMA reduced grant application complexities by developing pre-calculated benefits to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of eligible mitigation projects. This enables communities with limited access to resources to apply for these grants, along with the savings from the increased federal cost-share match.

The application period opens on April 1 and closes Oct. 3. The Notice of Funding Opportunity is available on Grants.gov, and all applications must be submitted in the Mitigation eGrants system, by 12:00pm ET on Oct. 3, 2022.

For more information, interested parties should contact their state’s hazard mitigation officer.

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General Merrick Garland during the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) regional symposium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Congressman used the conversation to push for further policies and actions to promote greater justice and policing, as well as to highlight the tragedy, failure, and coverup in the case of the 2019 death of Ronald Greene.

The Congressman issued the following statement:

“In speaking with Attorney General Merrick Garland today I reiterated how critical it is that our nation move forward to advance federal policies that promote greater justice in policing and prevent further police misconduct. One especially tragic and disturbing example of this happened in Louisiana in 2019 with the death and consequent coverup of Ronald Greene in the custody of State Police.

“Along with humanizing the story of Mr. Greene, I raised the issue to the Attorney General to reiterate my request that the Justice Department launch a patterns or practice investigation into the Louisiana State Police and hold bad actors accountable.”

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