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WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. introduced the Necessary Entrepreneurship Workshops via the SBA to Transform and Assist Re-Entry Training Act of 2021, or the NEW START Act of 2021. This legislation would expand entrepreneurship opportunities for the formerly incarcerated to reduce recidivism and provide economic stability as they rejoin the economy.
An estimated 60 percent of formerly incarcerated individuals are still unemployed a year after their release, and as a group they experience an unemployment rate higher than total unemployment during the Great Depression. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, maintaining stable employment after release lowers the likelihood that individuals will return to prison, promoting public safety and saving public dollars.
“The formerly incarcerated already face significant barriers to re-entering the workforce and can feel utterly locked out of the labor market,” said Congressman Carter. “Especially as our economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to jump at the chance to help get people back to work and back on their feet. Entrepreneurship should be one of the tools that returning citizens have access to as they re-enter society. Support in starting a business can help people overcome barriers and may dramatically lower recidivism rates. The NEW START Act of 2021 is a path forward for people to rejoin the greater community and for our nation to achieve a more equitable economic recovery.”
Specifically, the NEW START Act of 2021:
- Establishes a five-year pilot reentry program within the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide entrepreneurial development training to formerly incarcerated individuals.
- Requires the SBA Administrator to award annual grants over a five-year period to at least six geographically diverse organizations or partnerships of organizations, to deliver business counseling to formerly incarcerated individuals.
- The organizations must demonstrate ties with the business and returning citizen communities.
- In addition, organizations are required to partner with lenders in the existing SBA Microloan Program who will provide microloans (up to $50,000) to qualifying participants. This program is not intended to supplant or take away from the traditional Microloan Program and the SBA does not guarantee microloans.
- Requires several reports on the effectiveness, overall performance, and impact of the program on grant recipients.
This legislation mirrors the 2019 Senate bill from Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee.
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BATON ROUGE, L.A. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. concluded the first installment of his districtwide ‘Building a Better Louisiana Infrastructure Tour’ celebrating the real-life impact that investments from the Infrastructure Law will bring to Louisiana’s Second Congressional District.
During his four events, he highlighted $41.6 million for the IWGO Green Bridge in New Orleans East, $30 million for the Gramercy Veterans Memorial Bridge connecting St. James and St. John the Baptist Parish, $108 billion for public transportation investments nationwide, up to $102 billion for passenger rail projects nationwide, and $110 million in annual funding for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) through 2025. At these events he was joined by dozens of public officials from the state and local level.
Based on data from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, there are at least 10 bridges and 41 roadway improvement projects in the Second Congressional district that without funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, would not have been sure to have been slated for action in Fiscal Year 2022. These projects represent a total investment of at least $335.5 million in Congressman’s Carter congressional district just for road and bridge projects that are scheduled for letting dates next year. In all, Louisiana can expect at least $7 billion in investments from the Infrastructure Law.
In 2022 Congressman Carter will continue his announcements and celebrations of projects that Infrastructure Law will bring to life in Louisiana’s Second Congressional District. Photos from the first leg of the tour are available here. Videos of the press conferences from each event are available upon request.
In Baton Rouge today, Congressman Carter emphasized the benefits that the bipartisan Infrastructure Law will bring to Louisiana’s minority business community and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).
“By passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, President Biden and Congress are recognizing the role minority-owned businesses play in building a stronger and more equitable economy, and investing in their long-term success,” said Congressman Carter. “We need economic development that lifts all boats, and that’s why the Infrastructure Law makes the MBDA a permanent part of the Department of Commerce and more than doubles its previous yearly budget. This long-term investment will allow the agency to expand, innovate, create partnerships and reach more people.
“But the Infrastructure Law doesn’t stop there,” the Congressman continued. “Historically, minority-owned businesses have been systemically excluded from securing lucrative contracts for infrastructure work. The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act also includes provisions to give our minority-owned and local businesses an opportunity to participate in the rebuilding of their communities.”
At this event, the Congressman was joined by Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, Louisiana MBDA Business Center Director Charletta Fortson, State Senator Regina Barrow, State Representative Edmund Jordan, State Representative C. Denise Marcelle, State Representative Barbara Carpenter, Councilwoman Chauna Banks, Southern University Chancellor John Pierre, Louisiana MBDA Center staff, and Louisiana MBDA Center clients.
Federal agency officials also weighed in on the significance of the Infrastructure Law’s investments in the nation’s minority-owned businesses.
“I want to thank Representative Carter for his hard work passing the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “For too long, we’ve neglected investments in critical areas that directly impact American workers, American businesses, and American families. One historic achievement in this bill is the codification of the Minority Business Development Agency at the Department of Commerce, which is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the economic development of minority businesses. This historic provision establishes MBDA as a vital resource to minority businesses and the nonprofits that serve them—assisting in their formation, access to capital, and growth. America’s road to economic recovery runs through minority businesses, and our country will never fully recover without them. Thanks to Representative Carter’s tireless effort, Louisiana’s minority businesses have a full partner in MBDA.”
“I am glad that Congressman Troy Carter is highlighting these important provisions within the bipartisan Infrastructure Law and their positive impacts on the people and businesses of southeast Louisiana,” said Miguel Estien, MBDA’s Acting National Director. “This law elevates the status of the Minority Business Development Agency, making it permanent. This is a very, very exciting time for MBDA and all minority businesses. Let me put the importance of this legislation in perspective. Empowered with permanent Agency status, the MBDA will have a substantial enhancement of delivery capabilities with respect to every service we provide.
Director Estien continued, “The law assigns an Under Secretary for the Agency, a mandate to launch Rural Business Centers, the authority to serve as the point agency within the federal government in matters concerning minority businesses – and a host of other consequential changes in the structure of MBDA. These monumental changes at MBDA will in turn open more doors, shatter glass walls and ceilings . . . and properly position the MBDA to play a major role in leveling the business playing field.”
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NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – On Thursday and Friday this week, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. joined U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona during his visit to Baton Rouge and New Orleans. A series of school events with the Secretary included student conversations, parent conversations, and tours at Wilcox Academy of Early Learning in New Orleans and McKinley Middle Magnet School and Glen Oaks High School in Baton Rouge.
Following the conclusion of Secretary Cardona’s visit to Louisiana’s Second Congressional District, Congressman Carter released the following statement:
“I am extremely appreciative to have had cabinet member and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in southeast Louisiana these past two days to speak with educators, our young people and their families.
“The visit brought up important issues facing our students and educators like learning loss, mental health, virtual learning, after-school activities, and community partnerships in schools. More than a year and a half into the pandemic, it’s clear we need targeted efforts to help students catch up academically, rebuild emotionally, and stay safe as COVID-19 continues to persist in our communities.
“During these school visits, the Secretary and I received a lot of feedback and ideas on how to rebuild our education system to be stronger and more inclusive than it was pre-pandemic. The Secretary will be reporting back on the takeaways from this visit to President Biden and I will use this experience to guide my decision-making as I craft education policy.
“One legislative effort that will positively transform the landscape of our education system is the Build Back Better Act, which among other programs includes the largest investment in early childhood education in our nation’s history. We know that when we invest in high-quality early education, it helps them graduate high school, seek further education, and find successful careers.
“I was proud to vote in support of the Build Back Better Act last month when the legislation passed the House. Now, the Senate must take up this groundbreaking legislation and help build a brighter future for America’s children, seniors, and working families.”
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The Paris Road Bridge that connects New Orleans East to St. Bernard Parish will get a $41.6 million facelift under President Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter said Wednesday.
The bridge, often called the "Green Bridge" for the many years it was painted green, will be cleaned, structurally repaired, and painted green once again, said Carter, D-New Orleans, at a press conference to announce the project.
The repairs are under design, and the project will to go to bid in April. It is just one of the many bridges, roads, and highways that are being funded under Louisiana's $7 billion share of the infrastructure law.
"The East deserves investment, and I'm determined to see that it gets here," Carter said during a press conference Wednesday kicking off a district tour of sites in line for funding. "Thanks to the infrastructure law, we can start with the Green Bridge."
Biden signed into law last month the nation's largest investment in its infrastructure in more than a decade, money aimed at repairing shoddy roads and bridges, modernizing public transit, and updating ports, airports and railways, among other priorities.
Biden then tapped former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to oversee that plan's implementation, a move widely seen as a win for Louisiana and New Orleans.
In Louisiana, $4.8 billion of the money will go to highways. Another $1 billion will go to bridges, and another $470 million will help improve public transit, state officials have said.
Airports will receive $179 million; the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner will get over $15 million of that total, Carter said. Another $73 million will be used to build infrastructure for electric vehicles, while $20 million will help build more climate-ready transportation systems.
The so-called Green Bridge, which stretches over the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet to connect Chalmette to New Orleans East, is an important evacuation route during hurricanes, Carter said.
Its repair is also critical given its proximity to major job anchors like the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, the U.S. Coast Guard base, and GE and Blade Dynamics, added City Council President Helena Moreno, who joined Carter Wednesday.
"Infrastructure is a vital component to creating a region — including New Orleans East — with a thriving economy and an excellent quality of life where everyone can get ahead," Moreno said.
Carter said the bridge is his first stop on his tour that will see him announce various infrastructure investments across the 2nd Congressional District, which covers almost all of New Orleans and stretches north and west along the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge.
His next stop is Thursday in Grammercy, where he will announce tens of millions of dollars in repairs for the Veterans Memorial Bridge, he said.
Second Congressional District Congressman Troy Carter begins a tour today, visiting cities in his district and explaining how the $7- billion in Infrastructure funds Louisiana will receive will improve structures in his district. First up on his “Building A Better Louisiana Infrastructure Tour” a stop in New Orleans East at the Green Bridge which he said is so desperately in need of repairs.
“We’re going to have some $43-million attached to that project and to the largest one that’s going to give us the opportunity to make some badly needed repairs,” said Carter.
On Thursday Carter said he will visit the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Gramercy and highlight the need for repairs for that bridge in St. James Parish. On Friday Carter will be in Baton Rouge to address proposed transit and rail funding projects for the state.
On Monday Carter will visit Southern University in Baton Rouge and discuss how infrastructure funds can assist minority-owned businesses.
“So, we’ll be working with the Department of Commerce at the Louisiana Minority Business Agency Center at Southern University Law’s Center to talk about how we create equity among small emerging African American businesses,” said Carter.
The $1.2 trillion dollar bill was signed a month ago today by President Biden. Carter said with guaranteed funding coming to the state, long-overdue projects like the New Orleans Water and Sewer System can now get off the ground.
“Many of these projects are being frontloaded because there are projects and money that’s been in the pipeline that could not be accessed for the work. Now because we know that money’s coming, we’re able to push those projects forward,” said Carter.
Carter was the only member of the Louisiana delegation in the House of Representatives to support the bill.
NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. issued the following statement condemning the actions of Lafayette City Court Judge Michelle Odinet and calling for her resignation.
“I am absolutely disgusted after watching the video taken in Lafayette City Court Judge Michelle Odinet’s home. It is unacceptable for anyone, regardless of the circumstances, to use racial slurs.
To add insult to injury, Judge Odinet only offered excuses for the actions she allowed in the place of an apology.
In her statement, Judge Odinet did not once apologize for the greatly offensive language she allowed in the comfort of her home.
This video shows Judge Odinet’s true character, and exactly who she is when she thinks no one is watching
As an influential member of our judicial system, the balance of many in our communities’ lives are in Judge Odinet’s hands.
I have zero confidence in her ability to act without racial bias or to treat everyone, especially members of the Black community, that appear in her court room equally and fairly.
I join my fellow Louisiana colleagues in calling for her immediate resignation and request that the Louisiana Judiciary Committee immediately appoint an ad hoc judge to hear cases in her division, investigate this incident, inquire into if racial bias is apparent in her previous rulings, and ultimately remover her if she does not resign.”
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NEW ORLEANS, L.A. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. announced he will launch a tour across Louisiana’s Second Congressional District to announce upcoming projects that will receive funding thanks to the recently passed $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Thanks to this bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Louisiana will get at least $7 billion in investments in roads, bridges, transit, rail, flood protection, water management, economic development, broadband deployment, and more. As funds are prepared for distribution, Congressman Carter is beginning this district-wide tour to share the wide-ranging and impactful ways that the people of Louisiana’s Second Congressional District stand to benefit from this legislation.
“The building blocks of our nation have been falling into disrepair for far too long, but thanks to the funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Louisiana is about to see tangible investments in our state,” said Congressman Carter. “I will be travelling across Louisiana’s Second Congressional District to share the multitude of ways that the Infrastructure Law will improve daily life, create thousands of good-paying jobs and will finally invest in the systems we need to remain competitive and successful in a global economy. The American people need a strong foundation to stand on, and Congress has delivered.”
Congressman Troy Carter was the only member of the Louisiana Delegation in the House of Representatives to vote in support of this transformational bill.
The Congressman’s districtwide “Building a Better Louisiana Infrastructure Tour” will begin on Wednesday and will include events in New Orleans East, Gramercy, and Baton Rouge. State and local officials will also be in attendance.
All events are open to the press. Logistics and details can be provided to media upon RSVP to Communications Director, Zoe Bluffstone: z.bluffstone@mail.house.gov.
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A recent increase in the Pell Grant awarded to low-income college students who need financial help paying for their tuition or other educational needs will not be going to the nearly one million students who choose career and proprietary schools.
That’s because the Build Back Better bill that passed the House in late November, by a vote of 220-213, mostly along party lines, has a one-line provision tucked away on page 76 of the 2,135-page bill that excludes underserved college students who choose career or proprietary colleges for their academic studies from the $550 increase in Pell benefits.
“We need to do more to bring accountability to all sectors of higher education; however, punishing students does not accomplish that objective. Any accountability rules should be focused on institutions, not students,” said a letter signed by 13 Democrats encouraging a change in the bill that would allow the additional students to receive the increase. “Financial aid professionals agree this is not the right policy approach.”
The Pell Grant program, which dates back a half-century, has been among the strongest support to expanding access for low-income students, which largely include African Americans and other students of color. Some go as far as describing the Pell Grants as the “Cornerstone of African-American Higher Education.” More than 6 million low-income undergraduate students receive Pell Grants every year.
This new proposal, if left in by the Senate, which is now negotiating the bill, puts the legacy of Pell Grants at risk. Moreover, it appears contrary to the principles of the Build Back Better bill to support low-income people who may seek the less costly and convenient career colleges. A White House description of the bill says it aims to “expand access to affordable, high-quality education beyond high school.”
The following are more details of how the legislation would impact students and states:
• Some states are big losers with this new provision. Statistical data from the Department of Education confirms that many states are disproportionately harmed by the proposal, including West Virginia and Arizona. For example with 120,000 Arizona students choosing proprietary colleges for their schooling every year, the state is going to lose approximately $66 million each year.
• The House proposal will exclude a significant number of low-income and students of color. The Pell Grant program is particularly important for Black students, as roughly 58 percent of African-American, 47 percent of Hispanic students receive Pell grants. Approximately 70 percent of all Pell Grant funding goes to students whose family income is below $30,000, and 95 percent goes to students with family incomes below $60,000.
• While Congress excludes these career college students, Congressional staff continue to receive generous college debt repayment benefits. Both the House and Senate offer very generous college repayment programs. Recently, Congress capped the tuition assistance program at $60,000 for House staff members and $40,000, for Senate staff over their Capitol Hill career. With House staff receiving up to $10,000 a year in college tuition repayment, the annual benefit can be larger than what Pell Grant recipients receive.
The controversy over the Pell Grant is slowing growing into yet another fight on Capitol Hill as for-profit colleges discover the omission.
Democrats “clearly hoped they would be able to slip this in and nobody would notice, and the process would move so quickly that nothing could be done about it. Of course that hasn’t been the case,” Politico quotes Jason Altmire, a former Democratic congressman who is now president and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities, the main trade association for career colleges. Altmire indicated that he believes the move could also dissuade students from going to for-profit schools necessary for their careers.
Thirteen House Democrats had sent a letter to Democratic leaders urging them to rescind the proposal and make for-profit college students eligible for the Pell increase.
The letter states, “The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators also opposes this proposal and believes it would add an unprecedented and overly complicated administrative burden for schools and students. Congress has never passed legislation creating this type of distinction in the Pell Grant program. We urge you not to break from that bipartisan tradition and hope you will ensure that all low-income students are eligible for the expanded Pell Grant.”
The 13 lawmakers who signed on the letter, led by Reps. Al Lawson (D-Fla.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), include Reps. Anthony G. Brown (D-Md.); Jim Costa (D-Calif.); Ted Deutch (D-Fla.); Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.); Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-La.), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Tom O’Halloran (D-Ariz.), Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.).
One of the biggest issues we've faced in 2021 is the shipping crisis. At the heart of this problem is the lack of manpower needed to efficiently run the system that gets goods from where they're made to where we need them to be. Whether that's directly to your door via a service like UPS, or to your local store for you to purchase - it all depends on the American trucker.
Louisiana's Trucker Shortage is a Big Part of Our Shipping Crisis
According to Trucking.org, a national shortage of 18-wheeler operators and extremely high turnover rates at the nation's largest trucking companies has made this crisis even more dire. When you add in the increased demand for big-rig drivers to handle the sharp rise in goods that need to be delivered thanks to the holidays, it becomes clear that something needs to be done.
Right Now in Louisiana, You Must Be 21 or Older to Drive a Big-Rig - But That Might Change
Currently, you must be 21-years old or older to get the license necessary to legally drive an 18-wheeler in our state. The latest news from Business Report is that a group of Louisiana legislators want to drop that age requirement to 18. With trucking companies across the country struggling to hire and retain young drivers, the hope is that this move will bring a flood of eager new drivers to an industry struggling to keep Louisiana (and America's) vital supply chain from crumbling in the face of immense demand.
Just Changing The Legal Age to Drive 18-Wheelers in Louisiana Isn't Enough
Louisiana lawmakers like Congressman Troy Carter and Congressman Garret Graves are currently working on a plan to put all of the pieces in place to make moving the required age from 21 to 18-years old a viable plan. Insurance to cover younger drivers will be a difficult negotiation as most companies that provide coverage for the larger shippers require a few years experience from drivers before they will consider them. Trade schools will also need to recruit younger students wanting to learn the rules of the road. Reportedly, those talks are happening now - but results on this move shouldn't be expected before the holidays.