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NEW ORLEANS —

Congressman Troy Carter and Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise joined forces for a public service announcement promoting vaccines.

Both Carter and Scalise are vaccinated, and encouraged others to get their shots to fight the fourth surge of COVID-19 happening in Louisiana.

You can view the video here.

The PSA comes after Louisiana shattered its single-day death record, recording 139 deaths in a day.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana families who receive food stamps will see their benefits increase by an average of $36 per person each month starting in October after President Joe Biden's administration approved a permanent increase in the levels of food aid available to needy families.

Average benefits for food stamps — officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — will rise significantly above pre-pandemic levels, the largest single increase in the program's history.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, a Democrat whose New Orleans-based district has some of the highest numbers of food stamp recipients across the country, told The Advocate that the food stamp boost is "a gamechanger in the battle against hunger and poverty."

"The pandemic has made a bad situation even worse, and these expanded SNAP benefits show a long overdue realignment that more accurately reflects the cost of groceries and will help more working families get healthy food on the table," Carter told the newspaper.

The benefit rates had been previously adjusted for inflation, but the federal government now is adjusting the base formula.

The U.S. Farm Bill approved by Congress in 2018 directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update the plan. Biden issued an executive order on Jan. 22 ordering the department to complete the work. The change will increase the $60 billion federal budget for food stamps by about $20 billion.

Nearly 849,000 people in Louisiana — about 1 in 5 state residents — receive food stamps. 

They are currently receiving about 15% more in benefits than before the coronavirus outbreak. But that extra money expires in September. The new USDA rules will amount to about 23% more than what was paid before the pandemic began when the changes start Oct. 1, The Advocate reports.

Beginning in October, a Louisiana family of four with a household income of $2,871 per month – about $34,500 per year – the monthly food stamp allotment will rise from $680 to $835 per month, according to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. 

The extra money allows families to buy more expensive fresh vegetables and fruits rather than rely on cheaper processed foods, said Danny Mintz, of the Louisiana Budget Project, a left-leaning organization that advocates for low- and moderate-income people.

"I think of this as less of an expansion and more of the USDA getting closer to adequate amount for households to buy more nutritious meals," Mintz said.

Haldane discusses infrastructure packages, voting rights and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with Congressman Troy Carter. Carter highlights the importance of celebrating every success, no matter how big or small. The congressman shared that the majority of Congress believe that these issues should be the main focus of our government and should be addressed carefully. Carter has detailed his frustrations and sadness about the ongoing pandemic and encourages everyone to get out and get vaccinated.

In prepared remarks before the Bureau of Governmental Relations (BGR) yesterday, Congressman Troy Carter highlighted federal assistance programs that are helping Louisiana’s businesses and residents while also urging more cross-the-aisle friendships in Washington.   

Infrastructure

“The bipartisan infrastructure package is a proud example of how we can work together and show that bipartisanship is not a bad word. This strong show of bipartisanship is a departure from political games and displays a renewed focus on delivery for the American people,” said Carter. It’s long past time for a game-changing investment in our nation’s infrastructure. “I hope my Republican colleagues in the House, especially my neighbors here in Louisiana, will put aside partisanship and vote for this powerful investment in making Louisiana work, like we saw Senator Cassidy do.” 

Carter called President Biden’s robust, hard-fought infrastructure plan a “win-win for America.” While we improve daily life for Americans, tens of thousands of good-paying jobs can be created, while supporting American industry.

In Louisiana there are 1,534 bridges over 3,411 miles of highways in poor condition. Since 2011, commute times have increased by 9.3% in Louisiana and on average, each driver pays $667 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. “We can and must do better,” Carter exclaimed.

Still pending in Congress, the infrastructure package is expected to bring:

$4.8 Billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $1.013 Billion for bridge replacement and repairs over 5 years.

$470 Million over five years to improve public transportation options.

$3.5 Billion that will go toward flood mitigation and $109 million for Louisiana Corps of Engineers’ federal projects to dredge and repair damages caused by Hurricane Laura, Delta and Zeta.

$100 Million to help provide broadband coverage across the state, including providing access to the at least 470,000 Louisianans who currently lack it.

37.2% of people in Louisiana will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low income families afford internet access. 

$580 Million over five years to improve water infrastructure across the state and ensure that clean, safe drinking water is right in all communities. “This bucket of funding will allow us to make upgrades to the aging S&WB facilities in our region. President Biden came to NO to highlight these old systems as just the type of problem this bill aims to solve,” Carter explained.

While some funding for things like sewage and drainage will be put in the state’s revolving fund later this year, other funds for bridges or roads are likely a few years off from allocation. The time frame will depend on permitting and planning for those projects.

“Infrastructure cannot be the end point of the conversation about rebuilding our economy. We can, and we must think big. These trying times demand it. Too many people fall through the cracks, that aren’t in our sidewalks, but are in our social safety nets,” Carter continued.

The budget resolution is the first step toward life-changing programs like free community college, continuation of the expanded Child Tax Credit, expanded Medicare to include dental and vision coverage, and much more.

Housing

Congress also authorized over $46 Billion in funds to local and state governments to help people stay in their homes, through both rental, mortgage and small landlord assistance funds.

Carter said he was “concerned” there have been difficulties in rolling out those funds to the public efficiently and effectively. As of July 30th, the State of Louisiana’s US Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Program has disbursed approximately $18 million in rental and utilities assistance.

“This has had an important impact on over 3,500 tenants. And yet, this is just a fraction of the Louisianans who need help,” said Carter. This issue came to a head last month when the CDD’s nationwide eviction ended, leaving an estimated 6 Million households nationwide at risk of eviction.

“We are still in the midst of a deadly pandemic and millions of Americans are unvaccinated and vulnerable. Thankfully, President Biden took action to extend the eviction moratoriums, supposedly for the final time, to ensure the public health and safety of millions of families.”

It is not a permanent solution, he explained, but it will allow state and local communities time to distribute Congress allocated funds to renters, landlords and homeowners in need.

Carter has written a letter to Governor Edwards requesting he implement a statewide moratorium in Louisiana, stressing the seriousness of this crisis and urgently asking him to allocate their available funds. “We don’t always have the money we need, In this case we do. We just need to get the word out and cut through the red tape for our community. I promise to keep working on this issue, and to be a federal partner to the state in getting these funds out,” said Carter.

Small Business

“Some may argue that apart from jazz, small businesses are the backbone amid the heart and soul of our economy. Unfortunately many of our favorites have been hit hard by the pandemic. Luckily federal programs provided help,” he continued.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) included $50 Billion in funding to help American small businesses survive this tumultuous time. “The pandemic has shown us just how valuable small businesses are to our nation’s economy,” said Carter. Through the ARP the federal government has provided $1.25 billion for the SBA Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program $15 Billion for the Targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance Program and Billions more to the Paycheck Protection Program which was increased from $806.4 Billion to $813.7 Billion.

Carter believes that increased funding to those essential programs has been critical to helping small businesses recover from the pandemic and helping them build back better. “As a member of the Small Business Committee, I will always support efforts to improve these important programs and get relief to all business owners, from the smallest of small businesses to those operated in under-served communities.”

There are definitely ways that these relief processes can be improved, including technologically.

Additionally, Carter is focused on bringing more equity into the process, both in terms of racial equity and for smaller, locally-owned businesses. “We saw this issue right here in New Orleans.”

Carter also wanted to weigh in on one longtime piece of the country’s social safety net that has recently gotten stronger. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week that benefit amounts for the program formerly known as food stamps will rise an average of 25 percent above pre-pandemic levels. Average monthly benefits, which were $121 per person before the pandemic, will rise by $36 under the new rules. 

“Thirty-six dollars might not seem like a lot to some of us, but for many families an extra $36 in food is a lifeline. This investment in SNAP is a game-changer in the battle against hunger and poverty for my district, which will receive the biggest share of these funds of all the congressional districts in Louisiana. These expanded SNAP benefits are a long overdue realignment to reflect the true costs of groceries and will help more working families get healthy food on the table. That’s really a good thing,” he explained.

One other way that Carter is working to help make ends meet for Louisianians is through student loan debt forgiveness. “It is so important to me that I actually made it the subject of my first bill that I introduced in Congress.” Carter’s bill would forgive up to $50,000 in federal student loans for any and all federal borrowers. 

“It’s Congress’ job to improve the lives of the American people. While some tragedies are out of our hands during this public health crisis, we can and should take action wherever we can. Easing the enormous burden of student loans for the millions of Americans, young and old, saddled with debt is one of my highest priorities in Congress,” he committed. 

The U.S. forgives loans all the time – to foreign countries, to financial institutions, to states and territories during a disaster. “If Americans were carrying less student debt, more Americans would be able to purchase a home, start a business and spend extra money in the local economy. When you think about it like that, forgiving student loans can be their own kind of stimulus!”

This legislation follows President’s Biden’s extension of the student loan payment moratorium until January 21, 2022 from September 30, 2021. While this extension provides a much-needed cushion for those crushed by student loan debt, this bill offers permanent forgiveness for all current federal borrowers.

The youngest of six children, Carter was raised by a single mother who taught him the value of education firsthand. “Education is a lifelong endeavor, key to growing and evolving. Pursuing a dream should not put a shadow over the future. It’s time to end student loan debt to ensure that all have the opportunity to succeed,” he stressed.

Though Carter has served in the U.S. House of Representatives less than 100 days, he was quick to compare his tenure to almost drinking from a firehose. “This experience is truly more than I ever could have imagined. My job as your representative is to listen and bring your voice back to Washington. That’s what I’m proud to do every day.”

Carter has succeeded in being a well-respected policymaker and public servant in nearly every level of government for the last three decades. “It’s been an honor and a privilege,” he proclaimed. Carter urged participants to “stay in touch” through social media, the telephone, newsletters or his website, Troycarter.house.gov    

In wide-ranging, almost hour-long remarks on Wednesday (Aug. 18), U.S. Rep. Troy Carter — who has yet to serve 100 days in office — touched on issues from the pandemic to the American Rescue Plan Act, the Child Tax Credit and support for small businesses. Throughout the Zoom speech to the Bureau of Governmental Research, he emphasized that common sense solutions can make a real difference. 

“I want to be that bridge of reasonableness,” the New Orleans Democrat told the BGR. “When you’re building relationships, it’s policy over politics, people over politics.” 

Carter said that Louisiana does not have the luxury of divisiveness. “We need to concentrate on things that bring us together — education, infrastructure, health care, safety, flooding. These issues aren’t political, they aren’t partisan. We are one Louisiana, one America — and have to act that way. I wake up every day with that effort in mind.”

Addressing the pandemic, he said he is willing to fight for more federal resources such as the disaster strike teams, like those deployed after a hurricane, that are now helping at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge. 

“We’ve all felt the fear, uncertainty, disappointment, exhaustion and, tragically, grief that this virus has brought to our community. Now we face yet another difficult wave of cases here in Louisiana, in large part due to the delta variant and our low statewide vaccination rate,” he said. Louisiana has the fourth-lowest vaccination rate per capita in the entire country, Carter noted.

“And now our beloved state is setting records in the worst possible way,” he continued. “Hospital beds are full. Health care workers are exhausted. Neighborhoods, kids and the elderly are dying. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to this tragedy.”

Carter said there is one significant difference between last spring and now — the tools needed to save lives. “Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic. Every shot in an arm is a step towards a future that is not constrained by this virus. And for those who can’t get vaccinated, or who aren’t yet, masking up is the best way not just to protect your neighbors, but to protect yourself and your families from this deadly virus,” he said. “Vaccines, masks and physical distancing aren’t attacks on our freedom. They should be our north star. They are the precious tools we have to keep each other safe.”

Carter said he believes that, throughout these difficult times, there have been many instances of the community coming together to help one another —  from food drives to celebrations of our brave health care workers.

He has seen that same feeling of community in Congress, too, especially with the passage of the American Rescue Plan, which he called a “transformative infusion of funds into the national recovery during this unexpected, and unprecedented, moment.” Carter felt “saddened” that this extraordinary moment didn’t spur his colleagues and friends on the other side of the aisle to “bridge partisan lines for the sake of the people” and vote in favor of the American Rescue Plan.  

“This legislation has been a lifeline for so many Americans. I’m glad to be in Congress to support its implementation. In a time of uncertainty, the American Rescue Plan provided some valuable aspects of certainty,” Carter said. 

Carter called the ARP’s Child Tax Credit “the most important initiative to end child poverty since the 1960s.” Every family with kids under the age of 18 receives $250 to $300 a month per child, no strings attached. 

Carter said he has been hosting town halls to help get the word out about this program and had another telephone town hall on this topic Tuesday night. A constituent said on the call that she plans to spend the funds on school supplies and school uniforms and was used to sacrificing to get what her children needed. 

“Hardworking Americans should not have to sacrifice to buy school supplies. That’s not the way things should be. The Child Tax Credit will help. Black, White, Republican, Democrat — it’s an American thing, not a party thing. It’s a Louisiana thing, not a political thing,” he proclaimed.

Carter’s Second Congressional District begins in New Orleans and wends its way along the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge.  A stunning 90.2% of children in his district will gain from the expanded and improved Child Tax Credit — 162,000 children. The average annual benefit for 44,600 households is $3,200. Families with children in poverty will receive $5,100 on average.

By Carter’s estimates, the Child Tax Credit will lift 22,700 children in the Second Congressional District out of poverty. “This will have a lifelong impact on the health and well-being of these kids and end the cycle of poverty,” he said.  

He urged anyone with kids under 16 who hasn’t received two Child Tax Credits payments to call his office for assistance. Carter also reminded listeners to be on the watch for scammers. The IRS is the only agency disbursing the payments, and they do not typically contact beneficiaries, he said.

The ARP looks at health care holistically and works off of the value that, in a pandemic, health care should be more affordable than ever. Now 31 million Americans have coverage through the Affordable Care Act, with more than 1 million new people enrolling since Democrats lowered premiums in February. The ARP lowered premiums for 9 million Americans who buy their coverage through the Affordable Care Act. “This saves families an average of $50 per person, per month. That’s a big deal,” he proclaimed.  

The median deductible for Americans signing up for new coverage on HealthCare.gov has dropped by nearly 90% from $450 to just $50. The ARP also sent funding directly to community health centers in Louisiana — over $95 million. “Community health centers serve some of the most underserved and underinsured communities in our area,” he said. “Investing in them is an effective way to combat persistent health inequities — an effort that is more important now than ever during this pandemic.” 

Carter said he will work to ensure that the citizens of his district will have access to every single tool provided for the economic recovery from ARP. “My door is always open. Even during these times, my virtual door is always open,” Carter said. “However, we have other opportunities to do great things for the American people, and for New Orleans.  I hope my colleagues will get on board to help move our community toward recovery.” 

On Monday (Aug. 16), Carter attended the opening of Delgado Community College’s new Advanced Technology Center in Algiers’ Federal City neighborhood. “This facility is proof that bringing the energy of the entire community together will bring the needed resources to ensure the region’s economic success in the 21st century,” Carter said. “Learning is a lifelong endeavor, and this center is a commitment by the community to train students not only for the careers of today, but the careers of tomorrow.”

Congressman Troy Carter joined the show today to talk about what he’s been working on.  He starts off by discussing infrastructure and what he likes about Senator Cassidy’s bill.  He also explains what should potentially be added to the bill but he says this big infrastructure bill is still a huge win for the American people.  Carter explains the importance of this bipartisan bill and where each party stands on this bill and what feedback he’s heard on infrastructure.  Finally, he breaks down how this infrastructure bill will positively impact the state of Louisiana.

People receiving food stamps in Louisiana will see a bump in their benefits – about $155 more for a family of four – starting Oct. 1 because of change at the federal level, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday.

The average per person monthly benefits will rise about $36.24, from $121 to $157. That’s the largest increase in the history of the program that began in 1962.

“This investment in SNAP is a gamechanger in the battle against hunger and poverty for my district and frankly all of Louisiana,” said U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, whose New Orleans/Baton Rouge district has some of the highest numbers of food stamp recipients in the nation. “The pandemic has made a bad situation even worse, and these expanded SNAP benefits show a long overdue realignment that more accurately reflects the cost of groceries and will help more working families get healthy food on the table.”

The rates had been adjusted in the past for inflation, but this is the first time that the base formula – written when housewives didn’t work and could spend a few hours making dinner – has been updated to better reflect America in the 21st Century. The change will increase the $60 billion federal budget for food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by about $20 billion.

The additional money allows families to buy more expensive fresh vegetables and fruits rather than rely on cheaper processed foods, which is what happens when families stretch the benefits that don’t last for the entire month, says Danny Mintz, of the Louisiana Budget Project, a Baton Rouge-based group that advocates for low- and moderate-income people.

A recalibration of the formula in the nation’s Thrifty Food Plan indefinitely increased benefits for the nation’s 42 million food stamp recipients – 1 in 8 Americans, including 848,529 or about 1 in 5 of Louisiana’s population.

The mostly low-income beneficiaries in Louisiana already are receiving about 15% more SNAP benefits than prior to the pandemic. But that extra money expires in September. These new rules will amount to about 23% more than what was paid before the pandemic took place.

Come Oct. 1, a Louisiana family of four with a household income of $2,871 per month – about $34,500 per year – the monthly SNAP allotment will rise from $680 to $835 per month, according to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. For a Louisiana family of three, the maximum allotment of $535 per month goes up to a maximum of $658 a month.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press release: “Ensuring low-income families have access to a healthy diet helps prevent disease, supports children in the classroom, reduces health care costs, and more. And the additional money families will spend on groceries helps grow the food economy, creating thousands of new jobs along the way.”

The Thrifty Food Plan formula is a data-driven estimate of the cost of a nutritious diet. The U.S. Farm Bill, which was approved in 2018 by a bipartisan Congress, directed the Agriculture Department to update the plan. President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Jan. 22 ordering the department to get on with it.

The USDA officially announced new components to the formula Monday although the information leaked out to The New York Times last week.

The cost adjustment reflect changes in consumer circumstances since 1975 when the Thrifty Food Plan first went into effect. For instance, back then most families still had only one working parent who had the time to cook nutritious meals from scratch.

Now, working families are made up of two wage earners or single parent heads of households with far less time. The plan also based its costs on a family with children under the age of 12 as opposed to teenagers who eat more.

Studies show that recipients often lean on convenient and inexpensive processed foods and high-sodium canned goods, particularly since food stamps don’t provide enough money to get through the entire month.

Studies also show, said Mintz of the Louisiana Budget Project, that people eat healthier meals incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables when they have more money available.

“I think of this as less of an expansion and more of the USDA getting closer to adequate amount for households to buy more nutritious meals,” Mintz said.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter has asked the Biden administration for third-party monitoring of air emissions in the Mississippi River corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans — and for money to study the cumulative impact of those emissions on public health.

Carter was elected in April to represent the sprawling 2nd Congressional District that tracks Louisiana's industrial corridor along the river. He said he was committed to answering President Joe Biden's call to action on environmental justice and the disproportionate health and environmental impact born by communities of color.

But Carter also explained that questions remain about the effect of emissions from region's "nearly 150 oil refineries, plastics plants and chemical plants." 

"Some business groups and community leaders, however, have claimed that data does not support certain labels placed on the communities in my district," Carter, D-New Orleans, wrote to the EPA administrator on Aug. 12. "Until we fully understand what the impact of industrial emissions are on the health and safety of our environment and communities, we cannot begin to claim that upholding the health and safety of our constituents is our top priority."

In a statement, EPA officials said Monday that they and Carter "recognize that achieving environmental justice starts with improving our understanding of the impacts of pollution, especially in overburdened and historically underserved communities."

"The agency looks forward to reviewing the request and working with Congressman Carter to deliver on our mission to protect human health and the environment and improve the lives of residents in Louisiana’s River Parishes," the EPA statement said.

Carter had called for tighter regulation of industry on the campaign trail. The letter is one of his first statements since being elected about his views on the potential health impacts on his constituents, the continued role for river region industries critical to the state's economy and the pollution and environmental justice questions that also swirl around their expansion.

The letter also comes at a time when the $9.4 billion Formosa Plastics complex proposed in St. James Parish has brought national attention again to the Louisiana's industrial corridor and prompted calls for Biden to scrutinize the project closely.

The proposed site on the west bank of St. James is in Carter's majority African-American district, which stretches in a squiggly arc from the Rigolets at the eastern tip of Orleans Parish to Baker, north of Baton Rouge.

Environmentalists criticized his predecessor, former Congressman Cedric Richmond, for not doing enough to highlight the health concerns in the river region. Carter staked out a middle path in the letter to Michael Regan, Biden's U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Carter argued a clean environment can coexist with industry through better oversight.

"It is a core belief of mine that no one should die for a job and that there are solutions that can provide a clean environment alongside industry," he wrote.

Carter, who wrote there is a "documented history" of the inadequacy of self-monitoring, called for more funding to step up independent monitoring and testing "to produce data that can help create standards of accountability and fair regulation based in scientific fact." 

He also asked for money to help industries run more cleanly and to better understand other causes of cancer besides any possible effects from industrial emissions.

Though Carter didn't use the term in his letter, he appeared to indirectly reference the "Cancer Alley" moniker often attached to the river corridor that Carter represents. 

In Biden's call in January for a focus on environmental justice questions among fence-line communities, he specifically mentioned Louisiana and "Cancer Alley," the first time a president has acknowledged the contested term.

The statement buoyed local and regional environmental groups who have been fighting the issue for years. But it drew a rebuke from local leaders, including U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-LA, who called it "slam upon our state" that he didn't accept.

A few months later, officials with the Louisiana Tumor Registry, a database of cancer cases among state residents maintained by LSU Health New Orleans, announced their latest round of 10-year data that showed a mixed result for cancer cases in that region.

Some areas had elevated cancer incidences that were statistically significant, and others had incidences lower than state average. 

Because of privacy limitations, the registry didn't have cancer data for some less populated places in the river region, especially for specific types of cancers that might be more closely linked with a certain types of air emissions or plants.

The data were for 2008 to 2017. An accompanying statement from LSU about the new cancer data said the term "Cancer Alley" has "no scientific validity."

In June, the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, which advocates for people opposed to new industries in the river region, used the same Tumor Registry data and compared it with localized federal poverty data and EPA cancer risk data.

The Tulane analysis, which hadn't been peer-reviewed at the time, concluded that Louisiana residents who live in high poverty areas with high levels of toxic air pollution had cancer case rates that were higher than the state average and also higher than the average for high-poverty areas with better air.

The Tulane law clinic found the differences in both instances were statistically significant.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter (D-New Orleans) has made canceling student debt one of his top priorities as a new congressman.

Carter filed legislation in late July to direct the U.S. Department of Education to get rid of up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for each borrower. It was one of the first two bills he has submitted as a member of Congress.

The Democrat was sworn into office in May. He replaced Rep. Cedric Richmond, also a Democrat, who joined the Biden administration in January.

If they were carrying less student debt, more Americans would be able to purchase a home, start a business and spend extra money in the local ecPresident Joe Biden has extended the freeze on federal student loan payments through the end of January, but Democrats in Congress are putting pressure on him to do far more.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) wants Biden to cancel up to $50,000 worth of student debt through executive action — which wouldn’t require votes from Congress. Biden has expressed an interest in taking on a much more modest proposal — possibly forgiving $10,000 of federal debt per borrower, according to Politico.

But there are also questions about whether Biden has the legal authority to cancel student loan debt by himself — and if so, how much he can erase.

Getting any student loan forgiveness — including those proposals more modest than Carter’s — through Congress will be difficult. Several Republicans are opposed or reluctant to taking such action.

Carter also filed a second piece of legislation — one that would allow the federal Environmental Protection Agency to work with states to clean up sites plagued by air pollution — and possibly to relocate residents who are affected. Carter said Richmond had filed a similar piece of legislation when he was in Congress.

Carter’s district contains a large swath of Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” between Baton Rouge and New Orleans — where heavy industry appears to have contributed to poorer health outcomes for residents.

The congressman believes doing away with federal debt would do much more to stimulate the economy than the stimulus checks that citizens have periodically received from the federal government since the pandemic started.

“If you want to talk about economic development and a stimulus, how about doing something novel and forgiving these loans?” Carter said in an interview Wednesday. Carter said he also supports making community college free — or close to free — for students.

Carter is not alone in Congress in pushing for student loan forgiveness. The issue is popular with several Democrats on Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRPROUD)- Congressman Troy Carter announced his bill to forgive up to $50,000 in federal student loans for any and all federal borrowers.

“It’s Congress’ job to improve the lives of the American people,” said Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. “While some tragedies are out of our hands during this public health crisis, we can and should take action wherever we can. Easing the enormous burden of student loans for the millions of Americans, young and old, saddled with debt is one of my highest priorities in Congress.  This legislation will do just that.”

Congressman Carter’s legislation follows President Biden’s extension of the student loan payment moratorium until January 31, 2022 from September 30, 2021. While this extension provides a much-needed cushion for those crushed by student loan debt, Congressman Carter’s bill offers permanent forgiveness for all current, federal borrowers.

“My mother taught me the value of education firsthand,” said Congressman Carter. “While studying at Xavier University in New Orleans, she would attend class with all six of her children in tow. Bringing all six of us to class absolutely wasn’t easy. Many couldn’t have done it. I can’t imagine how we would have gotten by if she had worked so hard to earn her degree, only to graduate with thousands of dollars in debt. Her dedication instilled in me the importance of breaking down barriers in college education and the importance of being a lifelong learner.”

“Education is a lifelong endeavor, key to growing and evolving. Pursuing a dream should not put a shadow over the future. It’s time to end student loan debt to ensure that all have the opportunity to succeed.”

You can read the full text of the bill here.