Press Releases
Cassidy Seeks Greater Coronavirus Protections for Seniors in High-Risk Settings
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) on Friday signed a bipartisan letter that encourages federal health officials to consider solutions to protect Medicare beneficiaries from high-risk settings and ensure safe access to care as the nation continues to work to combat COVID-19. The letter, sent Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, seeks solutions in light of evidence that COVID-19 presents the most severe heal… Continue Reading
04.06.20
Cassidy Urges USDA to Protect Farmers, Ensure Continuity of Food Supply
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) signed onto a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue urging the Trump administration to ensure the continuity of our country's food supply and support rural areas during the coronavirus pandemic by providing needed relief to farmers. "Americans always depend on our nation's farmers to grow the food, fuel, and fiber that we all need, but that reliance becomes much more pronounced in times of crisis," the senators wrote. "To provide… Continue Reading
04.01.20
Cassidy: Trump Grants Full Funding for LA National Guard to Respond to Coronavirus
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced today that the federal government is completely funding the Louisiana National Guard's efforts to combat coronavirus. About 1,200 guardsmen are assisting with disaster response across Louisiana. They address different needs such as food preparation, assisting with testing, distributing supplies and preparing emergency shelters. Cassidy wrote to President Donald Trump last week requesting the cost-share adjustment along with other members of Loui… Continue Reading
03.25.20
Cassidy Votes in Favor of Coronavirus Stimulus Package
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) joined the majority of the Senate in passing the CARES Act - the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act - that provides $2 trillion in emergency assistance for American families and businesses. "The Coronavirus epidemic has damaged our physical and our economic health. This bill supports the economic health of individuals, families and employers. It also advances the fight to make us safe from the disease," said Dr. Cassidy. Cassidy secured se… Continue Reading
03.20.20
Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Full of Cassidy Legislative Priorities
Yesterday, Senate Republicans released their Phase III coronavirus response package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) served on the Health task force and was a leading voice for health care policy in the stimulus bill. "Congress and President Trump are committed to helping Americans through this difficult time. The CARES Act addresses economic and health-related needs. Passage will immediately benefit Americans' physical a… Continue Reading
03.19.20
Cassidy’s Bill to Help Veterans During Coronavirus Outbreak Headed to President Trump
Legislation originally cosponsored by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) that protects student veterans' housing allowance during the coronavirus outbreak is heading to President Trump's desk for his signature to make it law. Veterans using their GI Bill benefits to attend classes receive a base housing allowance to live on campus. Online students receive only 25 percent of those benefits. Coronavirus has forced many universities to shift to online classes, meaning that veterans receiving h… Continue Reading
03.18.20
Cassidy Issues Statement on Coronavirus Relief Bill
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released the following statement after the Senate passed by a 90-8 vote the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Cassidy voted for the bill, which provides for paid sick and family leave, free coronavirus testing, increased benefits for SNAP and Medicaid patients, and free testing. The Senate is preparing another bill to fill needs in other areas of the economy. Cassidy is on the working group that will craft health care policies for that package. Mor… Continue Reading
03.18.20
Cassidy Films Coronavirus Public Service Announcement
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) yesterday filmed a public service announcement discussing how Americans can combat coronavirus. He urged citizens to follow guidance of local, state and federal public health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The announcement will air on television and radio stations to provide important coronavirus facts and preventative measures to Louisianians across the state. Cassidy recently produced a video explaining how preventa… Continue Reading
03.17.20
Cassidy, Jones Introduce Bill to Require Insurance COmpanies to Cover COVID-19 Vaccines
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Steve Daines (R-MT) and Tina Smith (D-MN) today introduced legislation to require private health insurance plans to cover treatments or vaccines for the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, with no cost sharing. "When a vaccine is released for coronavirus, it needs to be available for all Americans as soon as possible. Vaccine coverage by insurance companies is key to this. This bill ensures that coverage," said Dr. Cassidy, a physician wit… Continue Reading
03.16.20
Cassidy Urges People to Listen, Obey CDC, State Government Coronavirus Guidance
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) urges people listen to warnings and exercise coronavirus prevention techniques offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as state and local officials. Cassidy, a physician who previously worked in public health and immunizations, stresses that coronavirus is a public health emergency. The worst is yet to come. Reducing the spread of coronavirus is the top priority to keep families and communities safe. Louisiana has the third… Continue Reading
03.13.20
To Prevent Coronavirus Spread, Cassidy Closes Offices; Staff to Telework
In an effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) is closing his Washington and state offices effective Friday, March 13. Staff will telework until further notice. Constituent services will continue. Those in Louisiana who need assistance from a federal agency, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security and the IRS, can contact the Louisiana offices by emailing casework_cassidy@cassidy.senate.gov or by calling 225.929.7711. Constituents m… Continue Reading
03.12.20
VIDEO: Cassidy, Grassley, Collins and Daines Speak on Making Coronavirus Drugs Affordable
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Steve Daines (R-MT) yesterday spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to urge their colleagues to pass a bipartisan drug pricing bill to help senior citizens afford prescription drugs to fight coronavirus and other chronic conditions. Under current law, seniors on Medicare Part D are required to pay 5 percent of their drug costs out-of-pocket, regardless of the price. That means that seniors could end up payi… Continue Reading
03.10.20
Cassidy, Durbin Introduce INFORM Consumers Act to Require Greater Transparency from Third-Party Sellers for Online Products
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation today to fight the online sale of stolen, counterfeit and dangerous consumer products by requiring extensive transparency of large-volume third-party sellers in online retail marketplaces. The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM) Act would mandate online retail marketplaces that include third-party sellers of consumer products to authenticate the identity o… Continue Reading
03.06.20
Cassidy, Cruz Introduce Bill to Ensure Equal Treatment of America’s Teachers, First Responders, and Public Servants in Social Security Benefits
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act of 2020, which ensures America's teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants receive the Social Security benefits according to their work history. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 3934. Specifically, this bill would replace the unfair formula for calculating benefits - known as the Windfall … Continue Reading
03.05.20
VIDEO: Cassidy: Make Coronavirus Drugs Affordable
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate to urge his colleagues to pass a drug pricing bill to help seniors, who are most at risk of coronavirus complications, afford drugs to treat coronavirus and other chronic conditions. Current law says that seniors on Medicare Part D must pay 5 percent of their drugs' costs out-of-pocket, regardless of the price. That means that seniors could pay astronomical sums on their own if they needed to take a … Continue Reading
03.04.20
Cassidy Applauds Telehealth Expansion in House’s Coronavirus Response Package
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today applauded the inclusion of nearly $500 million to expand telehealth in the U.S. House of Representative's coronavirus response package. The House passed the $8.3 billion package Wednesday afternoon. Cassidy urged members of the administration to include telehealth in the coronavirus response during a Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing Tuesday. "Telehealth - with appropriate expanded authority - can protect patients and he… Continue Reading
03.04.20
Cassidy Issues Statement Following June Medical Services v. Russo Arguments
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., (R-LA) earlier today attended oral arguments at the Supreme Court in the case of June Medical Services v. Russo, Louisiana's law that requires that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges to protect women should a medical complication occur during the procedure. He released this statement on the case: "This is about the safety and health of the mother. If you care about women, you must care whether they have a complication after an abortion. If you… Continue Reading
03.03.20
Cassidy, Warren, Blumenthal Press Giant Health Systems Provider Ascension on Patient Data-Sharing with Google
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter to Ascension, the second largest health systems provider in the United States, regarding the company's information-sharing partnership with Google--also known as Project Nightingale--that provides Google with the health records of tens of millions of Americans. The senators' inquiry follows a November 2019 letter to Google in which they asked the tech giant to explain how and why it… Continue Reading
02.28.20
Cassidy, Richmond, Scalise Announce $7.3 Million for Port of New Orleans Rail Project
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and U.S. Representatives Cedric Richmond (D-LA) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) today announced that the Department of Transportation has awarded about $7.3 million to the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corporation (NOPB). The Port of New Orleans will use the funds to upgrade switches and expand three regional rail yards to provide capacity for storage and sorting an additional 500 rail cars. The enhancements will move freight through the port faster and improv… Continue Reading
02.28.20
Cassidy Secures 4 Provisions in Bipartisan Senate Energy Package
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and chairman of the Senate Energy Subcommittee, has secured four of his energy priorities into the bipartisan Senate energy package announced Thursday by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV). Three of Cassidy's bills made the package in their entirety, including the Small Scale LNG Access Act, the Timely Review of Infrastructure Act, and the Technology Transition Act of 2019. Key provisions of Cassidy's LEADING Act, a natural gas carb… Continue Reading
