Press Releases
At Cassidy’s Request, Senate Overwhelmingly Passes NFIP Extension
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), released the following statement after the Senate voted 86-12 to keep the National Flood Insurance Program from shutting down at midnight tonight: "I thank Republicans and Democrats for voting overwhelmingly to keep the National Flood Insurance Program writing policies," said Dr. Cassidy. "I appreciate Senate leaders listening to my request to move the vote up to today so that no one in Louisiana or the rest of the country is left in the lurch. We now hav… Continue Reading
07.30.18
VIDEO: Cassidy Urges Senate to Avert NFIP Shutdown, Secures Tuesday Vote to Extend Program
With the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) scheduled to shut down tomorrow night, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), spoke on the Senate floor this evening and urged his colleagues to extend the program before it expires. Cassidy secured an agreement to hold a vote Tuesday at approximately 11:15 a.m. CT on the four-month NFIP extension the U.S. House of Representatives passed last week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the addition of the NFIP vote to Tuesday's schedul… Continue Reading
07.27.18
Cassidy, Kennedy, Colleagues Warn EPA Against Unfair Reallocation of Small Refinery RFS Obligations
To protect Louisiana refinery workers, U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and John Kennedy (R-LA) are joining 18 of their Senate colleagues in urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to refrain from retroactively reallocating the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). "In recent weeks, media reports indicated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considered a proposal to retroactively reallocate the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance obligations from small refineries,… Continue Reading
07.26.18
Cassidy, Hassan, Kustoff, Kuster Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill Targeting Counterfeit Pill Makers
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), along with U.S. Representatives David Kustoff (R-TN) and Annie Kuster (D-NH), today introduced the Substance Tableting and Encapsulating Enforcement and Registration (STEER) Act (S. 3281 / H.R. 6554), bipartisan legislation to combat the opioid crisis by cracking down on counterfeit pill makers. Last year, CNN reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection "is seizing pill presses at a rate 19 times higher than in 2011. That's… Continue Reading
07.25.18
VIDEO: At Cassidy’s Request, Duplication of Benefits Fix Included in FAA Reauthorization Package
Download broadcast-quality video WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), released the following video statement after the Senate Commerce Committee released an updated version of legislation (Senate Substitute Amendment to H.R. 4) to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that includes several provisions sought by Cassidy as part of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, including a fix for the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan duplication of benefits issue hurting … Continue Reading
07.25.18
Cassidy: President Trump’s European Union Trade Announcement a Good Sign for Louisiana Workers
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement regarding the announcement by President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that the U.S. and the EU will work toward eliminating tariffs and increasing European imports of American liquefied natural gas (LNG): "We must ensure the United States is not being taken advantage of, and that our farmers … Continue Reading
07.25.18
Cassidy Measures Preventing Louisiana Education Cuts, Promoting Coding Head to President’s Desk
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Education Committee, released the following statement after the House passed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2353), which includes Cassidy's measures preserving federal career and technical education (CTE) funding for Louisiana and helping high schools across the country establish or expand coding education programs. "With education being such a hot point of debate in Louisiana's state… Continue Reading
07.25.18
VIDEO: Cassidy Meets with Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), released the following video statement and photo after meeting in his Washington, D.C., office with D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. Download broadcast-quality video Broadcast-quality B-roll of the meeting is also available for download. "I appreciate Judge Kavanaugh coming by," said Dr. Cassidy. "We talked about his views on the role of the judiciary, original intent, the importance of interpr… Continue Reading
07.25.18
Cassidy Calls on Senate to Extend National Flood Insurance Program Immediately
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to November 30, 2018. "I applaud Congressman Steve Scalise's leadership in building support for this short-term extension in the House so the NFIP does not expire next Tuesday. I urge the Senate to pass it immediately so that Louisiana and other states are not left in the lurch. Then we can resume our mission to… Continue Reading
07.25.18
Health Committee Passes Cassidy-Cosponsored Bills to End Pharmacy Gag Clauses, Increase Access to Oral Health Care
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement after the committee passed two bills he helped introduce, the Action for Dental Health Act (S. 3016) and the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act (S. 2554). "Gag clauses prohibit pharmacists from telling patients how they could save money and increase drug costs by thwarting market force. These rules are just another way our health care s… Continue Reading
07.24.18
Senate Passes Kennedy-Cassidy Amendment Boosting Inspections of Foreign Seafood
In a huge win for Louisiana families who make their living shrimping and fishing, the U.S. Senate voted 87-11 today in favor of an amendment to H.R. 6147 offered by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and John Kennedy (R-LA) to boost the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) inspections of foreign seafood coming into the United States. Currently, only about 2 percent of imported seafood is inspected. "Louisiana shrimpers are being undercut by inferior, uninspected seafood from foreign count… Continue Reading
07.24.18
Cassidy, Colleagues Urge Administration to Lower Prescription Drug Costs
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), joined 20 of his Senate colleagues in urging U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to increase transparency and take action to lower prescription drug prices for seniors. "We write to urge the Department of Health and Human Services to move forward with a proposal to meaningfully address skyrocketing drug prices by specifically addressing pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees in the Medicare Part D program,"… Continue Reading
07.24.18
Cassidy, Johnson Announce Caddo Lake National Heritage Area Proposal Will Not Move Forward
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and U.S. Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) released the following joint statement today announcing that legislation to create a National Heritage Area near Caddo Lake in Texas and Louisiana will no longer be considered in Congress. "This proposal was an effort to create more jobs and economic opportunity for the Caddo Lake community while protecting the private property rights of residents," said Dr. Cassidy and Rep. Johnson. "However, we said from the b… Continue Reading
07.24.18
Cassidy, Rubio Praise Trump Administration’s Move to Streamline Small-Scale LNG Exports
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today praised the U.S. Department of Energy's final rule to streamline the approval of small-scale exports of American-made liquefied natural gas (LNG) to foreign countries, including those in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The Trump Administration's new policy is virtually identical to legislation proposed in October by Cassidy and Rubio, which passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in March wi… Continue Reading
07.20.18
Cassidy Urges Combat-Injured Veterans Who Were Improperly Taxed to File for IRS Refund
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, is urging combat-injured veterans whose one-time lump sum disability severance payment from the Department of Defense (DoD) was improperly taxed to file with the IRS for reimbursement. "I'm glad we were able to make things right for our veterans so they can finally receive the full amount of the benefit they earned. Eligible veterans in Louisiana should keep an eye out fo… Continue Reading
07.20.18
Cassidy, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Streamline Additions to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
In a bipartisan effort aimed at amending the tax code to ensure that all new maternal and childhood vaccines are covered under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the Vaccine Access Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation to streamline the taxation step for new vaccines that became eligible for the VICP under the 21st Century Cures Act. "As a doctor and a sena… Continue Reading
07.19.18
Cassidy Provision Targeting Trade-Based Money Laundering Included in Senate Intelligence Authorization Act
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), announced today that his provision targeting trade-based money laundering (TBML) was including in the Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 (S. 3153), which was recently introduced by Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC). Cassidy's provision requires the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to submit a report to the congressional intelligence committees on the threats posed by… Continue Reading
07.19.18
VIDEO: The Push for Paid Family Leave
We had a great @GOPSenFinance hearing on #PaidFamilyLeave proposals. With ideas offered by @IvankaTrump, @SenJoniErnst and others, we are making progress on potential solutions to give parents the flexibility they need to raise a family. #PFL pic.twitter.com/96JYJhy6fV - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) July 18, 2018 WASHINGTON- Following the recent Senate hearing chaired by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), examining proposals to provide working families with paid fam… Continue Reading
07.18.18
Cassidy on Senate Democrats Blocking Resolution Supporting Immigration Law Enforcement Officers: Who Are Democrats Standing With?
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), released the following statement after Senate Democrats blocked the resolution he introduced with Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) last week in support of the men and women of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): "Washington Democrats want to get rid of ICE officers enforcing our immigration laws," said Dr. Cassidy. "They're blocking a vote on our Senate resolution supporting the Americans putting their lives on the line to protect our citizens fro… Continue Reading
07.18.18
Cassidy Applauds Record Fentanyl Seizure in Tangipahoa Parish
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), tweeted the following statement after a record amount of fentanyl was seized in a joint effort by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, the Hammond Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): "Incredible work by sheriffs in Tangipahoa & Livingston Parishes, Hammond PD, & DEA. Their hard work is saving lives & I'm going to keep working to make sure they have the resources & tools t… Continue Reading
