— CASSIDY’S COASTAL BILL TO GET MARKUP: When members return from the August break in September, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will markup legislation by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy to improve and enhance offshore revenue sharing. The RISEE Act (Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems) attempts to address coastal infrastructure needs through a new source of money: future offshore wind development. Analysis suggests Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama missed out on about $216 million in such funding within the last year alone.
— JOHNSON ON VEEP PICK: In an interview with The Hill, Speaker Mike Johnson shared his thoughts on why Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was overlooked for vice president on the Democratic ticket. “(Kamala Harris) was reluctant to put a vice presidential nominee on a ticket with Jewish heritage because they’re having a split in the Democratic Party,” Johnson said. “They have a pro-Palestinian, in some cases pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party. I mean, think of this and the implications of it, I think, are profound… And so I, sadly for Josh Shapiro, because of his heritage I think he was, I think that is the reason he was overlooked.”
— SCALISE PART OF TIKTOK BRIEF: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise filed an amicus brief last week in TikTok, et al. v. Garland alongside a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The brief defends the constitutionality of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which addresses the “national security threat posed by Chinese ownership of TikTok.”
— CARTER & FARMER DISCRIMINATION: Congressman Troy Carter recently announced new financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Louisiana farmers who experienced documented discrimination in federal farm lending programs. Louisiana has 1,265 recipients selected totaling $77 million awarded. These awards were made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act Discrimination Financial Assistance Program, which Carter helped craft. “This financial assistance is an opportunity to create long-overdue equity for farmers left behind due to decades of discriminatory practices,” said Carter. “Farming and agriculture in the United States has historically withheld access to communities of color and other marginalized groups. These awards are a significant step to ensure farmers and ranchers can sustain their livelihoods, contribute to the economy and pursue new agricultural opportunities.”
— HIGGINS ON ENERGY: Americans for Prosperity-Louisiana hosted an in-person policy discussion with Congressman Clay Higgins this afternoon at SOWELA Technical Community College. Louisiana ranks third in natural gas production and fifth in proved natural gas reserves, but policies from the Biden Administration could economically, socially and personally harm the state’s energy industry, Higgins argues.
— JNK EMAILS REVISITED: When it comes to email fundraising, no one quite does it like U.S. Sen. John Kennedy. A recent email carried this subject line: “The American People Think Kamala Harris is a Ding Dong.” In the actual appeal’s body, the senator adds, “She is not a serious person. I never saw Margaret Thatcher giggling while her citizens were struggling to make ends meet.” In another email appeal from this month, Kennedy opined, “Chuck Schumer’s poker face is worse than Lady Gaga accepting a Grammy.” Kennedy goes on to warn: “The Drowsy Socialist Democrats, with their black berets and chai tea, will do just about everything and anything to allow illegal aliens to vote and influence our elections. That’s why they killed the SAVE Act in the Senate, but not all hope’s lost.” In the past, such appeals have resulted in enviable small dollar donations for the senator.
— LETLOW DURING THE RECESS: “I had such a fantastic visit to the Hammond Kiwanis yesterday to share more about the results we’ve been able to deliver to Tangipahoa Parish,” Congresswoman Julia Letlow shared on social media, “and how I’m working to drive critical investments here for the future.”