Addressing the Campaign Spotlight
Congresswoman Julia Letlow returned to the show and quickly joked about the freezing weather in Washington, D.C. She said the cold “took your breath away” and the snow refused to melt for days.
Letlow responded to the first attack ad of the Senate race. She said serving the Fifth District has been “the honor of a lifetime” and reminded listeners that the seat belongs to the people. She noted she is the only candidate with former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Letlow said she is running for her two children and wants to keep fighting for parents’ rights, local control in schools, farmers, and bringing taxpayer dollars back to Louisiana.
North Louisiana Storm Damage
Letlow then turned to the severe ice storm that hit her home region. She said the impact felt like “a hurricane for North Louisiana.” Her own parents were trapped on their rural road in Calhoun and went seven days without power. At one point, more than 100,000 outages were reported. That number has now dropped to about 2,400.
Letlow said she has been in constant contact with FEMA, Entergy, GOSEP, and local officials. A federal emergency declaration allows state and local governments to get reimbursed for cleanup. Small businesses can also apply for low-interest disaster loans through the SBA. She urged residents to report damages at damage.la.gov or call her Monroe office at 318-570-6440 for help.
Appropriations Wins for Louisiana
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Letlow said agencies “answer her call.” She highlighted $3.5 million in funding for a new indoor water-rescue training facility at the Louisiana Fire and Emergency Training Academy. The project will replace dangerous open-water training previously done in the river and will serve firefighters statewide.
Looking Ahead
Congress has paused for the week, and Letlow said she is eager to return home. She has not been back since before Washington Mardi Gras and has a sick child waiting for her.