Lafayette Reporter

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) addressed the Senate floor to commend the people of Louisiana for their resilience during Hurricane Francine and outlined the federal aid that will assist in cleanup efforts.

Key remarks from Kennedy included:

“I am sorry to report that last week my people in Louisiana were hit by yet another hurricane: Hurricane Francine. It was a Category 2. It was right on the line between a Category 1 and a Category 2. We had winds of 100 miles an hour. We had nine to 10 inches of rain. We had a vicious storm surge.

“My people did what they always do: They got ready for it, they reacted to the storm with grace and with pressure. My people filled sandbags, and we checked on our neighbors and we listened to our local officials. We said prayers for our first responders. My people are tough as a pine knot, but they're also compassionate—and we made it through.

“Some have said, ‘Well, compared to past hurricanes, Francine was not as bad as some in the past.’ And that's true. It could always be worse, but that is cold comfort for the thousands of Louisianians who sustained damage from that storm surge and those ferocious winds and that rain.

“And I want to assure my people that, as we have in the past, we will persevere, and we will make it through. I have never, in my years in the Senate, voted against providing relief for any of our sister states and my fellow senators who have asked for it, who have been the victim of a natural disaster—and I never will.

“That's the first role of government is to protect people and property. And I will never vote against aid for one of our sister states that, through no fault of its own, is struck by nature. I say that because I will be asking the American people to help Louisiana one more time. We won't ask for a penny more than we need. The help that I will seek will be in the form of personal assistance and housing, for example, infrastructure assistance and mitigation grants.

“I want to thank President Biden, Governor Landry, with whom I toured by helicopter the damage last week. Governor Landry asked for a disaster declaration from the president, and President Biden was quick to agree. I want to thank him for that.”