Today, Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao (LA-2) held a press conference to challenge Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal to file an application under the Federal Rail Administration’s (FRA) High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR) to establish a passenger rail service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

He was joined by State Senator Ed Murray, State Representative Neil Abramson, and New Orleans City Council President, Arnie Fielkow.

Prepared Remarks: Congressman Cao

Thank you for attending this afternoon’s press conference.
We are here today to ask Governor Bobby Jindal to file an application under the Federal Rail Administration’s High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program to establish a passenger rail service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

We are asking that the State apply for funds set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 also known as “the stimulus bill”.

This project isn’t new. In fact, Louisiana has been working on this rail system for decades.

If awarded to the State, this project would fund the entire $300 million needed to plan, design, and construct an intercity rail connection between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Eventually, the rail corridor will connect Houston, TX, Mobile, AL and Atlanta, GA.

Local, state, and federal officials realize the economic significance that a multi-state Southern Rail Corridor will bring to our area, and we are all willing to fight for it.
This project will provide a huge economic boost to our region, vastly improve future hurricane evacuations, and reduce traffic congestion on our roads.

The State of Louisiana’s own numbers show that the expected benefits of the project exceed any costs by $180 million. Those are the figures the state submitted in their pre-application for these funds to the US Department of Transportation earlier this summer.
That point needs to be repeated. The state’s own analysis shows this project is a $180 million “win” for Louisiana.

Therefore, I am disappointed that we have not had a better response from the state.
I understand Governor Jindal’s concern about financing the estimated $12 to $18 million it will cost to operate the system annually. Those are real numbers, and the state budget is hurting right now.

That is why I have been working with civic leaders and elected officials to submit a plan where local governments commit to financing this shortfall.

I was told yesterday by the Governor’s office that those commitments were not strong enough.
Well, I have been assured in writing from the Federal Railroad Administration that those commitments satisfy their requirements for applications.
 
That point was also confirmed by United States Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
The deadline for Governor Jindal’s office to file the application is at 12 midnight tonight.
They have an application already prepared to be submitted.

Governor Jindal give Louisiana a chance to build a high speed rail system. By not submitting an application you give Louisiana no chance.

Congressman Cao is a Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The "Moral Issue of Our Time"
CBN News, September 16, 2009

Louisiana Republican Congressman Joseph Cao calls the question over federal funding for abortion, "the moral issue of our time."

He's been working with the White House Health Care Czar on ways to ensure clear language that prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions is included in the final health care reform bill. 

One of the possibilities they've discussed is budget language to ensure anyone getting government aid for health care would have to use their own money to pay for an abortion.

The Gentleman from New Orleans has a unique perspective on the legislation. He once studied to become a priest, taught ethics at Loyola University and is also an attorney.  He calls Roe v. Wade "terrible" law that should be "overturned." 

A Prized Republican on the Ropes
by Benjamin Sarlin, The Daily Beast
September 16, 2009

Joseph Cao was hailed six months ago as the future of the GOP. Yesterday, he voted to rebuke Joe Wilson. Can the most endangered Republican in the House survive? By Benjamin Sarlin.

As he made his way to the podium to give his health-care speech last Wednesday—a speech that would draw boos from Republican lawmakers, trigger Joe Wilson’s now-notorious outburst, and eventually be likened to Nazism by angry protesters—President Obama was able to find at least one friendly Republican face in the crowd. “I love this guy!” Obama announced to Republicans gathered nearby as he shook hands with Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA).

The president had plenty of reasons to praise the freshman representative from New Orleans. On issues large and small, Cao has been among the most White House-friendly Republican politicians in the country. There is a very real possibility that he will be the only member of his party to jump ship and support the president’s health-care plan.

“We have to be approachable to the average American family,” GOP Rep. Joseph Cao says of the Republican Party. “Unfortunately, I don’t believe our message has been that. It’s been somewhat anti-immigrant, it’s been oftentimes too pro-business and anti-family.”

Will he cop to being Obama’s favorite Republican? “I'm looking for real solutions to America's problems and my politics has never been partisan,” Cao said. In other words, he’s not running from the label.

Cao’s willingness to play ball with the White House has a lot to do with his status as the most vulnerable incumbent of any party in 2010.

Cao won his seat in December 2008 in a majority African-American district that had not elected a Republican since 1890—thanks to a serious scandal. The incumbent he defeated, William Jefferson, had been indicted for a litany of corruption charges, leading many Democrats to either stay home or cross party lines in protest. In addition, the decisive vote was not held on the same day as the presidential election—meaning Obama wasn’t the ticket to boost turnout.

House Minority Leader John Boehner distributed a memo entitled "The Future is Cao" while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell touted Cao's election in a January speech as a sign that "a revival is already taking place" for the party.

Cao, for his part, seems to at least agree that the party is in need of a new look.

“I would hope that...if the future truly is Cao, then we have to be approachable to minorities,” he said. “We have to be approachable to the average American family. We have to be approachable to the average American. Unfortunately, I don't believe our message has been that. It's been somewhat anti-immigrant, it's been oftentimes too pro-business and anti-family.”

Despite their early enthusiasm, Republican leaders seem to have largely forgotten about Cao as the party has taken a sharp turn to the right, waging all-out partisan warfare over health care and rising up in opposition to Hispanic Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor—in ways that didn’t help the pro-minority message. Despite his criticisms of the party, Cao has remained upbeat about the GOP. He doesn’t buy into the notion that the Republican brand has become defined by its more extreme element—or that its leadership was undermining health-care reform to score political points.

“I think it’s simply media hype,” Cao said. “At the end of the day I can’t think of one congressman that will obstruct this whole process simply for the cause of obstructing it.”

Nonetheless, there’s an undeniable tension between Cao's Republican loyalties and his district’s Democratic leanings—which makes him an unpredictable vote. He backed an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, voted for new hate-crime legislation, and says he would have supported the Troubled Asset Relief Program had he been in office when it came to a vote. But he opposed Obama's signature legislation, the stimulus package, a vote that could come back to haunt him in 2010.

The politics of the health-care debate are tricky for him. Cao says he is “leaning toward supporting the [administration’s] bill,” though he hopes it will include stronger language prohibiting funds from going to abortion and abandon an employer mandate to provide health care.

He’s also been careful to put distance between himself and his party’s conservative wing at some key moments. This month, he took to the House floor to defend Obama's speech to schoolchildren after widespread hysteria from conservative media figures and politicians alike who claimed the event was socialist “indoctrination.”

“I was shocked and I believe that it was uncalled for,” Cao said of the protests. “The office of the president must have the respect of not only members of Congress, but of the people.”

Hoping to win over his African-American constituents, Cao has sought membership in the Congressional Black Caucus. But like other non-black members who have attempted to join, he's yet to be accepted.

“They said I'm always welcome to join the Black Caucus but obviously there might be some meetings where I cannot attend. But I have not made my decision whether or not to continue the push to be a member,” he said.

GOP leaders have exerted pressure on him to toe the party line, but ultimately they understand his unique situation, Cao said. Party independence is the key to the Cao “brand”—an asset he hopes will propel him to another surprise victory next November. He believes his “chances are very good,” despite being panned by political analysts. But the competition is already lining up: State Democratic Reps. Cedric Richmond and Juan LaFonta have announced plans to seek the seat.

“I believe that the people of the district see me as a strong leader, a leader that they can trust,” Cao told The Daily Beast. “I believe that people are coming around from seeing me as simply just another Republican.”

There has been a lot of concern from conservative Christians against the current health care plans unfolding in Washington.

But some liberal-leaning religious groups say they're praying that the political bickering won't jeopardize efforts to get coverage to the uninsured.
 
Prayers rang out before the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, as Christians for health care reform continued to saturate Capitol Hill this week.

The group is making 20,000 calls to congressmen and paying visits to more than 100. Their goal -- health care Americans can afford.

"Making quality affordable health care available for all families is a moral imperative," said Rev. Cory Sparks of Faith Community United Methodist Church.

Sherita Pierce Milton came in from New Orleans, La. High insurance co-payments forced her daughter out of her home after she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease.

"[Having] $840 a month in medical bills and deductibles ... is not right," Milton said.

Milton is a constituent of Rep. Joseph Cao, R-La. He encourages reform, but if not done responsibly, Cao says it will have unintended consequences.

"People will be up in arms, for instance, if we have to pay seven, eight, $9.00 for a gallon of milk because the value of the dollar went spiraling out of control because of increase in deficit," Cao said.

After a month dominated by scenes at town hall meetings across the nation, the coalition is working to refocus the debate on those they say need health care most.

Now, they hope to go home and continue organizing support, in hopes Congress passes reform this fall.

“Our district has made significant strides over the past nine months, and I am pleased to share the news. Having just commemorated the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we were all reminded of the unwavering determination to rebuild that was evident in every citizen as they returned to New Orleans to jumpstart their communities."

--Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao

REBUILDING OUR COMMUNITIES

The recovery of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes is Congressman Cao’s top priority. In his eight months in office, he has:

• Led the investigation of FEMA’s Gulf Coast Recovery Office resulting in its closure, and the release of nearly $183 million to Orleans and Jefferson Parishes.

• Facilitated the release of hundreds of millions of recovery and hazard mitigation dollars for public evacuation, public shelters, and search and rescue operations.

• Co-sponsored the FEMA Independence Act to establish FEMA as a cabinet-level independent agency in the executive branch, giving FEMA direct access to the President.

• Secured $750,000 in H.R. 2892 for the New Orleans Emergency Management Systems, the only 911 emergency service provider for the City of New Orleans.

• Secured over $139 million in H.R. 3183 for the Army Corps of Engineers for the Mississippi River navigation projects, levee construction, coastal area ecosystem restoration, and storm protection.

PROTECTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

Congressman Cao believes that when schools, businesses, civic organizations, and community volunteers partner with law enforcement, a powerful network is created to combat crime and provide safe neighborhoods to raise our children. In his eight months in office, he has:

• Secured $1.5 million in H.R. 2847 for the Greater New Orleans Crime Coalition to help our police officers keep our streets safe.

• Facilitated the release of $4 million to rebuild the NOPD District 7 Station House and the New Orleans Fire Station 36.

• Worked with attorneys, sheriffs, police chiefs, and the FBI on programs combating juvenile delinquency and gang activity.

REBUILDING OUR HOMES

Congressman Cao is fighting on behalf of Orleans and Jefferson Parish families to keep their homes during this time of crisis. In his eight months in office, he has:

• Secured a combined $1 million in H.R. 3288 and H.R. 3170 to restore neighborhoods that were destroyed by Katrina.

• Secured $550,000 in H.R. 3183 for the New Orleans chapter of Global Green USA to support building 23 units of green affordable housing in the Lower 9th Ward.

• Asked President Obama for a 90-day extension for the DHAP trailer rental program so area housing agencies could transition constituents to permanent housing.

PROVIDING ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND ADVOCATING PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE

Congressman Cao realizes that the rising cost of health care is an obstacle to the families of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. He is pushing to reform our health care system that would improve treatment outcomes, limit waste, and make prescription drugs more affordable. In his
eight months in office, Congressman Cao has:

• Brought state, federal, and local leadership together to resolve the Charity dispute, due to the critical need for a public hospital.

• Facilitated the release of $129 million in block grants to benefit the five area hospitals (East Jefferson, Ochsner, Tulane, Touro, and West Jefferson) that have filled the void left by Charity’s closure.

• Secured $450,000 in H.R. 3293 to rebuild Methodist Hospital and re-establish acute care hospital services in New Orleans East and an additional $700,000 for community health centers at Dillard University and the Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corporation.

• Promoted preventive health care, focusing on disease prevention:

-Hosted Representative Cao’s AAA Health Care Initiative in New Orleans, providing free disease screenings, information about discounted prescription drugs, and referrals from local medical specialists.

-Increased funding for State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) expanding access to children’s insurance.

-Joined his colleagues in the House to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and liver cancer prevention.

-Hosted free public hepatitis B & C screenings, including testing, counseling, and education.

-Co-sponsored the HEART for Women Act to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease in women.

-Secured $600,000 in H.R. 3293 for the Xavier University College of Pharmacy and the Tulane/RAND Center for Health and Society in Louisiana to provide resources for training of health officials and community health workers.

-Secured $500,000 in H.R. 3293 for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in Greater New Orleans to provide the elderly with more health care options.

LOWERING ENERGY COSTS AND PROTECTING OUR ENIRONMENT

Congressman Cao believes we all must protect our natural resources. In his eight months in
office, he has:

• Amended H.R. 2183, the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, to increase oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and promote nuclear power as a cornerstone of clean & reliable energy policy.

• Secured $1,000,000 in H.R. 3183 for the Clean Power Energy Research Consortium (CPERC), a joint-venture between the University of New Orleans, Tulane University, Southern University, and Louisiana State University to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gases emissions in the U.S.

EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN

Congressman Cao is dedicated to ensuring that all children of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes have access to quality education. He believes that well-educated students are the key to ensuring our economic future by providing a highly trained workforce to compete in
the world marketplace. In his eight months in office, he has:

• Facilitated the release of over $34 million for St. Mary’s Academy, the first Catholic secondary school for African-American girls in New Orleans.

• Facilitated the release of over $3 million for Holy Cross High School in New Orleans.

• Hosted “An Artistic Discovery: Congressional Creative Arts Forum” for local high school students and awarded the 2009 Congressional Art Award to promote the incorporation of arts in education.

• Supported the Green Schools Act providing funding to make school facilities safe, healthy, energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and technologically up-to-date.

• Facilitated the release of over $95 million in reimbursements to Tulane University for damages to Tulane’s facilities caused by Hurricane Katrina.

• Facilitated the release of $10.8 million to cover increased repair costs to the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center’s (LSUHSC) Clinical Education Building.

• Supported the expansion of the following programs: TRIO (Science & Technology, Engineering, and Math), Upward Bound, and College Scholars.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

On Friday, Congressman Cao made an appearance on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" from a local studio in Louisiana.

Congressman Cao and Rachel had an interesting conversation in which he called for civility at town halls as well as a civil, intelligent, and deliberate discussion to find real solutions for reforming our health care system.

Watch the full segment below.



Stay tuned to www.josephcao.house.gov for more updates, and tell your friends to sign up for the Cao e-newsletter!

Thursday, August 13th
Neighborhood Association Meeting
Irish Channel Christian Fellowship
819 First Street
New Orleans, LA
7pm-8pm CST

Tuesday, August 18th
Jefferson Performing Arts Center
177 Sala Avenue
Westwego, Louisiana
6pm – 7:30pm CST

Thursday, August 20th
Delgado Community College
West Bank Campus
2600 General Meyer Avenue
Building #1, Room 130
New Orleans, LA
6pm – 7:30pm CST

Friday, August 21st
New Zion Baptist Church
2319 Third St.
A.L. Davis Multi-Purpose Bldg
New Orleans, LA 70113
6:00 pm -7:30 pm CST

Wednesday, August 26th
5069 Willowbrook
New Orleans, LA 70129
6:45 - 8:00 pm CST

Friday, August 28th
Rhodes Facility
3933 Washington Avenue
New Orleans, LA
6:00-7:30PM CST

Monday, August 31st
Kenner Heritage Hall
303 Williams Blvd
Kenner, Louisiana
6pm – 7:30pm CST

Wednesday, September 2nd
St. John Bosco Family Life Center
2114 Oakmere Dr.
Harvey, LA 70058
7pm - 8:30pm CST

Thursday, September 3rd
Co-hosted with WBOK Radio
Schaumburg Elementary School
9501 Grant St.
New Orleans, LA
6pm - 7:30pm CST

Friday, September 4th
Our Lady Star of the Sea Church
1835 Saint Roch Ave.
New Orleans, LA
6pm-7:30pm CST

Saturday, September 5th
Bethany United Methodist Church
4533 Mendez Street, New Orleans, LA
12:00-1:30PM CST

Mr. Speaker,

August 29, 2009 will mark the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As I prepare to return to the second district, I am reflective not so much of the unprecedented damage that wreaked havoc on the innocent but on the power of the human spirit that was so evident in every citizen as they returned to New Orleans to rebuild their homes and jumpstart their communities.

I too lost everything in the storm. My wife and I like so many others were forced to start over after losing our home and business.

As Katrina became the byword for our nation’s social ills and failures, many even questioned the logic of rebuilding, but one look around New Orleans and Jefferson Parish today completely disputes that line of reasoning.

New Orleans and Jefferson Parish are reemerging as the productive areas that they once were. Tourism is back on the rise, and entrepreneurs are returning to reintroduce commerce and boost the job market.

But there is still much work to do. 

The Stafford Act must be redesigned to bring a systemic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments to aid citizens, and there must be a fundamental change in FEMA's approach to catastrophic disasters.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that as federal officials continue to work with state and community leaders, New Orleans and Jefferson Parish will be restored to its previous splendor, and the many people who were displaced will one day return home.

Yesterday, Congressman Cao delivered an opening statement  at a Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Hearing about FEMA's response to catastrophic disasters. He called for a fundamental transformation to the recovery efforts in New Orleans and in Jefferson Parish.

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

Thank you, Madame Chair. First of all, on behalf of my constituents, I’d like to thank the Chairwoman and Ranking Member for holding this important hearing today and their sustained attention to the recovery of the Orleans and Jefferson Parishes.

I also appreciate their recognizing the significant challenges to recovery presented by certain aspects of the Stafford Act. And when we are talking about the Stafford Act, one of the questions that we are exploring today is whether we should create under the act a separate incident level for catastrophic events.

And to help us clarify what these terms may imply, I would like to tell you what Katrina did to my district.
Many of the critical institutions like Charity Hospital and basically the entire health care infrastructures in the hardest hit New Orleans East have never reopened. Other basic services like police, fire and rescue, libraries and schools were wiped away by the floodwaters, and are simply today pad-locked shells of buildings.



In the immediate area around New Orleans, 80% of the buildings and 40% of the housing stock were damaged in some way. In my mind and the minds of constituents, what Katrina did to the Gulf Coast and to the Orleans and Jefferson Parishes was without a doubt a catastrophe.

After Katrina, I spent a significant amount of time talking to my constituents and also to federal officials with Administrator Fugate, with Mr. McCarthy for what changes need to be made to the Stafford Act. We are taking a comprehensive re-look at the Stafford Act and the regulations that support it, and I would seek your support, Madame Chairwoman and Mr. Ranking Member, in these efforts.

The Stafford Act is currently set up to provide recovery dollars on a project-by-project basis. For the Gulf Coast states that were hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, this is not optimal due to the extent of destruction.

The fact that we are nearly four years from this event, and the state and FEMA are still arguing over doorknobs, and whether a building that was flooded, gutted, and falling down was more or less than 50% damaged, demonstrates this.
In catastrophic or mega disasters, the state and localities need to have the flexibility to rethink and replan their recovery and hazard mitigation plans. They need to have the flexibility to decide whether rebuilding in the pre-disaster footprint is the best solution for the communities, long term.

What are some of the fixes that I hope to look at in regards to the Stafford Act? Legislatively, creating an incident level for catastrophes or mega disasters, for which a holistic look at the community needs would be taken. The feasibility of lump sum settlements in mega disasters like that which was legislated to respond to the disaster of September 11th. Shifting more responsibility to and thereby incentivizing states and localities to prepare better for disasters. For example, tying building codes to the amount of recovery dollars ultimately provided by the federal government. This is something that the Ranking Member has been working on through legislation, and I'm proud to support this. Revising the management structure of FEMA and other agencies to shift decision-making from the upper level management where bottlenecks occurred to the staff that is on the ground and meeting with local government representatives on a daily basis.

In the course of my conversations with the different parties, it has become abundantly clear to me that FEMA employees have been almost indoctrinated to believe that they are handcuffed by the Stafford Act, and therefore can't come up with out of the box solutions.

When you have major disasters like Hurricane Katrina, we need creative thinking. But FEMA employees are allowing themselves to be mired in red tape, causing them to retreat from difficult questions and creative solutions by hiding behind the Stafford Act and what it does and does not allow. My reading of the Stafford Act is that it is an incredibly flexible piece of legislation that was always invisioned to provide a framework.

The real problem is for decades, FEMA has been layering regulations one on top of another, which is actually what is hampering FEMA employees. FEMA has restricted itself with inconsistent regulations, so much so they can't be a partner in communities’ recovery, which is what they ought to be.

 I'm hopeful that Secretary Napolitano and Administrator Fugate will have the same sort of self-awakening about the restrictions to FEMA, and that they will fundamentally rework the regulations hampering performance. However, I want to make it clear if we don't see real progress in freeing up the creativity and proactive thinking of FEMA employees, we will draft legislation that requires you to do so.
With that, I'm looking forward to your testimonies, and I hope to work with you further in the future to look at a Stafford Act and how we can improve the cooperation of FEMA with the state and local employees. Thank you very much, Madame Chair.

END TRANSCRIPT