In this campaign, I will always put South Louisiana’s coastal issues first. Our future hinges on better, smarter approaches to hurricane protection and coastal restoration. If we fail to do what is needed to protect our coastal communities in the face of constant threat, little else matters.

Winning progress on coastal issues is no longer a luxury—it is now a matter of survival.

Therefore, I will fight to keep coastal protection and restoration squarely in the center of the debate, both in this campaign and in Washington, D.C. I pledge throughout this race to be an unwavering voice for reform of the current federal gridlock that leaves South Louisiana unprotected from potential devastation year after year. I promise to advance real solutions on these issues, and I will demand the same of any and every candidate seeking this office.

Louisiana must demand that the federal government make good on its continual promises of hurricane protection. We need reform that takes our future out of the exclusive hands of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Under the current approach, characterized by the endless studies and conflicting federal policies, the only certain result is delay. Research shows that the Corps’ projects take an average of 40 years from inception to completion.

Congress must finally acknowledge that this approach is and has been a failure. Real results will require a smarter approach that promotes cooperation among federal agencies, while involving and respecting local stakeholders. These reforms mean a better chance of survival for the communities in our District.

The parishes of our District are indispensable players in our national economy and must be recognized as such; A stronger Louisiana means a stronger America.

Our own District produces a quarter of our continent’s seafood and houses a third of America’s top fishery ports. We build a quarter of our nation’s transport ships, which go on to carry half a billion tons of cargo through our Delta every year. In 2007, our coast outpaced the entire state of Texas in crude oil production, and we supplied more barrels of it than Alaska by a margin of over two to one.

In South Louisiana, where unemployment rates are among the lowest in the nation, we are not mere consumers, but strong producers as well. Accordingly, it is past time that we get credit for these contributions and secure federal commitments to protect and grow our local industries.

On a national level, we simply cannot sustain the current level of government spending.

We must avoid further bailouts, and instead grow our economy by encouraging private investment and job-creating small businesses. We can capitalize our banks by giving people incentives to save rather than consume. When banks have money to lend, small businesses benefit, and so does our community.

Further, Congress must fulfill its pay-go obligation and replace federal waste with targeted, job-creating investments, such as identified infrastructural needs in regions like ours.