On the heels of a third-place finish in last fall’s gubernatorial election, Public Service commissioner Scott Angelle, a former parish president in St. Martin and head of the state Department of Natural Resources under former Gov. Bobby Jindal, announced Thursday that he will run for the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by Senate-seeking U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany.
Angelle, an affable politician from Breaux Bridge known for accentuating his Cajun heritage, released the following statement Thursday:
Our families and communities in Southwest Louisiana, who help feed and fuel this nation, are struggling to survive oil prices at historic lows. Layoffs are happening every day. Our people need to know that Washington has our back. Instead, Washington’s answer is more regulations and a massive job-killing tax hike. It makes absolutely no sense.
Time and time again, when things get bad, the politicians in Washington rush in and make it worse! It’s time we make them listen. And this is no ordinary time. Our families are suffering, our coast is eroding, our jobs are disappearing and Washington refuses to listen to us.
That’s why, today, I am announcing my candidacy for the Third Congressional District. I’m going to Washington and I’m going to make them listen.
The last time the oil and gas economy was under attack was when Washington declared a moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling. But we fought back, we stood up, we spoke out, and we made Washington listen. I said it at the time, and I believe it to this day, the drilling moratorium did not hurt the shareholders of BP, Exxon, and Chevron, it hurt the Boudreauxs and the Thibodeauxs and the Cheramies and the Calais. We came together. We spoke with one voice. And we made Washington listen.
But Washington’s incompetence and overreach did not end with the Moratorium. In fact, it would take too long to list the problems Washington politicians have created for us...Veterans not receiving the care they deserve because of a corrupt and incompetent Veterans Administration...Farmers harassed by an Environmental Protection Agency too focused on regulating backyard puddles...Hard-working families struggling with rising healthcare costs because of Washington’s unwillingness to repeal and replace ObamaCare…The growing threat of terrorism from radical Islam…The federal government threatening to take away critical royalties for coastal restoration...and now we have our jobs and salaries threatened by a rising wave of illegal immigration because Washington politicians refuse to listen and secure our border.
As your congressman, I will defend the Second Amendment, protect the sanctity of life and fight for religious freedom. I will stand up for our brave law enforcement officers and I will never cave to political correctness. I’ll continue to be a partner to our coastal ports, support our local farmers, and work with our economic development partners to cut the red tape and allow job creation.
Public service should be about hard work, addressing problems head-on, and serving the public with courtesy and kindness.
It’s time we make the Washington politicians listen. Make them listen to us and make the changes needed so we can grow our economy and create jobs. We are going to travel across this district from the Sabine to the Atchafalaya, from Big Lake to Bayou Teche, from the Calcasieu, the Mermentau and the Vermillion to meet all of the people of the Third Congressional District and earn the chance to serve the people of this great state.
Times are tough right now, but I will always believe that Louisiana and America’s best days are ahead of us. My wife, Dianne, our five children, Zack, Alexandra, Simone, Jean-Paul, Marissa, our son-in-law, Louis, and I humbly ask for your prayers and for your vote this Fall as we set out to make Washington listen.