Fresh off a pair of 60 percent-plus victories over Hunt Downer in the primary and Ravi Sangisetty in the general election, Congressman-elect Jeff Landry (R-New Iberia) announced today that he’s picked up a pair of committee assignments important to the 3rd District of Louisiana – namely, the Transportation & Infrastructure and Natural Resources Committees.

“These critical Committee posts allow me the opportunity to fight Washington’s job-killing agenda crippling our oil and gas industry – the economic engine of Coastal Louisiana,” Landry said, “These assignments are also a tremendous opportunity to push for coastal restoration and flood protection.”

Most of the Louisiana coast is in LA-3, from St. Bernard Parish in the least all the way to Vermilion Bay (Iberia Parish) in the west. As such, his role in Transportation & Infrastructure will put Landry in a position to drive Corps of Engineers projects and hurricane protection measures. He’ll also be in a position to drive the completion of the I-49 and Morganza-to-the-Gulf projects. Transportation & Infrastructure is also the committee which oversees maritime and waterborne transportation, and oil and gas pipelines as well.

Landry will take a spot on Transportation & Infrastructure being vacated by Joseph Cao, who lost re-election in the 2nd District to Democrat Cedric Richmond.

“Being the nation’s leader in maritime jobs and the home to Port Fourchon, this district’s economy depends on the future success of offshore energy exploration in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Landry. “I am committed to giving the people of South Louisiana a coast that is protected, roads that support our industries, and a government that empowers – not hinders – our job-creating businesses.”

 The Natural Resources committee spot opened up for Landry when 6th District Rep. Bill Cassidy of Baton Rouge moved on to the Energy & Commerce Committee – an assignment which the latter picked up last week. Given that better than 100,000 residents of LA-3 work in either seafood or oil and gas – or at least better than 100,000 of them did prior to the Deepwater Horizon spill and the Obama administration’s moratorium on offshore drilling in the Gulf – a seat on Natural Resources is an important pickup for the district.

“My assignment to the Natural Resources Committee will not only allow us to safeguard our fisheries and wildlife, but also dramatically improve our local economic climate by impacting the drilling permit process. The Obama Administration fails to understand how deeply their out-of-touch policies have devastated the livelihoods of South Louisiana’s working families. We must change the tone in Washington and restore a responsible and responsive government that will help put our people back to work,” Landry said.

The Natural Resources committee will be chaired by Doc Hastings (R-WA), while the Transportation & Infrastructure committee’s incoming chairman will be John Mica (R-FL). Both currently serve as the ranking Republicans on those committees.

Landry will join both committees on Jan. 5 when the new Congress is sworn in. “I want to thank the House Leadership and the Steering Committee for recognizing the needs of South Louisiana. I am humbled by their trust and grateful for their selections,” he said.