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NEW ORLEANS - Today, Council President Helena Moreno praised the hiring of former mayor Mitch Landrieu as Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator for President Biden's bipartisan infrastructure bill. The nearly $1 trillion package is the largest federal investment in US infrastructure in history.
“Mayor Landrieu is exactly the leader this country needs to effectively and aggressively implement the landmark bipartisan infrastructure package,” said Council President Moreno. “New Orleans needs a significant investment in grid hardening and resiliency, as well as drainage, water management, and more. Mayor Landrieu knows intimately the needs of our city, and I’m confident he’ll be a powerful ally for New Orleans in D.C.”
Council President Moreno has led the effort to prepare New Orleans’ electricity grid for new federal investment, beginning the system resiliency and storm hardening process with Resolution R-21-401. Recent events, including Hurricane Ida, have laid bare the obvious need for grid investment to protect New Orleans from turbulent weather to come. Stakeholders will present plans for system upgrades by early spring 2022 in preparation for federal investments.
The White House statement reports that “Landrieu will oversee the most significant and comprehensive investments in American infrastructure in generations — work that independent experts verify will create millions of high-paying, union jobs while boosting our economic competitiveness in the world, strengthening our supply chains, and acting against inflation for the long term.”
“I am thankful to the president and honored to be tasked with coordinating the largest infrastructure investment in generations,” said Landrieu in response to his new role. “Our work will require strong partnerships across the government and with state and local leaders, business, and labor to create good-paying jobs and rebuild America for the middle class. We will also ensure these major investments achieve the president’s goals of combating climate change and advancing equity.”
Read the full statement here.
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