As you may have heard, the Mississippi Sound is being drastically impacted by the downstream effects from the Bonnet Carré Spillway releasing vast amounts of freshwater into our Gulf waters. I am diligently working to ensure that we minimize further damage to our delicate ecosystems along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. 

The Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS) is located in Louisiana and releases freshwater into Lake Ponchartrain, which then naturally flows into the Mississippi Sound. The spillway has been in existence for 88 years and is set to be opened for a second time this year, an action that has never been taken in the spillway's history. 

To begin taking federal action, I met with the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in my office this week to discuss the devastating effects occurring as a result of the freshwater infiltrating our waters. Following my meeting, I sent a letter to Major General Richard G. Kaiser, President of the Mississippi River Commission (MRC) and Commander of the Mississippi Valley Division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) expressing my deep concern for the impacts on Mississippi's coastal ecosystems caused by the re-opening of the spillway. 

Mississippians are facing the negative effects of the BCS with no voice at the table. In the letter I wrote, I am asking that Mississippi be granted a permanent position on the Mississippi River Commisssion to ensure the voices for our state's fishery and tourism communities have a say so in these important decisions. I also request that the USACE communicate a transparent plan that mitigates ecological damage as well as establishes preventative measures to ensure the situation does not repeat itself. I also request that an independent study of the Mississippi Sound be conducted so we can avoid irreparable damage and better understand the long-term downstream effects from the spillway. 

Mississippi's blue crabs as well as our world-renowned oyster and shrimp beds, the life blood for our seafood industry, are unable to thrive when faced with vast amounts of freshwater and polluted river water. Earlier this year, the crab catch was one third less than average and our oyster populations are being decimated. It is likely we will have a delayed shrimping season due to the major decrease in shrimp population sampling - all a result of the inundation of freshwater in the sound.

In 2019 alone, the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS), located in Gulfport, has recorded hundreds of dolphins and sea turtle carcasses suffering from freshwater lesions - a number higher than the loss from the BP oil spill. Which is why my office will continue working with the experts from our coast to address this situation. We will not stand idly by as our way of life deteriorates in front of us.

The damage caused by the spillway's openings could be irreversible and I am committed to mitigating as much of this catastrophe as possible. The livelihood of south Mississippi depends on our coastal ecosystems. 

You can the letter I sent this week by following the link here.

Meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers in my DC office

Voting Against Amnesty for Undocumented Immigrants
This week I voted against the Democrats bill that would have provided mass amnesty for undocumented immigrants. This legislation contained no immigration reforms to address the ongoing crisis at our border or close the loopholes plaguing our immigration system.

I find it reprehensible that Democrats want to provide mass amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants instead of focusing on the actual crisis on our border. We should not pass legislation that rewards illegal behavior and incentivizes hundreds of thousands of more people to march toward our borders. We have immigration loopholes that demand Congressional action and Democrats have chosen to pass a bill that won't see the light of day in the Senate

I will continue opposing Democrats' actions meant to undermine our President and the safety of our country. 


As always, I'd like to remind you to connect with me on social media so you can receive frequent updates on the work I am doing in Congress through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

In your service, Steven