On October 5, 2022, the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame was the site for the very first visit of our United States Representative for the Fifth Congressional District, Julia Letlow. Congresswoman Letlow was invited to Winnfield by Rotarian Bob Holeman, who orchestrated the special luncheon meeting with his usual efficiency and attention to detail.
An excited crowd gathered to welcome Congresswoman Letlow, who was elected to Congress in a special election a year and a half ago, to Winnfield. One of the first to welcome the Congresswoman to Winnfield was president of Winn Parish’s fourth grade 4H club, Mia Whisonant, who presented a card and gift prepared by her club to the guest of honor. Other 4H members of the high school club attended to help serve lunch and hear Mrs. Letlow speak.
Congresswoman Letlow’s husband, Luke, was elected to Louisiana’s Fifth District Congressional seat in the regular election of November 2020, but passed away before taking office. Although Mrs. Letlow had not considered running for political office before her husband’s election and subsequent passing, she was encouraged to do so by many of his supporters, and succeeded in winning the seat. “I am proud to represent all of the 780,000 people of the Fifth District, and I want to thank you for taking a chance on me,” she told her audience. “The best part of being in Congress is seeing Washington, D. C., through the eyes of my children, ages 5 and 2.”
Mrs. Letlow said that she and others in Congress have been working hard in the last year and a half to solve the problems of our country, despite what we hear in the news reports. She commented on the difficulties caused by inflation, especially in the price of gasoline which hits rural areas like ours hardest. She is working to loosen restrictions on production of oil and gas so that the United States can return to energy independence.
The Congresswoman followed the plan her husband had devised to get on the very important appropriations committee as a freshman congressman. It is not easy to get on appropriations, particularly as a freshman representative, but by the grace of God, a seat on the committee opened up, and she was able to persuade her colleagues to appoint her to the committee. This committee appointment gives her a say in where our federal dollars go. Before her appointment to this committee, Mrs. Letlow could not even get a meeting with the director of the Veterans’ Administration to discuss the decision to close the VA medical center in Pineville, but once she was appointed, HE was asking to meet with her!
Mrs. Letlow received two subcommittee appointments on the appropriations committee. Because she knows how important agriculture is to Louisiana, and it will always be king in the Fifth District, she is excited to have a seat on the appropriations’ agriculture subcommittee. Her other subcommittee assignment is education, which she knows is the key to the future and lifting our region out of poverty. Therefore, she will champion education across the board, K-12, technical and community colleges, and universities in Louisiana.
“I am working to bring taxes down, and also to make sure the Fifth Congressional District gets back our share of what its citizens pay to the federal government,” says Congresswoman Letlow, “and $319 million is coming back to the district for university programs to help relieve the nursing and teacher shortages and for roads.”
Mrs. Letlow encouraged her constituents to reach out to her office if they need help with something related to the federal government. She also solicits the prayers of her district for herself and her family.
As the program concluded, the meeting was adjourned with the Rotary motto, “Service above self!” of which Congresswoman Julia Letlow is a wonderful example!
Pictured above: Winn Parish 4-H Club members with Letlow
