WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured approximately $122 million for Louisiana special projects in a package of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 spending bills now on its way to President Donald Trump's desk.

"In my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, I've chased my colleagues like they stole Christmas to get Louisiana the funds we need for projects ranging from hospitals and labs to our roadways, airports, and emergency infrastructure. This $122 million will make Louisiana communities safer, healthier, and more prosperous, and I'm proud that Congress has voted to send this package to President Trump for signature," said Kennedy.

The package includes spending from the Transportation, Housing, Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, among others.

Kennedy's wins in these subcommittees are in addition to the $284.7 million for Louisiana projects that Kennedy delivered in a previous FY 2026 spending package.

FY 2026 Transportation, Housing, Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bill:

Kennedy delivered $88.55 million for Louisiana special projects in the Transportation, Housing, Urban Development, and Related Agencies spending bill.

From the Department of Transportation:

• St. Bernard Transportation Corridor ($10 million)
  • Provides a grade-separated crossing of the recently constructed 40 Arpent Trail over the high-speed, four-lane LA 47 (Paris Road) in St. Bernard Parish.

• West Bank Rail Alignment Project ($8 million)
  • Completes the final design for a project to move freight trains off streets in Gretna, La., Westwego, La., and associated Westbank communities and onto a safer, shorter route.

• Millhaven Interchange Mega-Project ($7 million)
  • Constructs a new interchange and two-lane roadways for the proposed Millhaven Industrial Park in Ouachita Parish. The infrastructure will support the community surrounding Meta's 4 million square-foot data center amid an estimated increase in commuters.

• Acadiana Regional Airport ($6.6 million)
  • Expands apron space and constructs an approximately 150,000 square-foot hangar at Acadiana Regional Airport, to be used to convert retired Boeing 767 passenger aircraft into cargo aircraft.

• Ascension Parish Airline Highway Raising Project ($6 million)
  • Raises a flood-prone portion of Airline Highway between Sorrento and Interstate 10 in Ascension Parish.

• U.S. 190 Widening Project ($5 million)
  • Widens U.S. 190 between LA 437 (Lee Road) and LA 25 to alleviate current and forecasted congestion along the US 190 corridor through Covington, La., and western St. Tammany Parish.

• Tangipahoa Parish Airport Road and Highway 3158 Roundabout Project ($5 million)
  • Designs and constructs two new roundabouts in Tangipahoa Parish, adjacent to Interstate 12 and Highway 3158, to improve public safety and traffic flow.

• Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District Improvements ($5 million)
  • Modernizes the Port of Lake Charles' Industrial Canal facility by paving 12 acres of underutilized land, including connectivity enhancements between warehouses, fabrication buildings, and the waterfront.

• Topsy Bel Road Bridge Replacement ($3 million)
  • Designs, engineers, and installs a new bridge in place of the existing Topsy Bel Road Bridge in Allen Parish.

• LA 47/Hayne Boulevard Improvements ($2.55 million)
  • Improves the LA 47/Hayne Boulevard corridor to undertake a narrowing of the vehicular roadway from four to two lanes, including a Complete Streets approach to accommodate bicycle, pedestrian, and transit stop amenities.

• Chennault International Airport ($1.7 million)
  • Expands Chennault International Airport's painting facilities, including a new single-bay paint hangar and an accompanying apron.

• Houma-Terrebonne Airport Commission ($1 million)
  • Upgrades the west ramp at the Houma-Terrebonne Airport and doubles its weight capacity.

From the Department of Housing and Urban Development:

• Rough Edge Road Interchange ($7 million)
  • Completes the planning and design of a new Interstate 20 interchange at the current Rough Edge Road overpass in Lincoln Parish.

• Lafayette Emergency Operations Center (EOC) ($5 million)
  • Constructs a modern EOC to support Lafayette Parish and the surrounding region during disaster response and recovery efforts.

• Aviation Career and Education (ACE) Initiative Building Construction ($4.5 million)
  • Renovates an existing building and adds an additional building, housing a new maintenance shop and classrooms, at England Airpark for the ACE Initiative in Alexandria, La.

• Riverfront Revitalization Project ($4.5 million)
  • Assists the City of Abbeville in redeveloping the Historic Riviana Mall, including moving and consolidating two electrical substations to ensure more reliable power.

• Food Bank Improvements ($2.5 million)
  • Supports the Terrebonne Churches United Food Bank to better assist the hungry.

• Monroe, La., Citywide Storm Drainage and Sanitary Sewer Project ($2.2 million)
  • Provides necessary improvements to the City of Monroe's stormwater and sewer systems.

• Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana ($2 million)
  • Supports the creation of a hub to address hunger and organize emergency responses in southwest Louisiana.

FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill

Kennedy achieved $29 million in funding for Louisiana special projects through the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies spending bill.

• Centenary College of Louisiana ($10 million)
  • Renovates an existing building to help establish a new School of Health Sciences.

• Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center New Orleans ($4.5 million)
  • Provides research laboratory equipment for three floors of renovated research lab space.

• Natchitoches Regional Medical Center ($4.035 million)
  • Purchases PET/CT equipment for Natchitoches Regional Medical Center's cancer center.

• Jackson Parish Hospital ($4 million)
  • Constructs a new rural health clinic with an emphasis on women's health.

• University of Louisiana Lafayette ($2.5 million)
  • Provides research laboratory equipment for the New Iberia Research Center Bio-Safety Facility Level 3 facility upgrade.

• St. Tammany Health System ($1.050 million)
  • Funds equipment and equipment installation in a Nursing and Allied Health Workforce Simulation Lab space to train health care workers.

• Ochsner LSU Health-Monroe Medical Center ($1.010 million)
  • Supports the modernization of equipment within the Monroe Medical Center's maternal delivery suites.

• Boys and Girls Clubs of Acadiana ($1 million)
  • Supports eight current club sites in Louisiana.

• University of Louisiana Monroe ($905,000)
  • Purchases a new mobile dental hygiene unit to serve the Louisiana Delta region and other parts of the state.

FY 2026 Financial Services and General Government Bill:

Kennedy secured $4.4 million for Louisiana special projects through the Financial Services and General Government spending bill.

• Jefferson Parish Economic Development and Port District ($3.65 million)
  • Supports the construction of a regional food and beverage hub on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish, providing small businesses technical assistance and programming to help them grow.

• Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities ($750,000)
  • Supports the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities' disaster preparedness and preservation program, which helps small- and medium-sized organizations prepare for disasters by cataloging, preserving, digitizing, and building archives.