LA-05: Julia Letlow (R)

REPLACING:

Luke Letlow (R)[i]

WORK HISTORY:

University of Louisiana-Monroe (Executive Assistant to the President for External Affairs & Community Outreach / Executive Director of External Affairs & Strategic Communications; Director of Marketing & Communications); Tulane University (Director of Education / Director of Resident Patient Safety & Quality Improvement / Clinical Instructor)[ii] [iii]

EDUCATION:

BA, University of Louisiana-Monroe; MA, University of Louisiana-Monroe; PhD, University of South Florida[iv]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Agriculture, Economy, Education & Workforce Development, Energy, Health, Veterans[v]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Letlow has said she is “100% pro-life,” vowing to “always fight for the unborn.”[vi] She has an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which praised her for opposing using tax dollars to fund abortion and protecting the rights of health care providers who refuse to perform abortions.[vii]

ECONOMY, JOBS & TAXES:

Letlow has said she would oppose “any increase to the minimum wage.”[viii] She has vowed to secure infrastructure funding for her district and expand internet access, but she did not support either infrastructure bill in Congress in 2021.[ix][x] She has blamed government policies for inflation, noting, “It’s time for us to finally put a stop to this out-of-control government spending and put our economy back on track.” She voted in favor of the $1.5 trillion omnibus and supplemental package in March 2021. [xi]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

Letlow has said she will work to end the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) “which unfairly penalizes retirees' Social Security benefits.” [xii] She also supports expanding rural broadband to improve healthcare options in her district. Letlow, whose husband died after a battle with coronavirus, is a staunch supporter of vaccination.[xiii]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

After detained immigrants were released in her district without warning, Letlow co-sponsored legislation (HR 6592) to require that state leaders be informed of such releases ahead of time.[xiv] She has criticized the H2-A and H-2B visa programs for migrant workers, saying that abuse of the programs hurts Louisiana’s farmers and seasonal businesses.[xv] In April 2022, she co-sponsored the Upholding The Law at Our Border Act (HR 6239) to “give more resources and information to law enforcement and strengthen border security.”[xvi]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

In March 2022, Letlow secured a grant for police body cameras in Alexandria, Louisiana.[xvii]

GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS & ELECTION SECURITY:

Letlow has said she will “fight to ensure we have secure and safe elections.”[xviii]

EDUCATION:

Letlow has listed “supporting education” among her priorities, noting, “education is a catalyst to elevate the district out of poverty.” [xix] She has also said that parents need a stronger voice in the education of their children, noting, “We saw for the first time in the [2021] Virginia governor’s race that parents are fed up.” [xx] She sponsored a “Parents Bill of Rights” bill that could be among the first measures pursued by a Republican House in 2023.[xxi]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Noting the importance of the oil and gas industry to Louisiana, Letlow has said she will “always fight to make sure we support and protect our oil and gas industry. [xxii] She has a lifetime score of 13 percent from the League of Conservation Voters.[xxiii] She supports “unleashing” US energy production to combat high energy prices.[xxiv]

GUN SAFETY:

Letlow has said she is a “staunch defender of our Constitutional right to bear arms.”[xxv] Following the Uvalde shooting, she declined to support any new gun control measures such as expanded background checks or an assault weapons ban.[xxvi] In 2021, she co-sponsored the Gun Owner Registration Information Protection Act, to ensure “no taxpayer funding is used to pay for invasive gun registries.”[xxvii]

BIG TECH & DATA PRIVACY:

Letlow said she voted for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 in part because “our adversaries such as Russia and China [are] becoming increasingly more aggressive.”[xxviii]