GONZALES — U.S. Senator John Kennedy touted wins in infrastructure, federal funding and small business growth at the Ascension Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Tuesday.

"It is just so great to be home," U.S. Senator John Kennedy stated at the start of the event.

After praising Louisiana, Kennedy began detailing the economic impact that will soon affect the state.

With this year's budget, Kennedy secured $34 million for fiscal year 2026. Some $23 million will go toward flood risk reduction for the Upper Barataria Basin. This project will focus on reducing flooding in Ascension and six other Louisiana Parishes.

Additionally, another $6 million is allocated for the Ascension Parish Airline Highway raising project, which will elevate a flood-prone stretch of Airline Highway between Sorrento and I-10. An additional $5 million will go towards the Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Study, which will focus on flood reduction, navigation and ecosystem restoration.

"I want to thank every single business woman and business man here in this room," Kennedy said. "Thank you for the jobs you create for our state." 

He also pointed to a few new businesses that are coming to Ascension Parish, such as CF Industries and Hyundai Motor Group, which have brought billions of dollars in new private investments to Ascension Parish. Hyundai Motor Group announced a $5.8 billion investment last May to build the first North American steel production facility in Ascension Parish, which is expected to support bring in more than 1,300 jobs.

CF Industries, JERA and Mitsui are developing Blue Point One, a major low-carbon ammonia facility in Ascension Parish. The companies broke ground on the project late last month, and when completed, it is expected to be the world's largest low-carbon ammonia plant.