Bill Cassidy

WASHINGTON – Freed from having to toe the party line after losing a Republican primary, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy last week expanded his list of GOP politicos he’s criticizing to include Gov. Jeff Landry – one of the chief architects of his political downfall – for undermining a cornerstone of his campaign strategy.

“I’m a little bit amused by my contributions not being acknowledged by Gov. Landry,” Cassidy told local reporters in a teleconference press briefing.

Attacked by many Louisiana Republicans for his 2021 vote to convict President Donald Trump of impeachment charges, Cassidy focused his 2026 campaign message on how effectively he has added federal bacon to local plates – even when it meant compromising with Democrats.

But, after ballots were counted May 16, Cassidy was voted out. U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, the Baton Rouge Republican who Landry and President Donald Trump endorsed, and State Treasurer John Fleming, the Minden Republican and former Trump staffer, will meet in the June 27 runoff to decide who will represent Republicans in the Nov. 4 general election.

The loss untethered a usually cautious Cassidy, who now is criticizing Trump and some of his top allies.

“Mr. President, I’m speaking to you just for a second, I’m speaking to President Trump, Mr. President, Mr. President Trump, get engaged,” Cassidy said Wednesday during a floor speech about healthcare affordability, slamming the podium for emphasis.

Landry refused to comment on Cassidy’s observations.

Who delivered the money?

Cassidy’s “effectiveness” messaging never gained traction — partially because he was the only Louisiana Republican reminding voters of his work during the past 11 years as senator.

Now Landry is trotting out some of the programs Cassidy helped secure, the senator says. The governor has couched them as major victories for his administration without mentioning Cassidy’s role.

For instance, Cassidy points to Landry’s April 29 ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles. The $2.3 billion project will feature six to eight lanes, full shoulders, center barriers, lower approach inclines, and increased overhead clearance to replace the 74-year-old bridge built by Gov. Earl K. Long, which now carries upwards of 90,000 vehicles per day.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, delivered videotaped messages at the ceremony extolling the official start of a long-sought project.

Landry then name checked a long list of contributors, demanding standing ovations for some.

“A deal like this doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because we demand people think outside the box and a willingness to do things differently,” Landry said.

Cassidy’s name went unmentioned. But he was the only Republican in Louisiana’s congressional delegation to vote for Democratic President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was widely criticized by Trump and Republicans.

It was that bill that brought $150 million for the Calcasieu Bridge.

Trump promised a new bridge during a visit in 2019, which was mentioned a lot in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Biden used the bridge as a visual backdrop in 2021 to demonstrate the need for updating infrastructure. When he was governor, Democrat John Bel Edwards came up with a $2.1 billion plan that stalled because of Republican opposition.

Upon becoming governor in 2024, Landry jump started the bridge project, which also includes money for the state general fund, bond proceeds, redirected road taxes, and a public-private partnership that hinges on tolls.

It’s not just the Lake Charles bridge the Landry administration touts as major victories for the governor, Cassidy said.

Initiatives to expand broadband across rural areas of Louisiana, which the Landry has rolled out at a series of ribbon cuttings, includes a large pool of federal money from Biden’s Infrastructure Act.

And last month, Landry announced the launch of the state’s Rural Tech Catalyst Fund to support companies seeking to improve healthcare access in Louisiana.

Cassidy said that money comes from wording in last summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill he secured through his work on the Senate Finance committee and as chair of the Senate Health Education Labor & Pensions committee. The bill included a $50 billion appropriation for rural hospitals to expand access to health technologies in rural areas.

“I was deeply involved in all parts of it, but particularly the healthcare portion, working closely with Dr. Oz to make sure that Louisiana rural families and rural communities got their fair share,” Cassidy said, referring to Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“Again, you wouldn't know that from Gov. Landry speaking about who to acknowledge. But I am glad that he acknowledges the worthiness of those programs,” Cassidy said.