WASHINGTON – Congressman Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, took a bipartisan group of lawmakers to New Orleans Monday to review security measures ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Increased safety measures will be present in the city for the big game after a man rammed a pickup truck through the crowd on Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The terror attack killed 14 people and injured dozens. Strong and other lawmakers visited the memorial honoring those killed.
“It’s still heart touching to see the lives that were lost right here on Bourbon Street, but also on a positive note, I saw a family member of someone that lost a loved one that got engaged right here at this memorial, so it’s very touching to the heart, no doubt,” Strong said.
Strong is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology. He was joined on the trip by Reps. Andy Ogles, R-TN, Julie Johnson, D-TX, and Nellie Pou, D-NJ. The group visited with officials from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and New Orleans Police Department. Strong said the committee will continue to conduct oversight of the attack on Bourbon Street.
“This tragedy could happen in any state, any city—that is why it is so important that we invest in local law enforcement and give them the capabilities they need to prevent crimes before they happen,” Strong said in a statement.
The delegation also toured the Caesars Superdome and had a briefing there with law enforcement officials and the NFL.
“The other thing this bipartisan group is going to be able to see is how this communication process works,” Strong said. “You’re looking at state, federal, local, a lot of agencies working together. A large presence of law enforcement. This is what it takes, people working together to save Americans.”
The lawmakers also stopped by the New Orleans Convention Center and received a briefing from the Transportation Security Administration.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell also visited the memorial and discussed the safety preparations for the Super Bowl.