The immediate, highest priority need, in my humble opinion, is that we build quickly the interim structures that can channel water away from population and businesses in the New Orleans area.

) against Tauzin and accused him of using unethical tactics to push a bill that "the pharmaceutical lobbyists wrote". Tauzin defeated Democratic State Senator Tony Guarisco and another Democrat who also later turned Republican: Jim Donelon.

He was also a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1980 to 2005 representing Louisiana's 3rd congressional district. He was President and CEO of PhRMA a pharmaceutical company lobby group.