BATON ROUGE, LA – In a rare moment of unity, Louisiana Reps. Cleo Fields (D) and Clay Higgins (R) have co-sponsored a crawfish-related bill that accomplishes little more than proving Congress is technically still capable of introducing legislation. The proposed Crawfish Accountability in Federal Labeling and Standards Act aims to increase transparency around imported crawfish, but more importantly, it gave both men a chance to appear in the same photo smiling.
“This is about protecting Louisiana traditions,” Fields said, holding a ladle like a gavel. Higgins agreed, noting, “Whether you vote red or blue, crawfish always boil red.”
The bill, which has no funding mechanism, limited support outside Louisiana, and no scheduled vote, has nonetheless been praised as a “step toward seasoning-based diplomacy.” It now sits in committee, surrounded by a circle of other forgotten legislation, soaking in bureaucratic delay.
Critics note that the bill lacks funding, widespread support, or a path forward, but lawmakers insist it’s “symbolic” which, in the Capitol, is another word for “dead on arrival.” Even so, the act of introducing it was enough to ignite a brief flicker of unity in a chamber more accustomed to gridlock than agreement.
For one glorious afternoon, Congress united not over taxes or war, but tails, claws, and butter. And for politics, that’s not just unity, it’s progress you can almost taste.
