February 22, 2026
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) — U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell joined WLOX’s Bill Snyder and Hugh Keeton to discuss recent congressional issues ahead of the Republican primary for the 4th Congressional District. Supreme Court blocks tariffs Over the weekend, it was revealed that the Supreme Court blocked President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The vote was 6-3, with Justices Thomas, Alito and Kavanaugh dissenting. While he does not necessarily agree with the decision, as someone from a law enforcement background, Ezell said the Supreme Court’s decision is final and should be respected. “Sometimes we don’t always agree with the court, but it’s still the law of the land,” he said. “And that’s what we’re going to abide by, you know, may not like it, but that’s the law of the land. And the Supreme Court is the final answer.” President Trump wants to impose 15% tariff, up from 10% he announced after Supreme Court decision Flood insurance remains a major concern amid government shutdown Flood insurance reform is a major concern for Ezell. Ezell said it has been difficult trying to work with FEMA to implement new floodplain maps. “I have, since day one, I’ve been in Congress, I have been struggling and fighting with FEMA and these floodplain maps. We have the maps. We need to get them implemented. That’s been an ongoing issue. But again, FEMA has dragged their feet.” But with the current government shutdown, that fight has become even more difficult. “Now that FEMA is not being funded right now, that’s even more of a feet-dragging deal or a boat anchor,” he said. “It’ll make such a big difference for our people and our home builders and our businesses. I’m not going to let up on this flood insurance until we get it done.” Ezell said the work FEMA does is vital, but it should be reorganized. “Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, FEMA is very vital to the country and we all know that. But I’ll tell you, it needs to be reorganized. The president has talked about that continually and I’m part of the solution. I’m going to keep working with that so that we can get that done, so we can be more efficient about what we’re doing.” Trump says he plans to phase out FEMA after 2025 hurricane season Coast community still affected by Bonnet Carré Spillway opening Ezell has been very vocal against the Corps of Engineers opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway. Since the spillway was opened in 2019, the Mississippi Sound Coalition has been formed to advocate for the Mississippi Gulf Coast when it comes to concerns about the Bonnet Carré. Mississippi Sound Coalition calls for reform to spillway openings as river levels rise “We still work with the Army Corps. We still work with the Coalition. You know, there’s so many things. We have been getting some good response lately from the Corps, and I feel like we’re going to continue to move forward,” he said. “But again, it’s like the old saying, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and I’ve been the squeaky wheel dealing with the Army Corps, flood insurance, and so many other issues dealing with the government, EPA being one of them as well.” Ezell said he has had bipartisan support for the work he has done on both flood and environmental protection. “You know, and I’ll tell you this, we work real well with Troy Carter over in New Orleans, one of our people that we work with on the other side of the aisle. They have just as many problems over there with flooding. New Orleans, we all know that. So I’ve got help with him, and I’m going to continue to fight for us so we can get this done.” Beyond the spillway, Ezell said transportation infrastructure is another concern. After nearly four years, the Highway 90 bridge from Pearlington to Louisiana is still out. While the Coast did not experience any major tropical systems during the 2025 hurricane season, had there been a hurricane, the closure means the people of Hancock County would have had one less evacuation route. Pearl River Bridge on U.S. 90 could be closed until 2028 Hurricane season ends with quiet year for Mississippi Gulf Coast “I had some conversation with the Louisiana governor. He was in Washington a while back, and we talked about it. I’m serving on transportation and infrastructure, and that’s certainly something we’re trying to start working on and try to get some sort of agreement and understanding, and we could get that done,” Ezell said. “I mean, there’s so many things that we need to get done for South Mississippi that are so important. Flood insurance, bridges redone, Bonnet Carré Spillway, all the things that matter to South Mississippi.” Louisiana lieutenant governor discusses Bonnet Carré Spillway impact on Mississippi Sound Coast Guard Station Pascagoula to return to full response operations In December, the U.S. Coast Guard said Station Pascagoula on Singing River Island will return to full response operations in 2026. Coast Guard to restore Station Pascagoula to full operations in 2026 Ezell said he’s proud to have been a part of bringing full operations back to the station. “I’ve always said this, I compare the Coast Guard kind of like to law enforcement. You know, when somebody calls or in an emergency, they don’t want to hear, well, we don’t have resources. We can’t answer that call. Now we’ll be able to answer all those calls and I’m very proud to be the lead vocal guy on that and getting that done.” Full response operations will mean more people in the area. Ezell said that will be important for the local economy. “Well, that’s going to mean more people here. That’s going to be help for the economy. That’s going to be another ship. There’s going to be other assets that are going to be brought to Pascagoula,” he said. “When they repair these ships, the money that’s spent from the locals where they buy parts, add to the repair work that will be done on them. You know, so it’s going to be a big impact for the Mississippi Gulf Coast and for the people coming here to work.” Primary elections nearing Primary elections are Tuesday, March 10. After more than 42 years in law enforcement, Ezell said he chose to run for office because of a love for Mississippi and a desire to make the state better. “Well, I want to get some things done for my home, which is Mississippi. I love our state. This is my home. I have children, granddaughter, and I want to get things done for our state so that we’ll have a better place to live and raise our families.” With a record as long as his own, Ezell said he feels good about the primary. “I’ve been in office. I’ve been a public servant since I was 19 years old and police officer, chief of police, sheriff. I’ve got a record. I got a proven record of serving the public, getting the job done for the people that I work for.” WLOX News contacted all candidates and invited them to participate in interviews throughout February to discuss their positions and priorities.
