U.S. Rep. Dr. Ralph Abraham, R-La., and his wife Dianne invited Bogalusa Mayor Wendy Perrette to be their guest at the annual First Lady’s Luncheon.

Perrette accompanied Mrs. Abraham to the luncheon to hear from First Lady Michelle Obama at the Washington Hilton on Thursday, May 12.

“We’re so glad that Wendy could join Dianne at the luncheon,” Abraham said. “It’s important to us that we’re able to showcase our women leaders from the 5th Congressional District at national events like the First Lady’s Luncheon.”

Perrette said, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’m honored Dianne thought to invite me. I think so much of the Abraham family.”

In addition to the luncheon, Abraham and Perrette met to discuss the ongoing recovery efforts in the Bogalusa area from March’s flood. Abraham drove to Bogalusa during the rain, volunteered at a shelter and met with local officials and first responders while the storm moved through the area.

“He’s done a lot for Washington Parish,” Perrette said. “After the flood, he was right there with us. He worked with the National Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers. Anything we needed, he was there to help.”

Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District includes all of Washington Parish, parts of other Florida Parishes and most of Central Louisiana and Northeast Louisiana.

Abraham was elected to Congress in December 2014. It was his first run for public office and the first public office he has held.

He currently serves on the Veterans Affairs Committee, where he is also the chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, a rare distinction for freshman lawmakers. He is also a member of the Agriculture Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Prior to serving in Congress, Abraham ran a successful medical practice in rural Richland Parish. He is also a veterinarian, a volunteer with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, a farmer and a veteran of the National Guard.