WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on Tuesday introduced the Commercial Fishing and Aquaculture Protection Act of 2019, which would establish a permanent disaster assistance program for commercial fishing and aquaculture operations.
Fisheries and other seafood producers in Louisiana frequently face significant losses due to hurricanes, flooding or changes in water salinity. This legislation would help alleviate those losses by providing revenue-based relief, similar to the well-established USDA disaster programs for farmers.
“The commercial fishing industry is part of our culture and a vital part of our economy in Louisiana,” said Sen. Kennedy. “The shrimp and oyster seasons produced significantly lower yields on average this year due to disastrous freshwater intrusions in the Gulf. We need to give our fishing industry a break. This legislation will establish a program to help fishermen cope with disaster conditions like these.”
“Farmers and ranchers who experience serious losses have access to well-established USDA programs to help them survive down years. Commercial fishermen, including aquaculture operations, do not have that option,” said Sen. Hyde-Smith. “The disastrous law salinity conditions in the Gulf this year show us that it is time to do more for this important economic sector. Fisheries and aquaculture are not just important to Mississippi and other southeastern states, but every region with a coast. Our domestic seafood industry starts with the fisherman—the harvester or producer, and without them we would be forced to depend on lower quality foreign imports.”
Earlier this month, Sen. Kennedy joined the Louisiana Congressional delegation in sending a letter to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross urging him to provide disaster aid for Louisiana’s seafood industry.
A copy of the legislation is available here.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced a $9.8 million FEMA grant to replace the interior contents of several Ascension Parish schools that were damaged by flooding in 2016.
The grant will fund replacement furniture, textbooks, computers, kitchen equipment, band instruments and other school-related supplies.
This grant will restock Galvez Middle School, St. Amant Primary School, Galvez Primary School, Lake Elementary, St. Amant High School and maintenance and distribution facilities that support the schools.
“This grant is an investment in our teachers and students as they work to put our schools back together after catastrophic flooding in 2016,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Replacing important items like books and computers will help our students get off to a good start this new school year.”
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Bipartisan Artist Copyright Protection Legislation, the CASE Act, Passes in Senate Judiciary Committee
Jul 18 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced today that the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance their legislation that will make it easier and more affordable for artists to defend their intellectual property from theft. This legislation, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act, S. 1273, establishes a Copyright Claims Board at the Copyright Office for small business entrepreneurs, like photographers, musicians and graphic designers, to file suit against copyright infringers.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined as cosponsors of the legislation this week.
“Money and complexity of the court system should not be barriers for small business entrepreneurs and artists to sue copyright infringers, who are very obviously breaking the law,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Louisiana’s rich culture and history are rooted in the successes of talented artists, musicians and creators. The CASE Act will ensure that Americans’ creative spirit is preserved and protected.”
“A copyright is not meaningful unless it is enforceable, and right now thousands of creators are effectively unable to enforce their rights when it comes to infringements costing a few hundred or a few thousand dollars,” Durbin said. “Our bipartisan bill, supported by a wide variety of stakeholders, creates a voluntary, streamlined process to resolve small claims. We can help small businesses and entrepreneurs protect their hard work and I urge the full Senate to pass this bill.”
“Independent artists who rely on copyright laws to protect their work play an important role in our communities, but the current system makes it difficult for them to receive damages in a cost-effective manner,” said Senator Tillis. “I applaud the Judiciary Committee for passing this bipartisan bill that will provide a more efficient way for copyright holders to protect their intellectual property and ensure that our content creators can be properly paid when their work is used without authorization.”
“In its current form, the copyright system leaves no practical way for many creators to protect their rights as copyright holders. Federal district court litigation is simply too expensive and too complex for small photographers, artists, and the like to pursue valid claims against copyright infringers. The result is a system where those who rely most on their copyrighted works for their livelihoods are forced to sit back and watch while others use those copyrighted works free of charge,” Senator Hirono said. “The CASE Act will go a long way toward fixing this situation. By creating the Copyright Claims Board, the CASE ACT establishes a venue where small creators can actually enforce their intellectual property rights and finally bear the fruit of their work. I will continue working with my colleagues on this issue as we move this bill forward for passage through the full Senate.”
Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year.
Click here or the photo below to watch Sen. Kennedy’s remarks about the CASE Act in today’s Senate Judiciary markup meeting:
Supporters of the CASE Act include:
- American Association of Independent Music
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
- American Photographic Artists
- American Society for Collective Rights Licensing
- American Society of Journalists and Authors
- American Society of Media Photographers
- Association of American Publishers
- Authors Guild
- Conservatives for Property Rights
- Copyright Alliance
- Digital Media Licensing Association
- Dramatists Guild of America
- Future of Music Coalition
- Garden Communicators International
- Graphic Artists Guild
- Horror Writers’ Association
- Nashville Songwriters Association International
- National Press Photographers Association
- National Writers Union/UAW Local 1981
- News Media Alliance
- North American Nature Photography Association
- Novelists, Inc.
- Recording Academy
- Professional Photographers of America
- Recording Industry Association of America
- Romance Writers of America
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America; Screen Actors Guild
- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)
- Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
- Songwriters Guild of America
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced an important provision in the bipartisan National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Reform (NFIP Re) Act that will protect homeowners from taxpayer-funded consultants with a track record of unfairly lowering property damage assessments.
The bill allows FEMA to fire consultants, contractors, law firms, engineering firms and any other third-party company involved in NFIP contracts who deliberately mishandles claims to lower what insurance companies must pay to homeowners after a disaster. Currently, FEMA can only make a termination when there is a criminal conviction.
For example, a federal judge accused contractor U.S. Forensic of “reprehensible gamesmanship” for rewriting engineer reports to lower the amount of property damage that could be attributed to Superstorm Sandy. Despite these accusations, U.S. Forensic still can participate in the National Flood Insurance Program.
“Homeowners already are victimized when their property is destroyed. They shouldn’t be victimized twice,” said Sen. Kennedy. “ Unfortunately, bad actors continue to receive federal contracts despite reprehensible behavior in minimizing property damage. Thankfully, this bill includes my provision allowing FEMA to more easily fire fraudulent contractors.
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Sen. Kennedy Announces Advancement Of Legislation That Will Create More Louisiana Energy Jobs
Jul 16 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced his legislation to remove the red tape from small-scale LNG exports. The bill will encourage investment in an emerging industry and create more Louisiana energy jobs.
The Small Scale LNG Access Act expedites the approval of natural gas exports equal to or less than 51.75 billion cubic feet per year. There is demand for small-scale LNG shipments in the Caribbean, Central America and South America. However, the current permitting process is stifling U.S. companies from meeting that demand.
Sen. Kennedy introduced the bill with U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.).
“Louisiana already leads the world in large-scale LNG exports. Entering the market to export small-scale LNG shipments will lead to even more well-paying jobs for Louisiana workers,” said Sen. Kennedy. “This bill is about creating opportunities for our families in an industry with limitless potential.”
“The Small Scale LNG Access Act unleashes the potential of American natural gas, creating good-paying jobs for hardworking families in Louisiana,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“I thank my colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for marking up and passing this important bill to expedite approval of small-scale natural gas exports, strengthen an emerging sector of Florida’s economy, and bolster our existing ties with Caribbean and Latin American nations,” Rubio said. “As nefarious actors, including the criminal regimes in Venezuela and Cuba, continue to undermine democracy and commit human rights atrocities in the region, we must ensure they cannot benefit from expedited access to American energy exports.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) questioned David Marcus, the head of Facebook’s new digital currency program Libra, in today’s Senate Banking Committee hearing.
In June, Facebook announced its plans to develop a new digital currency called Libra. According to Facebook, Libra will be built on a blockchain, which means it will be backed by a reserve of assets governed by the Libra Association. The Libra Association is an independent, not-for-profit organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Time and time again Facebook has proven that it cannot be trusted with our private information. Why should we allow them to control the money supply?” said Sen. Kennedy “Between election interference and the Cambridge Analytica data breach, Facebook has not earned the public’s trust. I believe that you should be able to trust your banker and your banker should have a heightened sense of integrity.”
Click here or the photo below to watch Sen. Kennedy’s questioning:
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) announced today a $1 million grant for improvements at Lake Charles Regional Airport.
This grant will fund two new passenger loading bridges to help passengers board their planes quickly, safely and efficiently.
“Lake Charles Regional Airport is a hub for air traffic in southwest Louisiana. This grant will greatly benefit the Lake Charles community,” said Sen. John Kennedy.
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Sen. Kennedy Asks Agriculture Secretary Perdue To Stop Threatening Thousands of Louisiana Energy Jobs
Jun 28 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue in a letter that he will block the confirmation of department nominees until the USDA stops interfering with a program that protects Louisiana’s small refineries from financial devastation.
At issue are hardship waivers – called Small Refinery Exemptions – that give small refineries in Louisiana the ability to remain competitive against larger companies and further President Donald Trump’s initiative for the U.S. to be energy independent. The USDA is reportedly involved in efforts to interfere with the Small Refinery Exemption program. Earlier this week, Sen. Kennedy joined other Republican senators in urging Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler to continue issuing the exemptions despite pressure from Democrats and special interest groups.
“Our nation’s refineries are economic engines that create jobs and support our mission to achieve energy independence. The exemptions exist for a reason. They are necessary to keep small refineries in business and protect tens of thousands of jobs across the U.S.,” said Sen. Kennedy. “With all due respect, Secretary Perdue needs to stay out of this fight.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) issued the following statement today on the Senate passage of fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 86-8:
“This defense spending package will provide billions of dollars to support our great men and women in uniform,” said Sen. Kennedy. “It raises our troops’ pay by 3.1%, and they deserve every penny. It will allow us to better prepare for any threats to our national security. When we’re dealing with rogue regimes like Iran and North Korea, it’s easier to sleep at night knowing that our military is fully funded and equipped to respond to any possible threats.”
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Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) Announces $4 Million Grant For Administering Childhood Immunizations in Louisiana
Jun 27 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, announced today a $4 million grant for Louisiana to provide childhood immunizations.
In 2018, only 70% of Louisiana children under three years of age received their recommended vaccinations. The percentage was even lower for children below the poverty level.
“Preventive measures like vaccinations help keep our kids healthy and our communities safe from harmful diseases,” said Sen. Kennedy. “This grant will allow Louisiana to provide important immunizations.”
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