Kennedy statement on the passing of Joe Canizaro
Jun 21 2025
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today released the following statement on the passing of New Orleans real estate developer and philanthropist Joseph C. Canizaro:
“Joe was, and is, a force of nature, with a heart as big as Lake Pontchartrain. I will miss him. We all will.”
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump today signed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) joint resolution of disapproval under Congressional Review Act (CRA) procedures to block an Office of Comptroller (OCC) rule that hurts community banks by adding unnecessary red tape to the bank merger approval process.
“When the Biden administration imposed crippling red tape on the bank merger process, they delivered a devastating blow to small community banks nationwide, strangling their ability to serve their customers. I’m deeply thankful to my House and Senate colleagues for passing this vital legislation and to President Trump for signing my resolution to dismantle this oppressive regulation,” said Kennedy.
The Biden administration’s rule, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, amended the Bank Merger Act of 1960 to make it harder for the OCC to approve healthy bank mergers quickly. Kennedy’s resolution would reverse the Biden administration’s misguided rule so that banks can stay in business and serve hardworking Americans.
Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) cosponsored the Senate resolution.
“The Biden-era rule restricting bank mergers disproportionately harmed small and midsized banks and would have reduced access to credit and financial services. I’m grateful to President Trump for signing Senator Kennedy’s resolution to overturn the rule, which will ensure the free market can decide how financial institutions can best serve their customers,”said Scott, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Chairman of the Financial Institutions Subcommittee on the House Financial Services Committee, introduced the companion resolution.
“Bank mergers create competition and efficiency in the banking system. By eliminating this rule, we will remove unnecessary guardrails on the bank merger process that make smaller and medium-sized banks less competitive. This is another win for President Trump, who is making our economy stronger by cutting government red-tape and unleashing the free market,” said Barr.
Background:
- Historically, the OCC assumed that a potential merger passed muster if the agency did not take action on a merger application within 15 days. The burden of showing that a merger would harm businesses and consumers fell on the OCC and bank regulators.
- The Biden administration’s rule shifted the burden of proof to individual banks, making it harder for banks – particularly community banks – to fulfill their obligations by making smart, strategic mergers.
- In February 2025, Kennedy introduced his resolution to undo the Biden administration’s rule.
- On May 8, 2025, the Senate passed Kennedy’s resolution.
- On May 20, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the resolution.
The full resolution is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and 33 bipartisan colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning the trend of political violence against Jewish people.
“Attacking innocent people for their faith is an abhorrent betrayal of America’s fundamental principles. I’m sickened by the recent attacks on our Jewish community and stand firmly with my Senate colleagues in denouncing this vile, hateful ideology,” said Kennedy.
The resolution recognizes and condemns the rise in attacks against Jewish individuals in the U.S., including the June 1, 2025, attack in Boulder, Colorado; the May 21, 2025, killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.; and the April 13, 2025, arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home.
“Antisemitism has no place is America. Since October 7, 2023, the Jewish community has faced unprecedented and persistent antisemitic hate and violence. This hatred cannot stand. Living in Squirrel Hill, right around the corner from the site of the devastating Tree of Life Synagogue attack in 2018, really brings this issue home for me. Protecting my friends and neighbors, and all Jewish people across the country, must be a national priority. I’m proud to team up with Senator Fetterman, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to unequivocally condemn the alarming surge in antisemitic hate across the country,” said McCormick.
“Amid a despicable rise in antisemitism, including the hateful arson at Governor Shapiro’s home in Pennsylvania, the shocking violence in Boulder, and the deadly attack on the Israeli embassy staff in D.C., we are starkly reminded that silence is complicity. These appalling attacks on our Jewish communities are not isolated events. After eleven lives were stolen at the Tree of Life massacre in 2018, I’ve felt an even stronger moral obligation to confront antisemitism wherever it appears and stand united against hate,” said Fetterman.
Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) also cosponsored the resolution.
The full resolution is available here.
Kennedy, Tim Scott, colleagues introduce bill to protect U.S. secrets from foreign adversaries
Jun 18 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today joined Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and 10 colleagues in introducing the Protect Our Bases Act, which would strengthen the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ (CFIUS) ability to review foreign land purchases near sensitive military, intelligence and national laboratory sites by requiring member agencies to annually update and review their lists of these sites.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s land buildup near our most critical military and government facilities poses a grave threat to our national security. The Protect Our Bases Act would help safeguard our nation and fight back against Communist China’s spying on American soil,” said Kennedy.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to infiltrate and surveil all parts of the U.S. national security apparatus requires vigilance from our national security agencies. This legislation will enhance the review of foreign real estate transactions near critical national security installations, helping ensure CFIUS has the information it needs to protect our homeland and keep our nation safe,” said Scott.
Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) also cosponsored the bill.
Background:
- In 2022, Fufeng Group, a Chinese company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, announced it would purchase land near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.
- CFIUS determined that it could not evaluate the transaction for national security risks because the Department of Defense had not listed the base as a sensitive area for national security purposes.
- Although the City of Grand Forks ultimately blocked the transaction, this incident demonstrated a serious flaw in the review process of foreign land purchases.
The Protect Our Bases Act would:
- require agencies represented on CFIUS to provide CFIUS with records of the military, intelligence and national laboratory facilities that should be considered sensitive areas for national security purposes annually.
- require CFIUS to submit an annual report to Congress certifying the completion of these reviews and detailing the accuracy of its real estate listings.
Full text of the Protect Our Bases Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $6,173,205 in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for East Baton Rouge Parish.
“Louisianians are all too familiar with the threats that strong winds pose to their communities during disasters. This $6.2 million will help East Baton Rouge Parish fortify the Baton Rouge City Hall to better withstand gusts during future storms,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $6,173,205 to East Baton Rouge Parish to retrofit windows in the Baton Rouge City Hall to withstand stronger winds during severe weather.
Kennedy to HHS: Fight foreign shrimp imports that hurt Louisiana and threaten Americans’ health
Jun 11 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging his department to work with its partners to prevent unsafe foreign shrimp from reaching American consumers.
While U.S. shrimp manufacturers comply with bans on antibiotic use and numerous environmental regulations, not all shrimp producers in countries like India, Ecuador, Indonesia and Vietnam abide by the same standards. A recent decline in transparency among members of the foreign shrimp industry has raised further concerns.
“I write to express my concern regarding the ongoing public health risk posed by the importation of farmed shrimp into the United States. In 2021, the United States imported approximately 1.9 billion pounds of shrimp, accounting for over 90% of the nation’s consumption,” Kennedy began the letter.
“A growing body of academic research and investigative reporting indicate that imported shrimp frequently contain illicit antibiotics and harbor antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. One of the most prevalent risks associated with warm-water shrimp aquaculture is antibiotic use, which poses significant health threats related to potential parasitic infection along with disease outbreaks,” the senator explained.
“Fortunately, President Trump is taking action. On April 17, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, which strengthens the domestic seafood industry and addresses the need to eliminate unsafe imports, promote ethical seafood sourcing, and level the playing field for domestic seafood producers,” Kennedy added.
“In light of the President's executive order and the ongoing health risks posed by imported seafood, I urge the Department of Health and Human Services to collaborate with the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other relevant agencies to strengthen inspection capabilities and stop this harmful seafood from being sold domestically,” he wrote.
Background:
- In Dec. 2023, Kennedy introduced a bill to bolster the Seafood Import Monitoring Program’s ability to audit foreign seafood imports that its producers misrepresent. Senate Democrats blocked Kennedy’s bill.
- In May 2024, Kennedy questioned then-Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on safety risks associated with imported shrimp and crawfish, drawing attention to foreign countries that subsidize their seafood industries and engage in false advertising.
The full letter is available here.
Kennedy in the Ouachita Citizen: It’s time to stop pouring taxpayer money into biased public broadcasting
Jun 11 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in the Ouachita Citizen arguing that Congress should defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and, in turn, National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“One would think that receiving billions of dollars from taxpayers would motivate NPR and PBS to publish fair reporting that the American people can use. Instead, these organizations have consistently promoted ideas that reflect their own personal political beliefs, without attempting to provide the other side. These organizations are using taxpayer money to advance their own political agendas.”
. . .
“Even if the content on NPR and PBS was fair, the American people no longer need public broadcasting to access the news of the day. With more than $37 trillion in federal debt, the idea of giving these organizations a single penny is bone-deep, down-to-the-marrow stupid.
“That’s why President Trump has paused federal funding to NPR and PBS through an executive order. He also recently asked Congress to formally rescind its funding of these public broadcasting entities—and the Senate should jump on this opportunity to pass President Trump’s rescission request on all his planned spending cuts as soon as possible. This would allow the Trump administration to cut off any money that the last Democrat-controlled Congress already allocated to the CPB and, in turn, NPR and PBS, in 2025.
“To make sure no new money is allocated to the CPB moving forward, I introduced the No Propaganda Act. This bill would permanently defund the CPB.
“The federal government has no business funding media companies. It’s time to stop picking winners and losers and defund public broadcasting for good."
Read Kennedy’s op-ed here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this column for the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA) Industry Report explaining how Congressional Republicans are working with the Trump administration to clear red tape to help unleash America’s energy dominance.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“President Biden let TikTok teens, climate change zealots, and other members of the Democratic Party dictate American energy policy for four years. The results were not good.
“The Biden administration left the American people with 29% higher electricity bills, a depleted strategic national fuel reserve, and a mountain of bureaucratic red tape that made it difficult for energy producers to produce energy and create good-paying jobs. In 2024 alone, Louisiana families had to pay nearly $1,000 more to keep their lights on and gas tanks full.
“Fortunately, the American people voted to restore common sense in Washington. President Trump and my conservative colleagues in Congress are working to restore America’s global energy dominance. To do this, we must first clean up the mess left by the Biden administration — and President Trump and his team are off to a great start.”
. . .
“As common sense makes a comeback in Washington, energy dominance is on the horizon. I’m proud that Louisiana will continue to be a leader in oil and gas production as America enters a new era of prosperity and security.”
Read Kennedy’s column here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today joined Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and seven Republican colleagues in sending a letter to acting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator David Richardson urging the agency to end the Biden administration’s failed Risk Rating 2.0 program.
Under Risk Rating 2.0, an estimated 80 percent of Louisiana National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders experienced monthly flood insurance premium increases in 2025.
“Since the Biden Administration’s rollout of Risk Rating 2.0, premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) increased in every state. By FEMA’s own estimates, 77 percent of all NFIP policies now pay more than under the old system,” the senators wrote.
“The lack of transparency surrounding Risk Rating 2.0 is beyond troubling. FEMA has never allowed for meaningful public comment nor has it published the underlying data or assumptions used to justify the steep premium increases and refuses to disclose its actuarial model. Without transparency, communities cannot plan mitigation projects, lenders cannot accurately underwrite mortgages, and citizens cannot appeal punitive rate increases. Worse still, rising costs encourage policy lapses—shifting risk back to taxpayers when disasters strike,” they continued.
“Each month that Risk Rating 2.0 continues unchecked, more families are forced to abandon their insurance coverage, neighborhoods face economic strain, and entire communities risk collapse after the next disaster,” the lawmakers added.
Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) also joined the letter.
Background:
- In 2023, Kennedy introduced the Risk Rating 2.0 Transparency Act, which would require FEMA to publish an explanation of how the agency is determining flood insurance prices under Risk Rating 2.0.
- In 2023, Kennedy also introduced the Flood Insurance Affordability Act, which would cap annual flood insurance premium increases.
- In 2024, Kennedy spoke in the Senate Banking Committee about FEMA’s dishonesty concerning the Risk Rating 2.0 program, noting that the agency “said a million people of the 5 million people [who hold NFIP policies] will see their rates go down. I haven't talked to a single person who's seen their rates go down.”
The full letter is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $2,390,437 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana flood mitigation.
“Floods have brought untold pain and suffering to the people of Louisiana, and our communities are working hard to avert future flooding. This $2.4 million will help Jefferson and Bossier Parishes floodproof their communities and prevent costly damage in the years ahead,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $1,202,160 to Jefferson Parish for the elevation of four flood-prone structures.
- $1,128,189 for Bossier Parish to reduce flooding in the Lucky Estates subdivision by improving drainage with new culverts, storm drainpipes and barriers, along with road work, excavation and landscaping.
- $60,088 to Jefferson Parish for management costs associated with structure elevation.
