Media
“When Hurricanes Irma and Maria dealt the Virgin Islands heavy blows in 2017, Louisianians raced down to help our neighbors rebuild. . . . Now, the bills are way past due, and Louisiana companies are going under as a result. When these companies buckle, Louisiana jobs vanish with them. . . . These businesses must be made whole, and every party involved must answer to Congress for the harm done to our workers and businesses.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced that he intends to issue a formal call for an investigation into why companies in Louisiana and other states haven’t been paid many months after performing hurricane recovery work in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“When Hurricanes Irma and Maria dealt the Virgin Islands heavy blows in 2017, Louisianians raced down to help our neighbors rebuild. These Louisiana companies are disaster recovery experts and operated in good faith. They paid salaries and living expenses on the promise that FEMA, prime contractors such as AECOM and the government of the Virgin Islands would fulfill their obligations. Those promises were broken.
“Now, the bills are way past due, and Louisiana companies are going under as a result. When these companies buckle, Louisiana jobs vanish with them. There’s no time for delay: These businesses must be made whole, and every party involved must answer to Congress for the harm done to our workers and businesses,” said Kennedy.
Several Louisiana companies, and numerous other Gulf states’ companies, performed hundreds of millions of dollars in recovery work in the Virgin Islands following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. More than two years after the storms, those companies are still owed approximately $200 million.
The investigation should, believes Kennedy, include FEMA, the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, AECOM, TSG, Witt O’Brien’s and other prime contractors or entities that were involved.
Kennedy is currently working with the relevant Senate committees to determine jurisdiction and venue for the investigation and related hearings and will be issuing a formal call in the coming weeks.
“Livingston Parish schools are still feeling the impact of the 2016 floods, and this FEMA grant will help the school board repair damages to multiple schools and their resources.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced $40,563,208 in FEMA grants to support flood-related repairs to the Denham Springs Elementary School and Southside Elementary and Junior High Schools in Livingston Parish.
“Livingston Parish schools are still feeling the impact of the 2016 floods, and this FEMA grant will help the school board repair damages to multiple schools and their resources,” said Kennedy.
As a result of severe flooding, a major disaster was declared in Louisiana on August 14, 2016. This funding is provided under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Act.
“Throughout this pandemic, nursing homes have faced unparalleled challenges while looking after America’s most vulnerable people. This HHS funding will give these health care professionals key resources to protect seniors and each other.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $98,475,000 in funding from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in Louisiana.
“Throughout this pandemic, nursing homes have faced unparalleled challenges while looking after America’s most vulnerable people. This HHS funding will give these health care professionals key resources to protect seniors and each other,” said Kennedy.
This funding is provided under the authority of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. These resources could help nursing homes increase labor, expand testing, obtain personal protective equipment and cover other expenses directly related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Additional information about this funding is available here.
“South Louisiana has experienced significant flooding in recent years, and these FEMA grants will help fund critical elevation projects to protect homes from future disasters.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $5,755,890 in FEMA grants to support residential elevation projects in Tangipahoa and Orleans Parishes.
“South Louisiana has experienced significant flooding in recent years, and these FEMA grants will help fund critical elevation projects to protect homes from future disasters,” said Kennedy.
This funding is authorized by the National Flood Insurance Act. In New Orleans, structures located inside of the hurricane storm damage reduction system will be elevated one foot above the base flood elevation, while structures located outside of the system will be elevated by two feet. In Tangipahoa Parish, the resources will support elevating eleven flood-prone residential structures that have repeatedly suffered extensive loss.
“[The Paycheck Protection Program] was not designed to give government funds to politicized, partisan abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. . . . Planned Parenthood fraudulently taking tens of millions of dollars that were intended to help keep those small businesses and nonprofit organizations afloat cannot stand and must be addressed.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) today in sending a letter to Attorney General Bill Barr urging the Department of Justice to investigate whether dozens of Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country applied for and received loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) even though those affiliates knew they were ineligible to apply.
“The Paycheck Protection Program established by the CARES Act was designed by Congress to help struggling small businesses and nonprofit organizations by giving them access to low-cost loans for expenses like keeping their employees on payroll during this pandemic. It was not designed to give government funds to politicized, partisan abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. The funds in the program are not unlimited, and were depleted once already because of high demand. Planned Parenthood fraudulently taking tens of millions of dollars that were intended to help keep those small businesses and nonprofit organizations afloat cannot stand and must be addressed,” wrote the senators.
Under the statuary text of the CARES Act, organizations like Planned Parenthood’s affiliates are expressly prohibited from receiving PPP funds. Additionally, the Small Business Administration confirmed last month that its standing affiliation rules apply to the new PPP, which excludes organizations like Planned Parenthood, whose type of governance and affiliation structure make it ineligible for these loans, as does the fact that its total number of employees exceeds the program’s cap.
The full text of the letter is here.
“Hardworking people in rural communities across Louisiana are starting to get back to work. This funding for expanded testing will help make it safer for them to return to their jobs and schools.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $8,507,364 in funding from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration, to expand coronavirus testing in 172 rural health clinics around Louisiana.
“Hardworking people in rural communities across Louisiana are starting to get back to work. This funding for expanded testing will help make it safer for them to return to their jobs and schools,” said Kennedy.
This funding is delivered under the authority of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. These resources will help implement coronavirus testing programs, provide testing supplies, train staff in testing procedures and report testing data to HHS.
Senate passes Kennedy and Van Hollen’s bill to kick deceitful Chinese companies off U.S. exchanges
May 20 2020
“It’s asinine that we’re giving Chinese companies the opportunity to exploit hardworking Americans—people who put their retirement and college savings in our exchanges—because we don’t insist on examining their books. . . . I hope my colleagues in the House will immediately send this bill to the president’s desk so we can protect Americans and their savings.”
WASHINGTON – Today the Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act by unanimous consent. Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced the legislation to protect American investors and their retirement savings from foreign companies that have been operating on U.S. stock exchanges while flouting Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversight.
“The SEC works hard to protect American investors from being swindled by American companies. It’s asinine that we’re giving Chinese companies the opportunity to exploit hardworking Americans—people who put their retirement and college savings in our exchanges—because we don’t insist on examining their books. There are plenty of markets all over the world open to cheaters, but America can’t afford to be one of them. China is on a glidepath to dominance and is cheating at every turn. I hope my colleagues in the House will immediately send this bill to the president’s desk so we can protect Americans and their savings,” said Kennedy.
“As we continue to experience the economic fallout and volatility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to protect main street investors is all the more important. For too long, Chinese companies have disregarded U.S. reporting standards, misleading our investors. Publicly listed companies should all be held to the same standards, and this bill makes commonsense changes to level the playing field and give investors the transparency they need to make informed decisions. I’m proud that we were able to pass it today with overwhelming bipartisan support, and I urge our House colleagues to act quickly,” said Van Hollen.
The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act prohibits securities of a company from being listed on any of the U.S. securities exchanges if the company has failed to comply with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) audits for three years in a row.
The bill would also require public companies to disclose whether they are owned or controlled by a foreign government, including China’s communist government.
Many Americans invest in U.S. stock exchanges as part of their retirement savings, and dishonest companies operating on the exchanges put Americans at risk. This legislation protects the interest of hardworking American investors by ensuring that foreign companies traded in America are subject to the same independent audit requirements that apply to American companies.
Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) have cosponsored the bill.
Background:
Congress established the PCAOB to inspect audits of public companies, ensuring the information companies provide to the public is accurate, independent and trustworthy.
Currently, China’s communist government refuses to allow the PCAOB to inspect audits of companies registered in China and Hong Kong. Such companies represent a keen risk to American investors as nearly 11 percent of all securities class action lawsuits in 2011 were brought against Chinese-owned companies accused of misrepresenting themselves in financial documents.
According to the SEC, 224 U.S.-listed companies are located in countries where there are obstacles to PCAOB inspections. These companies have a combined market capitalization of more than $1.8 trillion.
In the last 10 years, the number of Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges has increased significantly, as those firms take advantage of the capital available in America.“The manufacturing industry plays a critical role in both state and national economies, and 3D printing will help take it to the next level. This funding will help educate university students and better equip Louisiana’s workforce.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $4,334,588 in funding from the National Science Foundation to the Louisiana Materials Design Alliance (LAMDA) to promote 3D printing research and education programs in multiple universities within the state. These institutions include Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech University, Southern University and A&M College, Tulane University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
“The manufacturing industry plays a critical role in both state and national economies, and 3D printing will help take it to the next level. This funding will help educate university students and better equip Louisiana’s workforce,” said Kennedy.
This funding will support LAMDA’s education products, including new courses and industry-supported technology. LAMDA will help grow the Louisiana science, technology, engineering and math workforce by providing research experience, course module development and professional development for undergraduate and graduate students, the hiring and mentoring of new faculty and training for community college educators.
Additional information about this funding is available here.
“Last year, the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway devastated Louisiana’s seafood and fishing industries, and I appreciate any assistance that helps restore our fisheries. There’s more to be done, though.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $58,343,185 in funding from the Department of Commerce to assist Louisiana fisheries impacted by the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway in 2019.
“Last year, the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway devastated Louisiana’s seafood and fishing industries, and I appreciate any assistance that helps restore our fisheries. There’s more to be done, though,” said Kennedy.
This funding is authorized by Congress through the 2019 Consolidated and Supplemental Appropriations Act. These resources could help commercial and recreational fishermen, charter businesses, processors, shore-side infrastructure, subsistence users and fishing ecosystems.
Kennedy continues to fight for direct payments to fishermen as the Louisiana industry struggles to recover.
Kennedy statement on Intelsat bankruptcy
May 14 2020
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) released the following statement in response to reports that Intelsat has filed for bankruptcy, which would put its pending agreement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on hold.
“Intelsat’s decision to file for bankruptcy reveals what many suspected all along: Intelsat had no intention of accepting the FCC’s deal. The FCC should withdraw its offer, take control of America’s spectrum and save taxpayers billions of dollars instead of shelling out that money to foreign companies,” said Kennedy.
