Kennedy, Republican senators introduce resolution calling on Biden to fight crime, secure border
May 16 2022
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined more than 15 other Republican senators in introducing a resolution highlighting rising crime rates in the U.S. and calling on President Biden to combat crime and secure the southern border.
“The Biden administration seems to think that when a criminal commits a crime, it’s not really the criminal’s fault. Under President Biden’s watch, crime rates have gone up, drugs are pouring across the border and criminals are murdering cops. The White House must do something to keep American communities safe,” said Kennedy.
The resolution points out that the murder rate in America rose by 30 percent from 2019-2020, the largest single-year increase in more than a century. In addition, there was a 59 percent increase in the number of police officers murdered last year. At least 16 American cities set record for the number of murders in 2021.
More than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have been caught trying to cross the U.S. southern border since January 2021, and overdose deaths have reached an all-time high as the flow of illegal drugs across the southern border is putting communities at risk across America.
Text of the resolution is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $38,369,343 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants in disaster aid for Louisiana.
“This $38.3 million will help south Louisiana families clear debris and recover from the damage of Hurricanes Ida, Laura and Delta,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $15,005,039 to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Ida.
- $9,435,701 to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety (State Police) for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Ida.
- $7,684,271 to Lafourche Parish for right-of-way debris removal related to Hurricane Ida.
- $1,817,266 to the Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Laura.
- $1,757,602 to the town of Grand Isle for right-of-way debris removal and monitoring related to Hurricane Ida.
- $1,463,631 to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety (State Police) for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Laura.
- $1,205,833 to Lake Charles for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Delta.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today introduced the Mother and Baby Formula Safety Act to give parents Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance for producing safe formula options for their children at home.
“While the FDA finishes its investigation, it has to help parents find solutions to formula supply chain bottlenecks in real time. The agency must equip moms and dads to find or make safe alternatives if an emergency leaves formula shelves bare, and my bill would make sure the FDA does that for parents,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy introduced the bill as parents of young children are facing a nationwide shortage of commercial formula. The Mother and Baby Formula Safety Act would require the FDA to respond to formula shortages by publishing guidelines for safely making formula at home, resources for parents to locate alternatives to commercial formula and other safety guidance.
Text of the bill is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $90,988,247 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants in disaster aid for Louisiana.
“This $91 million will help south and central Louisiana clear debris, fix infrastructure and recover from other hurricane damage that hit our communities,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $69,174,600 to the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury for debris removal related to Hurricane Laura.
- $5,879,314 to Rapides Parish for public assistance debris removal related to Hurricane Laura.
- $4,684,272 to the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office for the public assistance program related to Hurricane Katrina.
- $2,620,625 to St. Helena Parish for right-of-way debris removal and monitoring related to Hurricane Ida.
- $1,769,842 to the city of Sulphur for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Laura.
- $1,764,884 to the Chennault International Airport Authority for damages to a pumphouse that Hurricane Laura damaged.
- $1,555,518 to Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District to replace a transit shed that Hurricane Laura damaged.
- $1,251,696 to the Tangipahoa Parish School System for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Ida.
- $1,251,420 to the Catahoula Parish Police Jury for permanent repairs to Jug Bend Road related to Hurricane Delta.
- $1,036,076 to the city of Denham Springs for right of way debris removal and monitoring related to Hurricane Ida.
House passes Kennedy bill to help small business owners buy, sell, merge Main Street firms
May 12 2022
WASHINGTON – The House has passed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) Small Business Mergers, Acquisitions, Sales and Brokerage Simplification Act, which would help small business owners access the services of small business merger and acquisition (M&A) brokers.
M&A brokers assist small business owners who want to sell their businesses or merge with other firms so that their companies can continue expanding and supporting job growth.
“This bill would give small businesses more flexibility to create and sustain jobs. The Senate has the chance now to pass this bill quickly so that job creators can continue building stronger businesses that serve their employees and communities,” said Kennedy.
The bill would allow small business M&A brokers to organize sales and purchases of ownership as well as the control of private companies without registering as “broker-dealers” with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Removing the requirement to register with the SEC and FINRA would remove a bureaucratic roadblock that M&A brokers face when trying to assist small businesses. Kennedy’s bill would make M&A services more affordable and accessible to small business owners who need help buying or selling companies.
Kennedy’s bill now awaits passage in the Senate.
Text of the Small Business Mergers, Acquisitions, Sales and Brokerage Simplification Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today received the Louisiana Distinguished Civilian Service Medal from the Louisiana National Guard for his service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Louisiana National Guard presents this award to civilians who advance the security and welfare of the State of Louisiana.
“Senator John Kennedy’s deep passion for the health and welfare of Louisiana residents combined with his relentless work ethic and dedication to the mission was beyond outstanding.
“His tireless commitment to community education, testing, and vaccination operations to combat the devastating effects of the pandemic were a life-saving effort. Senator Kennedy’s professionalism and genuine love of his state set a truly wonderful example of public service, and his actions reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Senate, and the state of Louisiana,” said Maj. Gen. Keith Waddell, Adjutant General for the Louisiana National Guard.
“The Louisiana National Guard models service for the entire country, and I’m honored to receive this recognition and to fight for the wellbeing of all Louisianans no matter what challenges face us,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy introduces bill to establish Special IG to oversee use of American taxpayer aid to Ukraine
May 11 2022
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today introduced the Independent and Objective Oversight of Ukrainian Assistance Act to establish a Special Inspector General (IG) for Ukraine. The Special IG would oversee the humanitarian, economic and security assistance funding that the U.S. Congress has provided to the country, and make sure that the funds are appropriately spent.
Kennedy is introducing the bill as Congress considers nearly $40 billion in additional supplemental aid to the European nation. The U.S. has already provided $13.6 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian people have defended their country’s sovereignty with bravery and grit. Congress has already supported their fight against Putin’s war of aggression with billions and billions of dollars in aid and military equipment. American taxpayers deserve to know that their money is helping Ukraine beat back Russia effectively, and Congress needs to guarantee that oversight,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy’s bill would equip the Special IG for Ukraine with $20 million from the money that Congress has already provided in Ukraine aid. That $20 million represents less than 0.04% of the more than $50 billion in supplemental aid that has been or may be sent to Ukraine.
In order to prevent expanding bureaucracy indefinitely, the bill also includes a termination clause to end the Special IG role once U.S. taxpayer spending for Ukraine drops below $250 million per year.
The text of the bill is available here.
Kennedy, Daines urge Biden administration against banning lead ammo and tackle on public lands
May 11 2022
“Policies or actions that reduce or limit sportsmen activities necessarily implicate wildlife conservation programs by affecting state agencies’ revenue. Such policies or actions also handcuff wildlife managers by removing a critical conservation tool while needlessly alienating one of our original conservationists, sportsmen,” the senators wrote.
“Phasing-out lead ammo and tackle on wildlife refuges would disproportionately affect lower-income households and those that depend on hunting and fishing for their subsistence as lead alternatives are often more expensive. The impact of such a policy would be devastating to the sportsmen heritage in our states,” they concluded.
Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) also signed the letter.
The letter is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) released the following statement upon voting against Sen. Schumer’s attempt to force states to legalize abortion up to the point of a child’s birth. The bill goes far beyond the bounds of Roe v. Wade to prohibit states from protecting life even after viability.
“Is the Senate working to lower inflation or secure the southern border this week? No. Sen. Schumer can’t be bothered to care about what Louisianians and Americans need most. Instead, he asked us to vote to nullify state laws and legalize abortion up to the moment of birth.
“His bill would also allow aborting a child because of the child’s sex. It would remove religious liberty protections for health care providers who believe life begins before birth. It would block laws that require parental consent or notification before an abortion. It is a very radical bill.
“This is why Washington insiders don’t get to tell Louisianians what their values should be.”
Kennedy, colleagues call on Supreme Court to end consideration of race in college admissions
May 09 2022
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined a bicameral group of 82 legislators, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.), in filing an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief to the Supreme Court in the cases Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina.
At both schools, considering race allowed admissions offices to discriminate against Asian-American applicants, despite their superior GPAs and standardized test scores.
“Harvard College and the University of North Carolina indisputably use race as an important consideration in deciding whom to admit. Record evidence suggests, in fact, that the challenged admissions policies may strive for racial balancing—an aim that is unconstitutional on its face,” lawmakers wrote.
“Race-conscious admissions decisions inflict a heavy toll on Asian-American students. Treating them differently because of their race is a stark departure from equal protection decisions issued early on by this Court, which guarded Asian immigrants from racial prejudice. And the burdens imposed on petitioner illustrate a wider trend. Asian-Americans are increasingly victimized by discriminatory practices,” they explained.
Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) also joined the brief.
The brief is available here.
