Kennedy calls for welfare reform to address Minnesota fraud: “Do another reconciliation bill”
Jan 08 2026
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) called on Senate leadership to do another reconciliation bill to address the widespread welfare fraud in Minnesota and elsewhere throughout the United States in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Key excerpts of the speech are below:
“In our country, I’ve said this before, if you’re hungry, we’ll feed you. If you’re homeless, we’ll house you. If you’re too poor to be sick, we’ll pay for your doctor. Other countries let their fellow citizens die in a ditch. We don’t do that in America. The American people have stepped up to the plate.
“So, when people steal this money, this $1 trillion-plus a year that we spend helping our neighbors, when people steal that money, it offends me. When they steal from the poor, and they steal from the American taxpayer, it offends me equally. And the folks in Minnesota and elsewhere who stole this money, who took a giant whiz—a giant great Dane whiz—down the leg of every taxpayer and every poor person in America, every one of them ought to go to jail.”
. . .
“We’re spending a trillion dollars a year of American taxpayer money to help poor people, to provide welfare, and the GAO estimates that about at least $250 billion has been stolen every year. We took some baby steps in the One Big Beautiful Bill, as you know, Mr. President. We tightened up eligibility requirements. . . . We’ve implemented a work requirement, but we need to do more. We need to do more. And that’s why we need to do another reconciliation bill.
“Now, I hope I’m wrong when I say this. I hope I’m wrong. I invite my Democratic colleagues in the Senate—I love them all—to come forward and help us. But I just know politics, and you do, too, Mr. President. A lot of them are going to be reluctant, but we don’t need their assistance. We can pass a welfare security bill without Democratic votes.”
. . .
"If I could do it on my own, I would introduce the bill tomorrow. . . . I would look at every state, every country and adopt the best practices, and my bill can be ready in two weeks, but I can’t do a thing about getting it passed because I don’t have the authority to bring it to the floor of the Senate. I don’t. Only the majority leader can agree to bring a bill to be considered by the Senate.
"Those are the rules. If I were king for a day, I’d change it in a nanosecond. I think every senator ought to be able to bring his bills to the floor. And that’s not a criticism of my good friend, John Thune, or my good friend Mitch McConnell, or my good friend Chuck Schumer. They’re just following the rules. I’d change them."
. . .
“I’m not going to bubble wrap it. We’ve got $30-plus trillion worth of debt. We’ve got people stealing from poor people and laughing about it. And politicians participating in it. . . . The water is not going to clear up for America until we get the pigs out of the creek. Let’s go get the pigs out of the creek. Please, Senator Thune. Please let us do another reconciliation bill. Please lead with welfare reform. We can do it.”
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
Kennedy, Cornyn, colleagues introduce bill to ensure consequences for illegal aliens who drive drunk
Jan 08 2026
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and nine bipartisan colleagues in introducing the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act, which would ensure that illegal aliens who drive drunk and kill or seriously injure someone face serious criminal consequences and removal from the United States.
“It’s bad enough to commit a crime by crossing our border illegally—but it’s beyond inexcusable for illegal immigrants to put innocent people in harm’s way by driving under the influence. We’ve seen far too many American lives cut short by drunk drivers who shouldn’t even be in our country, and we ought to use every tool in our arsenal to make sure these tragedies never happen again. The Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act will ensure illegal immigrants who hurt or kill people by driving under the influence are met with the full force of the law, and I’m proud to help introduce it,” said Kennedy.
“Zero mercy should be shown to illegal aliens who not only defy our laws by unlawfully entering the country but also take it a step further to drive drunk, threatening American lives. By strengthening current immigration law to hold these offenders accountable, our bill sends a clear message: If you enter the country illegally and harm innocent citizens, we will find you, we will punish you, and we will make sure you never step foot on American soil again,” said Cornyn.
Illegal aliens who drive drunk and kill or seriously injure Americans should not be allowed to remain in the United States. Yet under current law, some offenders are able to reenter the country and commit additional crimes even after receiving a DUI or DWI conviction.
The Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act would close this loophole by:
- Treating DUI or DWI offenses that result in death or serious bodily injury as aggravated felonies under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
- Ensuring illegal alien offenders convicted of these crimes are deportable and permanently barred from receiving immigration benefits, including asylum or lawful permanent resident status.
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) cosponsored the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act.
“This legislation closes a legal loophole that has prevented and would continue to prevent law enforcement from protecting Americans. It will directly contribute to making our communities safer, and I urge my colleagues to advance it without delay,” said Cruz.
“Driving under the influence of intoxicating substances can have serious life or death consequences, and any illegal alien who chooses to get behind the wheel in such a state should not remain in our country. I am proud to stand with Senator Cornyn and my colleagues to ensure that illegal aliens who commit such crimes are deported from and inadmissible to the U.S.,” said Budd.
“Illegal immigrants who drink and drive put innocent American lives at risk and should face serious consequences, including deportation. This legislation strengthens our laws to close dangerous loopholes and ensure those who commit serious criminal offenses are swiftly removed from our country,” said Tillis.
“The Trump administration is sending a clear signal to all criminal illegal aliens: you are not welcome in the United States. Too many American lives have been taken because illegal immigrants who should never have been in our country were driving under the influence on our roads. I am proud to support Senator Cornyn’s legislation that puts public safety first, ends the cycle of excuses for criminal behavior, and ensures that illegal immigrants convicted of DUI are removed,” said Lummis.
“Driving under the influence and entering the United States illegally are both crimes that pose serious danger to the lives and livelihoods of American citizens. Any illegal who is caught driving drunk is doing both and should be immediately deported and never allowed to re-enter the United States. Our immigration and transportation laws must be enforced,” said Schmitt.
“People who are not legally present in this country should be removed, especially if they have been convicted of driving under the influence. Federal law should be clear that no illegal alien should ever have a second DUI conviction,” said Lankford.
“This common-sense measure is long overdue. Too many lives have been lost to reckless, drunk, and impaired drivers. We certainly shouldn’t add to that tragic number by allowing illegal aliens to have a pass for endangering drivers on American roads. Illegal aliens convicted of driving drunk and harming our citizens have no place in this country. In fact, these criminals should move to the very front of the deportation line and be on the first flight home. Full stop,” said Mullin.
“We can’t have a fair, orderly, and humane immigration system without clear rules that prevent dangerous criminals from remaining in our country. Drunk driving that results in severe injury or death is a serious and dangerous crime. Individuals who put lives at risk and endanger our communities should be held accountable,” said Gallego.
The Border Trade Alliance, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and NumbersUSA support the bill.
Full text of the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today called on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Brian Nesvik to study the impact of unfair “legal baiting” on duck migration.
“Legal baiting,” an unsportsmanlike practice in which cornfields are needlessly flooded to attract waterfowl, comes at the expense of southward communities—particularly those in Louisiana. Since the 1990s, policy changes have opened the door to more widespread cornfield flooding, and Louisiana has suffered a massive downturn in its mallard harvest.
“In 1998, Congress enacted the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act, which repealed the strict liability standard that previously governed federal waterfowl baiting violations. In 1999, USFWS . . . removed the enforcement mechanism that previously restricted the growth of hunting over intentionally flooded standing crops, particularly corn. As a result, Louisiana has witnessed a significant decline in annual waterfowl migration since the late 1990s,” Kennedy explained in a letter to Nesvik.
“Mallard harvest in the state of Louisiana dropped 95% from 1999-2021, more than any other state in the Mississippi Flyway. In Missouri, the mallard count rose from 280,000 in 1999 to 550,000 in 2016 . . . [T]he data indicates that mallards are concentrating and stopping in regions where the manual flooding of corn has become widespread,” the senator wrote.
“Unlike rice, which requires flooding as part of its natural growth cycle, there is no agronomical justification for flooding corn. Put simply, the intentional flooding of standing crops has enabled an unsportsmanlike practice, weakened long-standing protections for migratory birds, and adversely impacted waterfowl populations in Louisiana,” Kennedy added.
“This trend has troubling implications for the future overall health of duck populations, particularly considering the growing threat posed by avian flu, as noted by a research biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey: ‘The basic idea is that the more you concentrate animals into a small habitat, there’s probably a greater opportunity for transmission between individuals, and then the greater chance for disease spread within waterfowl,’” he continued.
“Therefore, I urge the USFWS to initiate a formal study to evaluate the impact of flooded corn on migratory waterfowl behavior, wintering distributions, and associated economic outcomes in the Mississippi Flyway. Ensuring fair access to waterfowl hunting for current and future generations of Americans is a shared priority, and I appreciate your attention to this important matter,” Kennedy concluded.
View Kennedy’s full letter here.
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) released the following statement marking the first anniversary of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack in New Orleans.
“New Year’s Day should be a celebration of the year to come. But for 14 families, today is the first anniversary of the worst day of their lives.
“One year ago, a terrorist killed 14 innocent people as they celebrated the new year on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It was pure, unadulterated, objective evil.
“As we remember the horrors of the attack, we also need to remember the heroes. The heroes who risked their lives to stop the terrorist and rescue those in need. And we remain grateful to the New Orleans Police Department and all first responders for their unimaginable bravery on that day.
“So, to the families of the victims, I am so, so sorry for your loss. All of Louisiana is praying for you on this difficult day.”
Watch Kennedy’s message here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) issued the following statement alongside his festive friend, Alphonse the alligator.
“I’m John Kennedy, and I want to wish every family in Louisiana a merry Christmas.
“The Christmas season is special. It’s a celebration of God’s love for all of humanity. God loves us all so much that He sent His only son to be born in a manger, knowing that Jesus would one day die on a cross to redeem us all.
“I believe you can find God’s love everywhere, but it really shines in Louisiana. God blessed our taste buds with Cajun flavors. God blessed our eardrums with jazz music. God blessed our coasts with fish to catch and our skies with ducks to hunt. Above all, God blessed Louisiana with the most God-fearing, hardworking, and fun-loving people in America.
“When I thank God at night, and sometimes during the day, I thank Him twice for the fact that I get to live in Louisiana.
“So, during this Christmas season, on behalf of my wife, Becky, and my entire family, I wish all Louisianians a safe and merry Christmas.”
Watch Kennedy’s message here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today met and voiced his support for members of the Louisiana National Guard who were verbally abused by a protester as they patrolled Washington, D.C.
“These brave Louisiana National Guard members deserve our thanks and support—not abuse from whack jobs. I was honored to speak to them at my office today. They make Louisiana proud,” said Kennedy.
On December 10, video surfaced of an activist hurling insults toward five members of the Louisiana National Guard and a bystander near Union Station in Washington, D.C.
The disturbed individual followed and repeatedly berated the men and women in uniform, calling one Guardsman “a piece of f***ing sh*t” and falsely claiming he “never did a damn thing for the country.”
The Louisiana National Guard members maintained their composure and stood tall in the face of the man’s harassment.
On December 11, Kennedy responded to the video, writing on X, “In real America, we don’t tolerate crazed nutjobs who treat our men and women in uniform like garbage . . . They’re always welcome to warm up and enjoy a moment of peace and quiet in my office.”
These Louisiana National Guard members today joined Kennedy at his office, who thanked them for their service and hard work to keep Washington, D.C., safe.
Kennedy on U.S. Senate Floor: ‘The federal government has your money, and we want to get it back to you.’
Dec 18 2025
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor about his efforts to help Americans claim the money that the federal government may owe them through mature, unclaimed savings bonds. Kennedy also outlined the steps that state treasurers should take to reunite Americans with their money.
Key speech excerpts are below.
“Mr. President, I've learned a few things in life. I want to mention two: number one, money does not buy happiness; number two, poverty does not buy a damn thing. And that's the theme of my few minutes as I talk today. This is about people's money, and it has to do with unredeemed, uncashed savings bonds.”
. . .
“Here’s what I’m driving at: Right now, over in the United States Department of Treasury, there are 100 million unredeemed savings bonds—money that belongs to the American people—and it’s no longer earning interest . . . [T]he money’s just sitting there, and the federal government’s using it, and they’re not paying people interest.”
“The total amount of these unredeemed savings bonds: $36.27 billion. And that $36 billion has been there a long, long time, because people have either died or they’ve forgotten that they have these unredeemed savings bonds.”
. . .
“[B]ack in 2023, I introduced a bill which actually passed . . . that said to the federal government, specifically the United States Department of Treasury, ‘You’ve got to give this money back.’ . . . Why are you just sitting on this $36 billion?”
. . .
“And they said, ‘Kennedy, you don’t understand. First of all, . . . the records are not digitized . . . and it’s just a lot of trouble.’ And I said, ‘Well, I feel your pain, but you still ought to return the money to people. So, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to introduce a bill’—and I did, and I passed it—‘[that provides] money for the U.S. Department of Treasury to digitize those records . . . and put them in a database so they can be easily searched.’ And the U.S. Department of Treasury has done that, and I want to thank them.”
. . .
“We are ready to turn the names and addresses and serial numbers over to the treasurer of every state—in Louisiana, in West Virginia, in every other state . . . so they can contact people in their state and say, ‘The federal government has your money, and we want to get it back to you.’”
. . .
“[W]e’re almost home. What now we have to do is get the state treasurers to sign an agreement with the U.S. Department of Treasury to cooperate, and Treasury will send them the names, and we can start returning this money to people.
“And I’m going to be sending another letter out, in short order, to all the state treasurers asking them to go ahead and sign that user agreement with the Treasury Department so we can start getting this money back to people.
“It’s free money . . . If I can just get our state treasurers to turn in these user agreements . . . you may not get a check for Christmas, but if you hurry up, you can get a check in January or February, so you can pay some bills.”
Background:
- Kennedy authored the Unclaimed Savings Bond Act of 2021, which was signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
- Kennedy’s law requires the U.S. Treasury to share information about the original owners of unclaimed savings bonds with officials in every state. This allows state treasurers to add information about mature, unredeemed savings bonds to their state’s unclaimed property program, enabling more Americans to locate and claim their missing investments.
- In November 2025, Kennedy sent this letter to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators and the National Association of State Treasurers, emphasizing, “It is imperative that all states enter into this User Agreement so Americans throughout the United States are efficiently reunited with their matured unredeemed debt to which they are entitled.”
- Kennedy managed Louisiana’s unclaimed property program for 17 years while serving as state treasurer. During this time, Kennedy reunited Louisianians with roughly $400 million in their unclaimed property.
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Helping Eliminate Limitations for Prompt (HELP) Response and Recovery Act, Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Gary Peters’ (D-Mich.) bipartisan bill to remove outdated federal restrictions that can slow disaster response at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“When a natural disaster strikes, communities in Louisiana and across the country expect the federal government and private sector to work together efficiently, without unnecessary roadblocks. By cutting outdated requirements that only get in the way of disaster recovery, our bipartisan HELP Response and Recovery Act would give overwhelmed communities the room they need to rebuild. I’m pleased to see the U.S. Senate pass my and Senator Peters’ bill, and hope the House of Representatives moves quickly to get it to President Trump’s desk,” said Kennedy.
“As natural disasters continue to affect communities across the nation, the federal government must be able to help those in need quickly and effectively. This bill would ensure that the Department of Homeland Security can streamline the process of helping disaster survivors rebuild their lives in the wake of these tragedies,” said Peters.
Currently, an outdated DHS policy automatically cuts off some emergency contracts after 150 days—restrictions that can interrupt cleanup, housing and rebuilding work while recovery efforts are still underway.
Kennedy and Peters’ bill would allow contracts to last up to one year when needed, helping ensure disaster response and recovery work continue without unnecessary delays.
To protect taxpayers, the bill also requires DHS to report to Congress on how the change improves efficiency, saves money and prevents waste, fraud and abuse.
The U.S. Senate passed the bill on December 16, 2025, and it now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. Kennedy and Peters previously led the bill in 2024.
The International Association of Emergency Managers, the Disaster Recovery Coalition of America and the National Emergency Management Association support Kennedy and Peters’ bill.
Full text of the HELP Response and Recovery Act is available here.
Kennedy locks in major Louisiana wins, restores military strength in FY26 defense authorization bill
Dec 17 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, a critical bill that rebuilds America’s military might, backs our men and women in uniform, and delivers major wins for Louisiana’s military community. The bill also includes Kennedy’s Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act, which shuts down loopholes that let foreign executives game U.S. markets while American investors pay a heavy price. The U.S. Senate passed the annual defense authorization bill by 77-20.
“With war continuing to rage in Ukraine, chaos in the Middle East, and Communist China gearing up for the long haul, the United States cannot afford weakness, distraction, or social experiments in our military. America needs a military that’s lethal, focused, and respected – not woke and watered down. The FY26 NDAA gets us back on track by strengthening our warfighting edge, gutting the woke nonsense infecting our ranks, and delivering real, concrete wins for Louisiana that help keep our country strong and safe.
“I’m proud that my Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act is becoming law. For years, foreign executives exploited loopholes to rip off American investors and walk away clean. Those days are over. The FY26 NDAA puts American security, our nation’s heroes, and American taxpayers first. President Trump should sign it without hesitation,” said Kennedy.
Key Louisiana wins in the FY26 NDAA:
Barksdale Air Force Base
- Weapons Generation Facility Dormitory ($18 million)
- Funds a new dormitory to support the $275 million Weapons Generation Facility currently under construction – critical infrastructure for mission readiness.
- Child Development Center in Bossier Parish ($2.2 million)
- Starts the replacement of a deteriorating, outdated facility with a modern 13-room expansion that supports our military families.
U.S. Air Force B-52 Program Modernization ($931 million)
- Ensures the B-52 continues to serve as the backbone of the U.S. Air Force’s bomber force and nuclear deterrent well into the future.
U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command
- Codifying Air Force Global Strike Command
- Establishes the U.S. Air Force’s Global Strike Command, located at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana, as a Major Air Force Command, cementing Louisiana’s central role in America’s nuclear deterrence mission.
Joint Reserve Base (JRB) New Orleans (Belle Chasse)
- F/A-18 Super Hornet Fighter Jets
- The FY26 NDAA requires at least eight F/A-18 Super Hornet tactical fighter aircraft to be assigned to the U.S. Navy Reserve at JRB New Orleans.
Military Medical Readiness
- Military-Civilian Medical Surge Program
- The FY26 NDAA would make permanent the National Disaster Medical System pilot program, which is a military-civilian medical surge program. This program will leverage the new campus of LSU-Health Shreveport (LSUHS) to support military medical facilities and surge capacity in times of need.
Kennedy’s Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act
-
Once Kennedy’s Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act becomes law, foreign executives will be held to the same insider-trading reporting requirements as American executives. A gap in current law has allowed for insider trading abroad at the expense of everyday American investors.
- Kennedy’s bill provides regulatory parity by requiring executives of public companies based outside the United States to make electronic disclosures of trades in their company’s stocks to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) within two business days.
- The SEC would then make that information public, as it currently does with U.S.-based firms.
In addition to these major Louisiana wins and Kennedy’s Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act, the FY26 NDAA rebuilds America’s warfighting edge, ends wokeness in the military, secures the border, and improves quality of life for our servicemembers.
FY26 NDAA Highlights:
- Delivers a 3.8% pay raise for servicemembers and improves benefits for military families.
- Authorizes $1 billion to fight drug trafficking, including Department of War support for counternarcotics operations, and $216 million for the National Guard Counter Drug programs.
- Eliminates and bans DEI offices, trainings, activities, and woke mandates in our military and restores a warrior ethos.
- Fully supports President Trump’s top defense priorities, including Golden Dome missile defense, F-47 fighter aircraft, new submarines, warships, and autonomous systems.
- Rebuilds the defense industrial base and strengthens America’s shipbuilding capacity.
- Fully funds border security support from the Department of War and the National Guard.
- Authorizes $1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative and expands its uses to deter Communist China.
- Strengthens America’s counter-terrorism tools to deter China in the Indo-Pacific and demands greater burden sharing from our allies for collective defense.
Bottom Line:
The FY26 NDAA restores American strength, backs our men and women in uniform, and delivers serious results for Louisiana.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, penned this op-ed in the New York Post urging congressional Republicans to use their two remaining reconciliation bills to address cost-of-living issues in America.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“The One Big Beautiful Bill stands alone as the 119th Congress’ most extraordinary piece of legislation — but it doesn’t have to.
“Under the Senate’s rules, congressional Republicans can use the reconciliation process to pass two more big, beautiful bills with a simple majority vote. And we would be fools to let this opportunity pass us by.
“Here’s the reality: Most of my Democratic colleagues would rather bathe with their toasters than support any part of President Donald Trump’s agenda. If Trump endorsed breathing to live, they’d hold their breath.
“They can’t stand the president, and that’s their right — but this hyper-partisanship makes it nearly impossible to gather the 60 votes needed in the Senate to pass most legislation. With the 1974 Budget Control Act’s reconciliation process, however, the Senate under certain circumstances can pass major legislation with just 51 votes.”
. . .
“It would be legislative malpractice to squander these two remaining reconciliation bills.
“The midterm clock is ticking, and the Republican majority in the House has never been more fragile. To my Senate colleagues: Please, with sugar on top, do not waste this opportunity.”
Read Kennedy’s op-ed here.
