WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced that he will travel to Japan and China this month for an official overseas trip with a congressional delegation for meetings on trade and energy issues.
In addition to Sen. Kennedy, the delegation includes other U.S. senators as well as U.S. representatives.
Meetings will be held with high-ranking officials in Japan and China to discuss bilateral trade and energy issues, including nuclear power development. Sen. Kennedy also will use the trip to promote Louisiana interests such as liquefied natural gas, seafood and rice.
In Japan, the delegation plans to meet with U.S. Ambassador to Japan William F. “Bill” Hagerty, Deputy Chief of Mission-U.S. Embassy Tokyo Joseph Young, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. In China, the delegation plans to meet with U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping, Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang, Vice Premier Liu He, Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi, Vice Minister of Agriculture Han Jun and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Guo Shengkun.
“This is an important trip that will give us the opportunity to represent U.S. and Louisiana interests to China and Japan at a pivotal time,” said Sen. Kennedy. “The White House is in the middle of trade negotiations with Japan and discussions with China. We need fair, bilateral trade agreements that keep costs down for American consumers while creating opportunities for American entrepreneurs. I plan to renew discussions about what Louisiana can offer as far as LNG and agricultural products.”
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Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) Condemns the Violent Attacks on American Political Figures on America’s Newsroom
Oct 25 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Fox News Channel’s America’s Newsroom today, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) discussed the recent attacks on prominent political figures. Sen. Kennedy expressed his apologies to all of those affected by the threats, and apologized to the American people for having to cope with these despicable attacks.
Click here or the image below to watch Sen. Kennedy’s interview.
Extending Apologies: “I think the responsible thing to say for leadership is how I feel. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what happened to the Clintons, and the Obamas, and Mr. Soros, and CNN, and now apparently Vice President Biden. I’m sorry for America. We shouldn’t have to go through this.”
Heated Political Rhetoric: “It’s too early to assess blame. I know that the political rhetoric in this country has been hot on both sides. Has that contributed to it? I don’t think it’s helped. We should probably all dial it down a notch. When you’re civil, it doesn’t mean that you agree with your colleagues; it means that you respect them. I’m just sorry this happened. There’s not much else you can say.”
“The rhetoric in our country is hot, and all sides are responsible for it.”
Trust in Our Law Enforcement: “The FBI is best law enforcement agency in all of human history. We’ll find this person, but until then it’s all speculation.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump this week thanking him for his proposal to cut spending by 5% across all federal agencies.
“The federal government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Our federal deficit is astronomically high at $779 billion the past fiscal year. Congress has lived off the taxpayer’s credit card for far too long, and the only things that have grown are the debt, the federal bureaucracy, and the appetite for more spending. The President’s initiative to cut federal agency spending is a good first step towards helping get our federal budget back under control.”
October 18, 2018
President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Trump,
I want to personally thank you for your strong leadership to save American taxpayer dollars by cutting federal spending across all agencies by 5%. This is precisely the type of commonsense spending reform that America desperately needs and expects from its leaders. The Congressional Budget Office reports that the $21 trillion national debt is and will continue to slow the growth of productivity and wages, doing considerable harm to our economy in the process. I am proud to see the Trump Administration taking historic action to put America’s fiscal house in order, and I remain fully supportive of those efforts.
I have recently taken action in the Senate to tackle Washington’s spending problem. Earlier this year, I supported your proposal to reign in federal agencies by imposing a pay freeze on federal bureaucrats. I also advocated for a simple 1% spending haircut across federal agencies that, despite being only a drop in the fiscal bucket, would have been an improvement over out of control spending. However, the Washington swamp runs deep as you well know, and Congress couldn’t even agree on these basic reforms.
I recognize that making these types of cuts may not be easy for some within the Administration, but I know how necessary they are for the health of our economy. I firmly believe that all three levels of government have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Your new 5% directive is a good start to fixing those problems. Please know that you have my enthusiastic support. Thank you for your service to America.
Sincerely,
John Kennedy
United States Senator
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Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) Announces $13 Million Grant from FEMA for Southside Elementary School
Oct 17 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) announced today that the Livingston Parish School Board received a $13 million grant from FEMA to fund the repair or replacement of six academic buildings at Southside Elementary School.
“The post-flooding recovery process is still ongoing in south Louisiana,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Grants like this from FEMA help speed up the process, and it will help get kids back into permanent academic buildings at Southside Elementary School.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today, announced the passage of his and U.S. Sen. Doug Jones’s (D-Ala.) legislation, S.2765 - RBIC Advisers Relief Act of 2018. This bill bolsters Rural Business Investment Companies (RBICs) by removing unnecessary compliance costs that distract from their important mission to provide capital to rural communities.
“Our rural businesses and entrepreneurs play an essential role in Louisiana’s economy. To ensure long-term stability for those job creators, we have to make sure they have access to capital,” said Sen. Kennedy. “That’s why the RBIC Advisers Relief Act of 2018 is so important. This bill reduces unnecessary compliance costs that hinder RBICs from accomplishing their mission.”
RBICs are licensed under the Rural Business Investment Program (RBIP), a venture capital program created as a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Small Business Administration. The RBIP was designed to promote economic development and job creation in rural communities by investing in companies involved in the production, processing and supply of food and agriculture-related products.
An unintended consequence of Dodd-Frank forced investment advisors to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission if they advised both an RBIC and a venture capital fund. Congress already fixed this burden for Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) in 2015. This bill offers the same crucial relief to RBICs.
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Sens. Kennedy and Cassidy Congratulate Michael Juneau on Confirmation to the Western District of Louisiana
Oct 11 2018
WASHINGTON D.C. –U.S. Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) issued statements today after the U.S. Senate confirmed Michael Juneau as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
“Mr. Juneau is a well-respected member of the legal community in Louisiana. He has ample experience and expertise in serving the citizens of Louisiana,” said Sen. Kennedy. “I want to congratulate Mr. Juneau on his confirmation, and I wish him the best of luck in his new position. He will serve the public well.”
“Michael is an extremely smart attorney who is eminently qualified to serve the people of the Western District,” said Sen. Cassidy. “I congratulate Michael and his family and look forward to seeing him get right to work.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Tammy Duckworth’s (D-Ill.) bipartisan Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act, S. 2679, passed favorably out of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee. The Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act aims to help veteran-owned small businesses cut costs and grow by giving them access to surplus federal property.
Surplus federal property includes office furniture, computers and other office supplies. Minority-owned and women-owned small businesses already have access to the federal surplus property program, and this bill will ensure that veteran-owned small businesses receive the same assistance.
“Small business owners are the backbone of our country, and we wouldn’t even have a country if it weren’t for veterans. Our veterans sacrificed so much for our country, and the least we can do is support them,” said Sen. Kennedy. “This federal surplus property program is already in place, so it only seems right that we should allow veterans to qualify for the program. ”
In addition to the Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act, Sen. Kennedy’s bill to extend the effective date of the sunset for collateral requirements for Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans, S. 3554, also passed through the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee today. This bill will extend a provision of the Recovery Improvements for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015 (RISE Act) that allowed SBA to increase the unsecured loan limit for physical damage loans under an SBA Agency declaration from $14,000 to $25,000 for one year. This legislation will provide relief to people recovering from disasters by getting them more money to begin the recovery process more quickly.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) secured Louisiana priorities in S.3021, America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, which passed the U.S. Senate today. This legislation authorizes the first steps toward reducing flooding and deepening navigation channels across Louisiana.
“As we saw with the 2016 floods that affected nearly every parish in Louisiana, flooding is devastating. It ruins homes and disrupts lives. The best thing we can do to help Louisiana families is to prevent flooding from happening,” said Sen. Kennedy. “This legislation will help us work toward putting strong flood control measures in place. Next, Congress needs to finally reform the National Flood Insurance Program so it’s affordable and sustainable.”
Highlights from the bill include:
- J. Bennett Johnston Waterway 12’ Channel deepening study authorization
- At issue is whether to deepen the channel in order to allow barges to carry bigger loads.
- Northshore flood risk reduction study authorization
- Project to protect St. Tammany Parish.
- Ouachita-Black Rivers navigation study authorization
- At issue is a channel between Jonesville and Arkansas.
- Expedite completion of the following authorized channel deepening studies and flood damage reduction and ecosystem restoration:
- Baptiste Collette Bayou Study (Plaquemines Parish)
- Houma Navigation Canal Study (Terrebonne Parish)
- Bayou Lafourche Study (Lafourche Parish)
- Project for flood damage reduction and ecosystem restoration, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
- Expedite completion of the following authorized flood protection projects:
- Morganza to the Gulf
- Project to protect the Houma area from hurricanes.
- Morganza to the Gulf
- Louisiana Coastal Area
- A number of projects, including Convent/Blind River and Plaquemines Parish.
- Louisiana Coastal Area - Barataria Basin Barrier
- Project to improve areas of Lafourche Parish.
- West Shore Lake Pontchartrain
- Levee to protect the parishes of St. John the Baptist, St. James and St. Charles from hurricanes.
- Southwest Coastal Louisiana
- Project to protect parishes of Calcasieu, Cameron and Vermilion and restore ecosystems.
- Expedite completion of flood and hurricane protection projects in disaster areas:
- Minimize and manage flood risk in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
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Sen. Kennedy (R-La.) Congratulates Louisiana’s Mason Andrews for Setting a New World Flying Record
Oct 06 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today congratulated Monroe native, Mason Andrews, for setting a new world record as the youngest solo pilot to complete a circumnavigation of the globe.
Andrews set out on his circumnavigation to raise awareness and funds for MedCamps, which is a free summer camp for children with disabilities or illnesses. Andrews departed from Monroe on July 22 and returned to Monroe Saturday.
“Mason’s journey is a noble and adventurous feat!” said Sen. Kennedy. “I am happy to hear Mason returned back to Monroe safely. His courage and dedication earned him a new world record and helped raise over $25,000 for Louisiana Medcamps. This is an incredible accomplishment.”
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