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“Failing to refuel the Paycheck Protection Program is a quick way to kill jobs and close down job creators for the long haul. I hope my colleagues in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle will allow us to inject an additional $250 billion into this program immediately—with no strings attached.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) released the following statement after the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program ran out of funding today:
“Right now, funding small businesses is a key way we save jobs. Failing to refuel the Paycheck Protection Program is a quick way to kill jobs and close down job creators for the long haul. I hope my colleagues in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle will allow us to inject an additional $250 billion into this program immediately—with no strings attached,” said Kennedy.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act gave $349 billion to the Small Business Administration to make loans to cover payroll expenses during the coronavirus pandemic. The program has saved millions of jobs but ran out of lending capacity in less than two weeks.
In recent days, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have demanded the following as pre-conditions for providing additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program:
- $100 billion in additional funding for hospitals.
- $150 billion in additional funding for state and local governments.
- A 15 percent increase in the maximum benefit payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
- Another round of $1,200 checks to individuals.
- An extension of unemployment benefits for two additional months.
- New strings attached to the increase in Paycheck Protection Program funds that would force small-business owners to submit personal data about themselves and other owners and investors to their banks and the federal government. These requirements could result in additional paperwork, slow the application process and cause small businesses not to participate.
- Additional restrictions would limit $125 billion of the $250 billion in funding to criteria that exclude many business owners.
“A lot of Louisiana’s essential workers depend on child care so that they can focus on helping our community through this pandemic. This HHS funding will give child care providers critical support so that we can all keep helping each other.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, today announced $67,581,166 in Health and Human Services (HHS) funding to support Louisiana child care providers in communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“A lot of Louisiana’s essential workers depend on child care so that they can focus on helping our community through this pandemic. This HHS funding will give child care providers critical support so that we can all keep helping each other,” said Kennedy.
The grant comes as part of $3.5 billion in Child Care and Development Block Grant funding to states under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
These funds are not loans and do not need to be repaid. More information is available here.
“The 2016 floods tore up facilities across Louisiana, and this grant will help pay for equipment and repairs needed to restore communities affected by this disaster.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $13,789,811 in federal funding to reimburse the cost of equipment and repair work to multiple establishments around Louisiana.
“The 2016 floods tore up facilities across Louisiana, and this grant will help pay for equipment and repairs needed to restore communities affected by this disaster,” said Kennedy.
Projects include:
- $7,511,452 will help fund repairs to the First Baptist Church in Denham Springs.
- $4,900,789 will help pay for equipment, items and repairs made to the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel.
- $1,377,570 will help fund repairs to Galvez Middle School in Ascension Parish.
“In reality, holding the line ethically gives us the ability to put resources toward better science that is already showing promise against the coronavirus. Therefore, we urge you to stand strong in rejecting these appeals for taxpayer dollars to be used for the practice of using aborted babies in experiments.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined fellow senators in asking President Donald Trump to maintain pro-life protections during the search for treatments and cures for the coronavirus. Thirty-five senators signed the letter responding to a request by 15 pro-abortion state attorneys general who requested waivers to prohibitions on the use of fetal tissue for coronavirus research.
“These attempts to exploit the current crisis faced by our nation undermine your leadership and the promising research that is already underway. In reality, holding the line ethically gives us the ability to put resources toward better science that is already showing promise against the coronavirus. Therefore, we urge you to stand strong in rejecting these appeals for taxpayer dollars to be used for the practice of using aborted babies in experiments,” the senators wrote.
The letter was co-signed by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
The letter is available here.
“The federal and state governments are working together day and night to respond to this pandemic. This funding will help reimburse Louisiana for the money spent on resources to combat this virus.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security, today announced a $55,718,685 FEMA grant to help the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness respond to the coronavirus outbreak in Louisiana.
“The federal and state governments are working together day and night to respond to this pandemic. This funding will help reimburse Louisiana for the money spent on resources to combat this virus,” said Kennedy.
President Donald Trump declared a major disaster in Louisiana on March 24, 2020. The grant is authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Act.
Sen. Kennedy announces $475 million in immediate CARES Act relief for Louisiana health care providers
Apr 10 2020
“This $475 million of HHS funding will help our state’s health care providers keep their doors wide open to our families and neighbors. Now isn’t the time to cut care or cut corners, and I’m glad to see the CARES Act in action.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, today announced $474,891,735 in Health and Human Services (HHS) funding. This support will help 4,944 health care providers that have been responding to the coronavirus crisis in Louisiana.
“Doctors, nurses and emergency medical technicians at Louisiana hospitals have saved countless lives. This $475 million of HHS funding will help our state’s health care providers keep their doors wide open to our families and neighbors. Now isn’t the time to cut care or cut corners, and I’m glad to see the CARES Act in action,” said Kennedy.
These payments are part of HHS’s immediate delivery of $30 billion to health providers on the front lines of the pandemic. These funds are not loans and do not need to be repaid. Delivery of this money begins today.
Overall, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides $100 billion in relief funding connected to health care costs and lost revenue resulting from the coronavirus.
Additional information about this CARES Act relief funding is available here.
“Communities across Louisiana are fighting this virus with everything they’ve got, and this funding will help us safeguard the health of workers and families across our state.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $8.3 million in grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration to support various medical projects around Louisiana, including coronavirus relief.
“Communities across Louisiana are fighting this virus with everything they’ve got, and this funding will help us safeguard the health of workers and families across our state,” said Kennedy.
Projects include:
- $6,313,741 will help fund an HIV emergency relief project in New Orleans.
- $92,042 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Access Health Louisiana.
- $91,200 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Marillac Community Health Centers.
- $76,080 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center.
- $73,707 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the St. Thomas Community Health Center.
- $72,222 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the SWLA Center for Health Services.
- $70,659 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Teche Action Board.
- $67,062 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for RKM Primary Care.
- $65,355 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Primary Health Services Center.
- $64,311 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the NO/AIDS Task Force.
- $64,039 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the David Raines Community Health Center.
- $62,797 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Jefferson Community Health Care Centers.
- $62,565 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Catahoula Parish Hospital District No. 2.
- $62,276 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Winn Community Health Center.
- $60,651 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Capitol City Family Health Center.
- $60,446 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Rapides Primary Health Care Center.
- $60,164 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Southeast Community Health Systems.
- $59,334 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two.
- $59,225 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Start Corporation.
- $58,206 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Morehouse Community Medical Centers.
- $58,129 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Southwest Louisiana Primary Health Care Center.
- $57,424 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Outpatient Medical Center.
- $56,618 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Innis Community Health Center.
- $56,220 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the city of New Orleans.
- $55,579 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Richland Parish.
- $55,394 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority.
- $54,887 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Baptist Community Health Services.
- $54,710 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the MQVN Community Development Corporation.
- $53,119 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Tensas Community Health Center.
- $52,567 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Baton Rouge Primary Care Collaborative.
- $52,326 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Odyssey House Louisiana.
- $52,192 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for the Common Ground Health Clinic.
- $51,178 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Priority Health Care.
- $50,464 will help fund supplemental coronavirus relief for Plaquemines Parish Hospital Service District No. 1.
Kennedy and Louisiana delegation ask Agriculture Secretary to Apply CARES Act to crawfish industry
Apr 08 2020
“The crawfish industry is a critical part of Louisiana’s economy and culture. . . . I hope the Department of Agriculture will provide assistance to our crawfish producers so Americans can keep enjoying Louisiana fare while we preserve Louisiana jobs.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) joined Reps. Ralph Abraham (R-La.), Garret Graves (R-La.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Mike Johnson (R-La.), Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and Steve Scalise (R-La.) today in asking Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to assist America’s crawfish industry as it struggles from the effects of the coronavirus.
“The crawfish industry is a critical part of Louisiana’s economy and culture. It supplies the entire nation with one of mother nature’s tastiest foods. I hope the Department of Agriculture will provide assistance to our crawfish producers so Americans can keep enjoying Louisiana fare while we preserve Louisiana jobs,” said Kennedy.
The U.S. crawfish industry is largely seasonal. It relies heavily on direct-to-consumer markets, such as restaurants, large social gatherings, caterers, festivals and farmers markets. The industry has lost business under government orders to close restaurants to dine-in customers and CDC limitations on social gatherings.
Without federal assistance, the short-term losses caused directly by the coronavirus pandemic could hurt the long-term health of the industry. The delegation therefore urged Secretary Perdue to consider strongly assisting the domestic crawfish industry under the CARES Act.
Congress last month allocated $9.5 billion in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act for the Department of Agriculture to support agricultural producers affected by the coronavirus. The crawfish industry contributes about $350 million to Louisiana’s economy and could see a 60 percent loss in market value by the peak of the season.
The letter is available here.
Kennedy announces grant for streetscape, stormwater management project in St. John the Baptist Parish
Apr 07 2020
“If you’ve driven around our great state, you know infrastructure plays a big role in flood mitigation. This grant will help make driving conditions on Belle Terre Boulevard safer for our communities.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced a $328,799 grant from the Treasury Department to fund a Belle Terre Boulevard streetscape and stormwater management project in St. John the Baptist Parish.
“If you’ve driven around our great state, you know infrastructure plays a big role in flood mitigation. This grant will help make driving conditions on Belle Terre Boulevard safer for our communities,” said Kennedy.
The project will help provide new lighting, stormwater management features, a multiuse path and interpretive signage along approximately 2.25 miles of Belle Terre Boulevard. The grant is funded under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act.
Kennedy, Cassidy, Johnson urge Federal Bureau of Prisons to take immediate action at Oakdale Prison
Apr 07 2020
“What goes on at this federal prison affects inmates, staff and the broader Oakdale community. We need answers about what happened in Oakdale and how the Bureau of Prisons is going to mitigate this outbreak.”
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent a letter to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) urging that the agency take decisive action to address the COVID-19 outbreak at the federal correctional institution in Oakdale, La. The letter seeks answers to specific questions regarding the BOP’s plans to mitigate the spread of COVD-19 to inmates, officers and staffers.
“What goes on at this federal prison affects inmates, staff and the broader Oakdale community. We need answers about what happened in Oakdale and how the Bureau of Prisons is going to mitigate this outbreak,” said Kennedy.
“We must contain coronavirus wherever we find it. This is for the safety of the support staff, guards, law enforcement, their families and all others concerned in Oakdale. Our letter seeks more information on how the Bureau of Prisons is working to that end,” said Cassidy.
“We recognize these are challenging times for the Bureau of Prisons, but the situation at Oakdale FCI is unacceptable. The BOP must take decisive action to protect the health and safety of the staff, officers, prison population and surrounding community,” said Johnson. “I want to thank Senator Cassidy and Senator Kennedy for joining me in this effort. We look forward to the BOP’s prompt response.”
The signed letter can be viewed here.
