Kennedy statement on Sen. J. Bennett Johnston
Mar 26 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) released the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Senator for Louisiana J. Bennett Johnston:
“Senator J. Bennett Johnston was a Louisiana champion and a champion for Louisiana. He played big but spoke softly. Composure was his superpower. Bennett loved Louisiana, loved America and loved his family. He was a great senator. Louisiana weeps.
“Becky and I send our condolences to the Johnston family and our everlasting thanks to Bennett.”
Kennedy helps introduce bipartisan bill to help injured combat veterans receive full military benefits
Mar 25 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and colleagues in reintroducing the bipartisan Major Richard Star Act. The bill would allow combat-injured veterans with fewer than 20 years of military service to receive full retirement benefits—without reduction—concurrent with their disability compensation.
“Our veterans made heroic scarifies to protect our nation. I’m proud to help introduce the Major Richard Star Act to make sure that Louisiana’s and America’s brave veterans are able to receive retirement benefits and disability compensation,” said Kennedy.
Currently, only veterans with over 20 years of military service and a 50% or more disabled rating can qualify to receive Department of Defense retirement and Department of Veterans Affairs disability payments concurrently.
Major Richard Star was a decorated war veteran after whom this legislation is named. Major Star retired due to combat related injuries and passed away from cancer in 2021.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) also cosponsored the bill.
The full bill text is available here.
“Too often, federal insurers give American farmers short shrift when regional disasters damage their crops. The Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act would make sure that fickle government policies don’t control the fate of Louisiana farms,” said Kennedy.
The Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act would give the FCIC more latitude to review the methodology it uses to determine discounts for farmers who experience crop loss. It would give stakeholders input into the process of setting those discounts and require a report to be issued following the review.
The bill would also allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) to establish a regional discount consideration that accounts for extreme weather events and natural disasters.
Background:
- The FCIC, which the RMA manages, provides federal crop insurance policies to approved insurance providers to sell coverage to America’s farmers and ranchers.
- The discounts provided to farmers who experience crop loss generally do not reflect the real damages farmers incur. This often leaves farmers without the flexibility they need to keep their farms afloat in the long run.
- The FCIC does not take regional disasters into account when it calculates discounts.
Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) reintroduced the legislation in the House of Representatives.
“Sudden crop losses due to severe weather have a heavy impact on the farmers at the heart of our nation’s food supply. By proposing much-needed flexibility and more specialized support to federal crop insurance programs, I’m fighting to ensure Louisiana farmers have the support they need when disaster strikes,” said Letlow.
Full text of the Quality Loss Adjustment Improvement for Farmers Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Hill arguing that Congress should pass the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act to ensure that federal law holds foreign executives to the same insider trading standards as American executives.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“The American people are tired of watching the U.S. receive the short end of the stick in our global business deals. They don’t understand why some have let other countries lie, steal and cheat in our marketplaces, and they reelected President Trump to help us unstack the deck.
“During his first term, President Trump worked to level the playing field for American companies and investors. He signed my bill, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, into law to allow the Securities and Exchange Commission to delist Chinese companies from American stock exchanges if they refuse to open their books to our regulators.
“It’s common sense. Chinese companies that want to profit from American investors should be held to the same transparency standards as American companies. In the years since President Trump signed this bill into law, Chinese companies have begun to comply with American disclosure requirements. Regulators have already issued millions of dollars in sanctions and penalties against Chinese companies and individuals who were cooking their books or otherwise violating our laws to the detriment of American investors.
“Now we have an opportunity to build upon this work by stopping the executives of foreign companies from gaming our markets through insider trading.”
. . .
“A foreign passport should not be a get-out-of-jail-free card for insider trading in the American stock exchange. There is absolutely no reason why American executives should face a higher standard of transparency than their foreign counterparts.
“Let’s build on the momentum of Trump’s first term to protect American investors from foreign executives who don’t respect our markets. I urge my congressional colleagues to join me in eliminating this double standard.”
Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.
WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), members of the Senate Banking Committee, today reintroduced the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act to hold executives of foreign companies that are traded on U.S. stock exchanges to the same disclosure requirements that U.S.-based firms are required to follow.
“Insiders at companies in Beijing and Moscow have been able to avoid billions in losses on the U.S. stock exchange by playing by a different set of rules than Americans do. This insider trading comes at a cost to American investors. The Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act will help stop opportunistic insider trading by requiring foreign executives to disclose trades immediately,” said Kennedy.
“When corporate insiders sell their stocks, investors and the public have a right to know. U.S. firms are required to disclose these trades and provide this information to the public, but foreign companies don’t have to play by the same rules. Our legislation will ensure all corporate insiders are held to the same standard and prevent foreign executives from insider trading at the expense of American investors,” said Van Hollen.
Currently, executives of U.S. publicly traded companies must disclose any trades they make of their own company’s stocks to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) within two business days. Meanwhile, executives of foreign firms are not required to make such timely disclosures and are required to file by paper. The lag this system creates means that foreign executives can keep trades private for a longer period of time, which promotes insider trading at the expense of everyday American investors.
The legislation would amend Section 16 (a) of the Securities Exchange Act to require executives of public companies based outside the U.S. to make electronic disclosures of trades in their company’s stocks to the SEC within two business days. The SEC would then make that information available to the public, as they currently do with U.S.-based firms.
Background:
- In April 2023, Kennedy and Van Hollen outlined their bill in the Wall Street Journal.
- In Aug. 2022, reports uncovered that Chinese investors of corporations listed on U.S. exchanges avoided billions of dollars in losses by making seemingly informed sock sales ahead of declines.
- In May 2022, Kennedy first introduced the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act.
Text of the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) sent a letter to President Trump to applaud his administration for restoring pro-energy policies in America and recognizing Louisiana as one of the nation’s leaders in energy production.
Key excerpts of the letter are below:
“We are writing to highlight the critical role that Louisiana plays in securing America’s position as the world’s leading liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter. LNG will play a key role in restoring American energy dominance, and our state is ready to increase supply. We appreciate your decision on Day One to reverse the pause on non-FTA [free trade agreement] LNG export permitting, and we applaud your administration’s decision for Interior Secretary [Doug] Burgum and Energy Secretary [Chris] Wright to visit a Louisiana LNG facility as one of their first energy trips.
“Louisiana is the backbone of America’s LNG export industry, accounting for more than 60% of all U.S. LNG exports last year. . . . Under your leadership, the U.S. is positioned to achieve record-breaking LNG exports, reinforcing energy dominance and providing allies with reliable, affordable, and cleaner-burning natural gas.”
. . .
“We look forward to working with you on policies to allow the LNG sector to thrive. Ensuring consistent, predictable policies from the administration and Congress will bolster U.S. competitiveness and reinforce our nation’s energy leadership.”
Read the full letter here.
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced that his office will host a passport acceptance event with the New Orleans Passport Agency for constituents to obtain or renew their passports.
Date: March 26, 2025
Time: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: 7932 Wrenwood Blvd., Suites A and B, Baton Rouge, La.
“My staff is working with our local passport agency to help Louisianians apply for and renew their passports. I hope this event will help Louisiana families enjoy their summer travel plans without any last-minute delays,” said Kennedy.
Although appointments are not required, applicants can contact Kathy Manuel at (337) 541-7990 or Christy Tate at (337) 541-7991 to schedule an appointment ahead of the event.
Applicants must bring the following items with them:
- Completed passport application
- Passport photo
- Government-issued I.D. or driver’s license
- Proof of U.S. citizenship
- Payment by check, credit card or money order only
Kennedy: Congress must start putting America’s land assets to use to pay down the national debt
Mar 18 2025
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) explained how the federal government has failed to put America’s public land assets to use to help pay down the debt in a speech on the Senate floor.
Key excerpts of the speech are below:
“I have seen an estimate from the private sector—there are several of these—that our public land, our 620 million [acres], if we managed that land properly, could generate $90 million in revenue. So, $90 million could be generated by our public land. How? Through mineral harvesting, natural gas production, oil drilling, grazing for agriculture, hunting licenses, fishing licenses [and] camping permits. Do you know what our federal lands actually generate in money? We know the potential: $90 billion a year. That would help us pay down this debt.
“In 2023, our federal lands actually lost money. They lost $13 billion. We went from a potential of $90 billion—according to land-use experts, that is what they ought to be generating—to a loss of $13 billion. It’s embarrassing.”
. . .
“Under President Biden . . . they banned offshore drilling for most of America’s coastlines. They prohibited mining on over a million acres of lands. They canceled leases for oil and natural gas production. They paused all new permits for [liquified natural gas] LNG, which Europe is hungry for. They restricted hunting. They restricted fishing. They restricted hiking, and they buried our federal lands in red tape. That is why we lost $13 billion instead of gaining $90 billion a year.”
. . .
“We need to do better. I know that the focus right now, Madam President, is on spending—and it should be—and it is on designing a tax code that looks like somebody designed it on purpose, and it should be. All those things are important, but, at some point, we need to recognize the enormous amount of assets that the American people own through their federal government and the fact that we are actually losing money by the way we are managing them instead of generating money.”
Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.
President Trump signs Kennedy resolution repealing rule targeting offshore energy production into law
Mar 17 2025
MADISONVILLE, La. – President Donald Trump signed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval to reverse the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) rule that targeted oil and gas production in the outer continental shelf into law.
“Burdensome regulations hurt oil and gas producers’ ability to provide affordable energy and jobs to Americans. I’m thankful to President Trump for taking handcuffs off energy producers by signing my resolution into law,” said Kennedy.
Sen. Cindy-Hyde Smith (R-Miss.) cosponsored the resolution.
“President Trump promised to restore America’s energy might and by signing these resolutions of disapproval he helps Congress reset policy in a way that encourages offshore oil and gas production. This action also has greater staying power, as any future administration would find it more difficult to reinstate the misguided regulations imposed during the Biden years. I commend President Trump for signing this important congressional resolution of disapproval, and really appreciate the opportunity to be part of the signing ceremony,” said Hyde-Smith.
Rep. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) introduced the companion resolution in the House of Representatives.
“This is a great day for American energy independence and for the hardworking men and women who power our nation. The Biden administration’s misguided rule was a disaster for our energy producers, driving up costs for families and making us more reliant on foreign adversaries. By overturning this rule, we are unleashing American energy and ensuring a stronger, more secure future. Mississippi’s energy workers and consumers deserve policies that support economic growth and energy security—not unnecessary government overreach. I thank President Trump for his strong leadership in signing this today and reaffirming our commitment to affordable and reliable American energy,” said Ezell.
Background:
- On Sept. 3, 2024, the Biden administration published a rule requiring all new oil and gas leaseholders on the outer continental shelf to submit an archaeological report to the BOEM before drilling or laying pipelines. The rule burdens lessees with conducting costly surveys for marine archaeological resources, such as shipwrecks or “cultural resources.”
- This rule replaces BOEM’s long-standing policy of requiring oil and gas operators to conduct archaeological surveys only when there was a “reason to believe” that an archaeological resource may be present.
- The Biden administration admitted that this rule would harm small oil and gas producers most, writing, “100 percent of the increased Gulf of [America] compliance cost . . . would be borne by operators that are small entities.” Small and independent operators account for one-third of all oil production in the Gulf of America.
- On Feb. 4, 2025, Kennedy introduced his CRA joint resolution of disapproval to repeal the rule. This is one of more than 225 harmful regulations that the Biden administration levied against the oil and natural gas industry.
- On Feb. 25, 2025, the Senate passed Kennedy’s resolution. On March 6, 2025, the House passed the resolution.
The full resolution is available here.
Senate passes Kennedy-backed bill to crack down on fentanyl, help law enforcement tackle opioid crisis
Mar 14 2025
WASHINGTON – The Senate today passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, helped introduce. The bill was led by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and would permanently list fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act.
“The HALT Fentanyl Act would help save lives in Louisiana and across the country by empowering law enforcement with tools to combat the trafficking of this deadly drug. I’m proud to see the Senate pass this critical legislation, and I look forward to it becoming law,” said Kennedy.
Fentanyl is a scheduled substance, but Mexican drug cartels have made small chemical tweaks to fentanyl to produce drugs with similar dangerous effects—fentanyl-related substances—that were not scheduled.
In response to this crisis, the DEA exercised its authority to temporarily classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act. That temporary scheduling order will expire on March 31, 2025 if Congress does not act.
Under the HALT Fentanyl Act, fentanyl-related substances would remain Schedule I. In addition, the bill clarifies that the mandatory minimum penalties that apply to fentanyl also apply to the trafficking of fentanyl-related substances.
“74,000 people died in 2023 from fentanyl overdoses. Law enforcement needs every tool. This gives them another tool and makes that tool permanent. We must continue to work until 74,000 becomes 0. I am proud to have led the effort to get this bill to the president’s desk,” said Cassidy.
“The HALT Fentanyl Act is a critical step towards ending the crisis that’s killing hundreds of thousands of precious American lives. I thank my Senate colleagues for passing this bill with broad, overwhelming support. I urge my House colleagues to swiftly pass the Senate version of this battle-tested, bipartisan bill to save lives, advance research and support our brave men and women in blue,” said Grassley.
Background:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that in 2023 there were 81,083 overdose deaths in the U.S. that involved opioids.
- In March 2023, Kennedy introduced the Fairness in Fentanyl Sentencing Act, which would have made sure fentanyl-trafficking sentences reflected the deadliness of the substance. Senate Democrats blocked the bill in May 2023.
- In 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 21,889 pounds of fentanyl, enough to kill more than 4.9 billion people (assuming a lethal dose of two milligrams)—or enough to wipe out the entire U.S. population more than 14 times over.
The full bill text is available here.
