Kennedy, Booker introduce bill to protect animals from unnecessary drug testing at the FDA
Jan 29 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and colleagues in introducing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act 3.0. The bill would require the FDA to implement the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 (FDAMA 2.0) to update drug testing to meet modern standards.
In 2022, Congress passed the FDAMA 2.0, which Kennedy helped introduce and Pres. Joe Biden signed into law. The law removes a requirement under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for mandatory testing on animals before human clinical trials.
“The Biden administration had two years to implement the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, but it didn’t act. Congress should send this bill to Pres. Trump’s desk to help protect animals from mandatory testing at the FDA,” said Kennedy.
“It’s been over two years since Congress ended the statutory mandate that investigational new drugs (INDs) undergo mandatory animal testing before human clinical trials. We cannot allow the FDA to continue to delay on implementing this critical law. If passed, this bipartisan legislation will require FDA to finally update its regulations and will pave the way for more scientifically reliable and humane methods of drug development,” said Booker.
Under the FDAMA 2.0, the FDA would be required to use other methods of testing, such as organ chips, computer modeling and bioprinting, before human trials. The FDA Modernization Act 3.0 would mandate the FDA to update its regulations for testing within 12 months of enactment.
Sens. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Angus King (I-Maine), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) also cosponsored the legislation.
The full bill text is available here.
Kennedy, Peters champion bipartisan bill to end government payments to deceased Americans
Jan 28 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act to save billions of federal dollars by curbing erroneous payments to individuals who have passed away.
Kennedy’s original bipartisan legislation set up provisions to save federal taxpayer dollars by curbing erroneous government payments to deceased individuals for a temporary three-year period, and the new bill would make the temporary provisions permanent.
“In 2023 alone, the federal government sent $1.3 billion to dead people. The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act would permanently correct bureaucratic errors so that Americans’ tax dollars don’t get wasted or stolen,” said Kennedy.
“This bill would help save millions of taxpayer dollars by ensuring that the Social Security Administration can permanently share important data with the Treasury’s Do Not Pay system, preventing wrongful payments to deceased individuals. I have long supported this legislation because I believe it is a vital step in safeguarding taxpayer dollars and ensuring the integrity of our payment systems,” said Peters.
Earlier this month, the Treasury Department announced that it recovered $31 million in fraud and improper payments during the first five months of the implementation of Kennedy’s Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act in which the Social Security Administration shared its Death Master File with the Treasury Department in order to avoid erroneous payments on a temporary basis.
The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act would permanently amend the Social Security Act to allow the Social Security Administration to share the Death Master File—a record of deceased individuals—with the Treasury Department’s Do Not Pay system. This change would rein in the government’s ability to make improper payments to deceased people into the future.
The bill would also allow Treasury’s Do Not Pay working system to compare death information from the Social Security Administration with personal information from other federal entities and to share this information with any paying or administering agency that is authorized to use the Do Not Pay system.
Background:
- In Dec. 2024, Kennedy urged his colleagues to save taxpayer dollars and support the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased Americans Act on the Senate floor.
- In May 2024, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs unanimously passed Kennedy’s Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act.
- Kennedy’s Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act became law in December 2020. The bill mandates the sharing of the Social Security Administration's Death Master File with the Department of the Treasury’s Do Not Pay working system within three years after enactment. The three-year exchange runs from December 27, 2023 to December 27, 2026.
- In 2021, Kennedy wrote this op-ed sounding the alarm on the government’s sending more than $1 billion to deceased Americans.
- In 2019, Kennedy questioned U.S. Government Accountability Office Comptroller General Hon. Gene L. Dodaro about improper payments sent to deceased people.
Full bill text is available here.
Kennedy calls for FCC to review partisan decision to approve Soros-backed takeover of 200 radio stations
Jan 27 2025
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review its decision to allow a company backed in part by foreign money and billionaire Democratic donor George Soros to obtain licenses for more than 200 American radio stations. The requested review by the FCC would include making certain that all required steps were followed according to FCC procedures and taking a closer look at the national security ramifications of the sale.
Key excerpts of the speech are below:
“Mr. George Soros is buying WWL AM radio in New Orleans. WWL AM radio is practically an institution in my state.”
. . .
“Any time a broadcast license—as is the case with Audacy—is transferred, the FCC has to approve it. So, Mr. Soros’s purchase of WWL Radio and the 219 other radio stations had to go before the FCC, and it did. And it went—the approval for Mr. Soros—went through the FCC like green grass through a goose. It was a party-line vote. It was last September. All three Democrats—there are five people on the FCC—all three Democrats said let it go, and [it has been alleged that] they short-circuited the normal process. . . . What happened was what some members of the media have called the ‘Soros shortcut.’ They just got together and rammed it through.”
. . .
“Mr. Soros—both George and [his son] Alex—believe that America would be better off if we had open borders. They believe that America would be better off, in my opinion—this is how I read their writings—if we ended jails and if we ran our government like the Communist Party of China. I don’t agree with that, but Mr. Soros—both of them—are entitled to their opinion. But my people in Louisiana are entitled to know whose opinion they are hearing on the radio.”
. . .
“I hope the new FCC revisits this issue. These licenses and these airwaves do not belong to me or to the FCC or to Audacy or to WWL. They belong to you and you and you—the American people. We are supposed to make sure through our FCC—that is why God created the FCC—that these licenses are not just given to anybody.”
Background:
- Audacy is the second-largest owner of radio stations in the U.S. In total, Audacy owns roughly 220 stations in more than 45 media markets throughout the country.
- In Jan. 2024, Audacy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and offered to trade shares of the company to lenders who would take on debt. George Soros took on $400 million in Audacy’s debt for 50 cents on the dollar and became the largest shareholder in the restructured company. Several foreign entities also took on some of Audacy’s debt, leaving the company with more than 20% foreign ownership.
- The FCC restricts the ability of companies with significant foreign ownership to obtain radio licenses. The agency is supposed to investigate foreign-backed companies to make sure they would operate in the American people’s interests before approving the transfer of any radio licenses.
- According to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, the Democrat-led FCC rushed the approval process to allow the transfer of licenses to the Soros-backed Audacy without conducting the standard investigations. Carr said the FCC had never previously used the “Soros-shortcut” procedure to approve licenses to a firm with significant foreign ownership.
- Carr—who is now chairman of the FCC—has said he would take “a very hard look” at a petition to reconsider the license transfer to the Soros-backed company.
- Soros has donated billions of dollars to leftist causes in recent years. Soros has called the U.S. “the main obstacle to a stable and just world,” and claimed that China has a “better functioning government than the United States.”
- Shortly before leaving office, President Biden gave Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Telegraph arguing that the United Kingdom was right to consult the Trump administration before ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including the key U.S.-U.K. military base on Deigo Garcia, to Mauritius.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“Sir Keir Starmer appears to have had a change of heart when it comes to working with the Trump administration—and that’s a good thing.
“Just a few weeks ago, the Prime Minister was poised to sign away the fate of a joint U.K.-U.S. military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.
“According to reports, Starmer and members of the outgoing Biden administration wanted to finali[z]e the agreement to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands—including Diego Garcia—to Mauritius before President Trump could take his oath.
“Fortunately, cooler—and perhaps wiser—heads prevailed. Prime Minister Starmer agreed to welcome President Trump to the negotiating table. This is great news. Friends don’t strike deals behind each other’s backs, especially when our shared security is on the line.”
. . .
“The idea that the U.K. must hand over the islands to atone for whatever perceived wrongs Britain’s forefathers may have committed is nonsense. The [United Nations] does not care about what is best for the Chagossian, British or American people. They only care about furthering a misguided anti-Western agenda.
“The U.K. is our ally, and Mauritius is our friend, but this is a matter of national security for the U.S. Anyone who expects the Trump administration to elevate the sensitivities of U.N. militants above the best interests of America and our allies is writing a [check] that can’t be cashed.
“The Chagossian, American and British people would all be safer if this deal with Mauritius found its way into the shredder for good.”
Background
- On Jan. 15, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he wanted President Trump and his administration to weigh in on any deal struck between the U.K. and Mauritius regarding the transfer of the Chagos Islands, including the transfer of the U.S.-U.K. shared military base on the island of Diego Garcia.
- The U.K. had previously announced on Oct. 3, 2024, that it had reached a deal with Mauritius to cede the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. The decision to consider ceding sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius followed a years-long pressure campaign from the United Nations.
- The Biden administration had reportedly pressured the U.K. to enter the deal with Mauritius before the American and Mauritian elections took place—an idea Starmer initially endorsed.
- On Oct. 23, 2024, Kennedy wrote to then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken seeking answers about the Biden administration’s involvement in the deal between the U.K. and Mauritius.
- Kennedy also penned this op-ed in Oct. arguing that the Biden administration owes the American people an explanation for its decision to allow this deal between the U.K. and Mauritius to move forward.
- Former Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), President Trump’s nominee for National Security Advisor, has criticized the deal, saying, “Should the U.K. cede control of the Chagos to Mauritius, I have no doubt that China will take advantage of the resulting vacuum.”
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio has similarly condemned the deal and said it “poses a serious threat to our national security interests in the Indian Ocean and threatens critical U.S. military posture in the region.”
Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.
Watch Kennedy’s full message here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today released the following message addressing this year’s March for Life in Washington, D.C., which many Louisianians and Americans attend:
“I want to thank everybody—each and every one of you—who came here to Washington today to celebrate God's greatest gift: life.”
. . .
“Here in the Senate, I've been able to question a number of witnesses and officials who—believe it or not—support abortion up until the moment of birth.”
. . .
“In my judgment, that's just a barbaric position, and I don't think the American people support it.”
. . .
“When radicals push hard for these indefensible positions, we just have to have good people like you to stand up in front of God and country and speak up for innocent life.
“I know it's not easy, but it's the right thing to do, and I thank you for doing it.”
. . .
“[T]his is what I believe: Every life is precious . . . and everybody deserves a shot at life—no matter where they come from.
“I am praying that this year's march is as successful as ever, and that it spreads this message far and wide.”
. . .
“God bless all of you and God bless the mothers and the unborn babies you are working so hard to protect.”
View Kennedy’s full remarks here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $75,123,091 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for flood mitigation, debris removal and permanent repair projects.
“Hurricanes Ida and Laura devastated south Louisiana. This $75.1 million will help our communities rebuild and prepare for future storms by supporting flood mitigation, debris removal and permanent repair projects,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $23,362,422 to the Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative for permanent repairs as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $19,913,860 to the Terrebonne Parish School Board for permanent repairs as a direct result of Hurricane Ida.
- $7,330,271 to Terrebonne Parish for debris removal operations as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $4,844,147 to the Society of the Roman Catholic Church of the Diocese of Lake Charles for permanent repairs as a result of Hurricane Laura.
- $4,397,467 to the Grand Isle Independent Levee District for permanent repairs as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $2,715,104 to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office for emergency protective measures as a direct result of Hurricane Laura.
- $1,943,643 to Livingston Parish for management costs as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $1,628,521 to the Grand Isle Independent Levee District for permanent repairs as a direct result of Hurricane Ida.
- $1,599,783 to the Office of Risk Management for permanent repairs as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $1,433,322 to the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans for permanent repairs as a result Hurricane Ida.
- 1,261,153 to Jefferson Davis Electric Cooperative, Inc., for emergency protective measures as a result of Hurricane Laura.
- $1,247,038 to the Westwego Housing Authority for permanent repairs as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $1,239,840 to Jefferson Parish for emergency protective measures as a direct result Hurricane Ida.
- $1,201,968 to the Louisiana Children's Medical Center DBA LCMC Health (Children's Hospital) for management costs as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $1,004,552 to the Ochsner Clinic Foundation for emergency protective measures as a direct result of Hurricane Ida.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in introducing the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act.
The bill would permanently codify the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy (formerly the Mexico City Policy), which forbids the funding of foreign non-governmental organizations that perform or promote abortions. The Mexico City Policy was first instituted by Pres. Ronald Reagan and has since been rescinded and reinstated by various presidential administrations. Pres. Donald Trump expanded this policy to close previously existing loopholes and renamed it the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy.
“America shouldn’t fund abortions in foreign countries—no matter which party holds the White House. It’s time for Congress to show some moral clarity on this issue once and for all by passing this bill,” said Kennedy.
“In our quest to build a society where every precious human life is protected, we cannot allow the tax dollars of American families to be used against the most vulnerable people in our country and across the world: the unborn,” said Lee.
Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) cosponsored the legislation.
Text of the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act is available here.
Kennedy, Daines champion bill to stop small business tax hike, protect Tax Cuts and Jobs Act deductions
Jan 23 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today joined Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) in introducing the Main Street Tax Certainty Act to make permanent the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 199A deductions for small businesses.
“More than 230,000 small businesses in Louisiana will face tax hikes if the deductions we passed in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire. The Main Street Tax Certainty Act will help make sure that the backbone of America’s economy continues to provide good-paying jobs to our communities,” said Kennedy.
“As the son of a contractor, I’ve seen firsthand the hard work it takes to keep a small business flourishing—especially as Americans are still grappling with the effects of Joe Biden’s inflation. It’s absolutely crucial that we pass this legislation to prevent a 20 percent tax increase for hardworking Montanans and I’ll keep fighting for ways to support Montana small businesses, which provide the majority of jobs in our state,” said Daines.
In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law. The law, under section 199A, provides a special tax deduction for millions of America’s small businesses. The 199A deductions are set to expire on Dec. 31, 2025 unless Congress acts.
Most businesses in the U.S. are considered "pass-through," which means their income flows through the business onto the owners or members. These profits are taxed as individual income rather than at the corporate rate. The Main Street Tax Certainty Act would permanently provide a 20% tax deduction for pass-through businesses, including sole-proprietorships, S-Corporations, partnerships and limited liability corporations.
Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) also cosponsored the legislation.
The full text of the legislation is available here.
Kennedy, Wicker introduce bill to ban taxpayer funding for abortions, codify Hyde amendment
Jan 23 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and colleagues in reintroducing the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act. The bill would permanently stop the flow of federal funding for abortion by establishing a single, government-wide standard that bars federal tax dollars from financing abortions.
“Big government is funneling Americans’ hard-earned money to the radical abortion agenda. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act would take federal dollars out of abortion procedures, respect taxpayers and help protect more unborn children,” said Kennedy.
“Millions of Americans share my belief that unborn life should be protected in the womb. Using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions is wrong. My Senate Republican colleagues and I will continue fighting to preserve life,” said Wicker.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) introduced the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act in the House of Representatives.
For decades, a haphazard set of policies like the Hyde Amendment have regulated federal funding for abortion. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act would permanently restrict federal funding for elective abortion and elective abortion coverage. The bill would also clarify that federal health insurance plans that cover abortion services are not eligible for subsidies or inclusion on the Affordable Care Act exchange.
Full text of the bill is here.
Kennedy introduces bill to crack down on rogue prosecutors who refuse to keep Americans safe
Jan 23 2025
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced the Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act, which would require district attorneys (DAs) in many large jurisdictions to annually report information on their handling of certain serious crimes to the U.S. Attorney General. Under the bill, DA’s offices that do not report this data risk losing priority funding for their districts.
The bill would specifically require DAs in jurisdictions with more than 360,000 people to submit an annual report disclosing data on, among other things, the number of cases referred to them for crimes including murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault and burglary, and the number of these cases that the DA’s office dropped.
“American families deserve good prosecutors to keep them safe by enforcing the law, but too many district attorneys cater to far-left activists. The Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act would hold rogue prosecutors accountable for refusing to punish criminals and protect innocent Americans,” said Kennedy.
The bill would help correct a nationwide trend of DAs who decline to prosecute serious crimes. In recent years, a multimillion-dollar project has worked to hamstring effective policing in major cities by empowering soft-on-crime prosecutors.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) cosponsored the bill.
“With crime on the rise in Democrat-led cities across the nation, it is imperative that these Soros-backed prosecutors work, do their jobs and get these violent offenders off our streets, instead of allowing career criminals to run rampant in our community. Catch-and-release is enough of a disaster on the Texas-Mexico border. The last thing we need is to institute it in our courts. I’m proud to stand with Sen. Kennedy and our colleagues to demand transparency about this abdication of professional responsibility,” said Cruz.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives.
“Over the last few years, we've seen a disturbing trend in big-city district attorneys working to keep dangerous criminals on our streets rather than behind bars. Look no further than my city of New York where Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg released a 'Day One' memo initially directing his staff to not prosecute certain crimes, downgrade other felony charges filed by police, and no longer seek sentences of life without parole. The same type of woke policies have been enacted by progressive DAs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, and voters have had enough. With prosecutors refusing to prosecute and governors only enabling their leniency, Congress has a responsibility to step in and arm the public with the information they need to make informed decisions at the ballot box,” said Malliotakis.
The bill’s text is available here.
Kennedy first introduced the bill in the 118th Congress in Feb. 2024.
