“Our state’s public transportation system is doing whatever it takes to adjust to this pandemic, and this funding will help Shreveport maintain its transit services and support efforts to slow the spread of the virus around northern Louisiana.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced an $11,323,615 grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to support Shreveport Transit Management, Inc. in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

“Our state’s public transportation system is doing whatever it takes to adjust to this pandemic, and this funding will help Shreveport maintain its transit services and support efforts to slow the spread of the virus in northern Louisiana,” said Kennedy.

The federal funding requires no local match. It is part of a previously announced $162 million grant delivered through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to support Louisiana’s public transit industry. More information from the FTA is available here.

“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.

“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.