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.
Kennedy: US should not bow to UN plan to turn over key military base to country with ties to China
Jan 22 2025
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) explained the danger of a possible deal the United Kingdom (U.K.) has been making to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which is vulnerable to Beijing’s influence. Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos Islands, is home to a key joint U.S.-U.K. military base.
Key excerpts of the speech are below:
“This is our military base. If we give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius—Mauritius says they'll lease us our own base for about [£90 million per year]—already China is circling Mauritius. Already, China is trying to be Mauritius’s best friend.”
. . .
“I don't have anything against the government of Mauritius. They're wonderful people. I understand they want the money. They want our money. They want your money. They want us to pay them for our own military base. We need to stop this deal.”
. . .
“It is bone-deep, down-to-the-marrow stupid for us—because of guilt over colonialism—to bow to the wishes of the United Nations and give a military base that we built to Mauritius, which eventually will end up in the hands of the Communist Party of China.”
Background
- On Jan. 15, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he would allow 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.
- 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 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.”
Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in introducing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
Current law makes it illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, but it does not require states to verify that every person has U.S. citizenship before he or she registers to vote.
The SAVE Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act to clarify that every state must require proof of citizenship (e.g., a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or U.S. passport) when it registers individuals to vote in federal elections.
“Americans know that U.S. citizenship is sacred and that foreign nationals shouldn’t get to vote in our elections any more than Americans should be able to vote in French or Nigerian elections. The SAVE Act would make sure that people who aren’t even citizens don’t cancel out Louisianians’ or other Americans’ voices at the ballot box,” said Kennedy.
Since the 2020 presidential election, illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. have increased, making it even more necessary to make sure that every person voting in American elections has proven that he or she is a U.S. citizen.
The SAVE Act would also:
- Require states to establish a process to remove foreign nationals from existing voter rolls.
- Increase federal penalties for individuals who register foreign nationals to vote in federal elections.
- Establish acceptable ways for individuals to prove their U.S. citizenship and require states to establish their own processes of demonstrating that citizenship when a person does not have legal documentation.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $13,488,383 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to elevate flood-prone structures and purchase and install generators in Louisiana.
“Louisianians are working hard to ready our state for future storms. This $13.5 million will help elevate flood-prone structures and supply generators for our communities,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $3,783,382 to Jefferson Parish for the elevation of 22 flood-prone residential structures.
- $2,405,700 to East Feliciana Parish for the acquisition and installation of 25 generators.
- $2,294,125 to Grant Parish for the acquisition and installation of 27 generators.
- $1,767,926 to the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the purchase and installation of 52 generators.
- $1,620,675 to Jefferson Parish for the elevation of 11 flood-prone residential structures.
- $1,024,937 to Plaquemines Parish for the purchase and installation of a stormwater pump station backup generator.
- $209,704 to Jefferson Parish for management costs associated the elevation of 22 structures.
- $120,285 to East Feliciana Parish for management costs.
- $114,706 to Grant Parish for management costs associated with parish outreach.
- $90,002 to Jefferson Parish for management costs associated the elevation of 11 structures.
- $56,941 to Plaquemines Parish for management costs associated with generator purchase and installation.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced a $1,101,904 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to repair ambulance station buildings.
“When Hurricane Laura battered southwest Louisiana, it damaged key emergency facilities across Cameron Parish. This $1.1 million will help Louisianians in Cameron Parish restore damaged ambulance station buildings,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $1,101,904 to Cameron Parish for repairs to ambulance station buildings that Hurricane Laura damaged.
Kennedy receives “A+” rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America for standing for life
Jan 21 2025
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has earned an “A+” rating for his commitment to protecting the lives of the unborn through his pro-life legislative record during the 118th Congress.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s national scorecard recognizes lawmakers who have consistently championed life through their voting records and legislative leadership.
“Life is God’s greatest gift, and I’m proud to help protect it from extreme, left-wing attacks. I’m grateful for this ‘A+’ rating, and I’ll keep fighting hard for Louisiana’s pro-life values in the Senate,” said Kennedy.
During the 118th Congress, Kennedy co-sponsored bills to protect babies born alive after surviving an abortion, stop funding abortions overseas and block the government from using aborted babies’ tissue for research. In his roles on the Judiciary and Budget Committees, Kennedy defended pro-life states and highlighted the horrors of abortion.
Also in 2024, Kennedy joined amici briefs in support of an Idaho pro-life law under attack from the Biden administration and opposing the FDA’s efforts to make unsafe abortion pills available by mail.
Kennedy’s Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America scorecard is available here.
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today penned this op-ed for Fox News outlining how Congress can dismantle the harmful energy policies President Biden put in place to help the Trump administration restore our economy and address inflation.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“If congressional Republicans intend to deliver on our promises of a booming economy and stable prices, we’d be wise to unwind quickly the disastrous energy policies that the Biden-Harris regime imposed on one of America’s most essential industries.
“President Biden is using his final days in office to rub salt in the wounds of the American energy sector. Most recently, the Biden-Harris administration implemented yet another offshore drilling ban on more than 625 million acres of American coastline. He used an obscure 1953 law to prohibit all future leases in the restricted coastal areas, making it extremely difficult for the incoming Trump administration to reverse course.
“Not only is President Biden ignoring American voters by forcing through another harmful energy policy after his party lost the White House, but he is also making it more difficult for President Trump to restore the American economy and ease inflation.”
. . .
“The only way our country will crawl out from under President Biden’s high prices is if our economy grows rapidly, but we know that high energy prices slow economic growth.
“President Trump will need every tool at his disposal to restore American energy independence and lay the foundation for the future. Congress can help. We should demand that the Department of Interior approve more lease sales, especially offshore. The department is supposed to adhere to a schedule of at least two lease sales each year. The Biden-Harris administration didn’t hold any lease sales last year.
“Existing federal regulations also prolong the permitting approval process and cripple LNG and oil producers. Congress can reform the bureaucratic permitting process to reduce unnecessary judicial overview and make reviews concurrent rather than consecutive.”
. . .
“It is going to take an all-hands-on-deck effort to unwind all of President Biden’s destructive energy policies, and Congressional Republicans should stand ready to take the handcuffs off American energy.”
Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced a $2,982,469 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to repair a Lake Charles warehouse building that Hurricane Laura destroyed.
“Hurricane Laura devastated Lake Charles, and Louisianians have been working hard to rebuild buildings ever since. This $3 million will help cover the costs of replacing a warehouse facility that Laura’s storm surge gutted,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $2,982,469 to the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District to replace a warehouse building that Hurricane Laura irreparably damaged.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sens. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in re-introducing the VA Home Loan Awareness Act, which would help educate veterans about the benefits available to them through the Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan Program.
“Our veterans gave so much to protect the American Dream, and we can help them as they work to achieve it themselves. Congress should pass this bill to make sure our brave warriors know about the home loan benefits they’ve earned,” said Kennedy.
“For decades, owning a home has been the bedrock of the American Dream, but too often, those who have put their lives on the line for our country have been hampered by a lack of information from their own government. I’m proud to join Senator Van Hollen and my other colleagues in introducing this commonsense measure to empower our veterans with the knowledge and resources necessary to secure a VA Home Loan and achieve the same dream they fought to defend,” said Sheehy.
“After serving our country in uniform, our veterans deserve the support of a grateful nation. The VA Home Loan Program is one way we provide that support—by helping veterans purchase homes. But far too many of our veterans are unaware of this program and what it has to offer. Our bipartisan bill will help ensure more veterans and their families have the opportunity to use it to achieve their goal of homeownership,” said Van Hollen.
The VA Home Loan Program offers benefits for veterans financing their home purchases, including no down payment, no private mortgage insurance and lower interest rates than conventional Federal Housing Administration loans.
Currently, just 13% of veterans use their VA Home Loan benefit. The legislation would:
- Add a disclosure on the Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) to inform veterans of their potential eligibility for a VA Home Loan.
- Direct applicants to consult their lenders for more information about the VA Home Loan Program.
- Instruct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review and report to Congress regarding lenders’ adoption of the URLA form updates.
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) also co-sponsored the legislation.
The full bill text is available here.
Kennedy first co-sponsored this bill in the 118th Congress in Nov. 2023.
