Kennedy, Sullivan urge Blinken to seek comprehensive UN sanctions on Iran missile and drone programs
Nov 06 2023
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) in urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to seek comprehensive United Nations (UN) sanctions against Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programs before the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) expires in 2025.
Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Katie Boyd Britt (R-Ala.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Thune (R-S.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) also signed the letter.
“We urge you to table a new comprehensive framework for Iran-related sanctions that supersedes UNSC Resolution 2231 and lays the groundwork in advance of the resolution’s slated termination in October 2025,” the senators wrote.
“Iran’s nuclear program remains the number one long-term threat to stability and security in the Middle East and beyond. However, this is not the only threat the Iranian regime poses. Iran’s material support for terrorist organizations like Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and other proxy forces in the Middle East are front and center in the current crisis in Israel, as is Tehran’s assistance for Russia’s war in Ukraine,” they explained.
“In addition to the expiry in October 2020 of the UN’s conventional arms embargo against Iran, the most recent expiration of sanctions on ballistic missiles and drones leaves the world with a rapidly evaporating UN framework for multilateral sanctions on Iran at precisely the time the threat from Iran has become so menacingly clear,” they added.
The senators wrote that a new UNSC resolution should target the same activity the UN permanently sanctioned prior to the 2015 enactment of Resolution 2231, including:
- Involvement in Iran’s enrichment, reprocessing and heavy water production.
- Assistance with its ballistic missile testing, development and launches.
- Transfer of nuclear and missile technology to Iran.
- Transfer of conventional weapons, rockets and drones to and from Iran.
“It should also add a multilateral prohibition on the import of Iranian oil, petroleum products, metals, or investment in its energy sector, essentially multi-lateralizing the objective of American secondary sanctions in these areas,” the lawmakers concluded.
The senators noted that Beijing and Moscow have made common cause with each other and Iran to undermine the global operating system in support of liberty that the U.S. has forged in cooperation with its allies over the last 80 years. They argued that U.S. must open a conversation with those same allies about the path forward should UNSC Resolution 2231 sanctions expire permanently in 2025.
The full letter is available here.
Kennedy, Daines introduce bill to redesignate Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization
Nov 02 2023
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) in introducing the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act to redesignate Ansarallah, more commonly known as the Houthis, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), given the group’s actions to destabilize the region, the security threat it poses to the U.S., and most recently, its involvement in the ongoing attacks on Israel.
On Oct. 19, 2023, the U.S.S. Carney intercepted cruise missiles and military drones that the Houthis launched from Yemen.
“Sec. Blinken must act now to reverse the Biden administration’s irresponsible decision to revoke the designation of one of Yemen’s most notorious perpetrators of violence as a foreign terror organization. The White House must stand firm against the Houthis, one of Iran’s proxy armies, by imposing sanctions and preventing them from launching further attacks on Israel,” said Kennedy.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated the Houthis as an FTO on Jan. 19, 2021. Approximately one month later, the Biden administration revoked the Houthi’s FTO designation.
“The Biden administration needs to send a strong, decisive message to the Iranian regime that the U.S. will not stand idly by and watch Iran’s proxies try and destroy Israel. The unspeakable horrors that we have witnessed over the past several weeks have been at the hands of Iranian-backed terror groups. As the situation in Israel escalates and the Houthis insert themselves in the conflict, the U.S. must immediately redesignate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and enforce sanctions that will help strengthen our national security and weaken terrorist organizations,” said Daines.
Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) also cosponsored the bill.
Full bill text is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) in introducing the National Oversight of Transported Immigrants to Communities is Essential (NOTICE) Act to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to notify states and localities when the department transports migrants into their communities.
“The Biden administration is turning every town in America into a border town, and it’s putting Louisianians at risk. I’m proud to support this common-sense bill to give state and local law enforcement agencies the information they need to protect our communities from migrants who commit crime,” said Kennedy.
“Joe Biden’s border crisis has made every single community across the country less safe. You’d think when you have Democrat Governors in deep blue states like Illinois and New York complaining about the strain and cost the bussing of migrants has had on their states that this Administration would start to show some willingness here in Washington to secure the border, but it hasn’t. Nothing about the invasion at our southern border is compassionate, it’s certainly not safe, and absolutely unsustainable. Americans deserve to know who is being pushed into their communities at taxpayer’s expense,” said Marshall.
The legislation would require DHS, Health and Human Services or other agencies to notify states and localities when the Biden administration brings migrants from locations within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border into their jurisdictions. Agencies would also be required to disclose the following information to states about the migrants being brought into a local area:
- The alien’s legal name, country of origin, age and sex.
- Any crimes for which the alien has been convicted.
- Any criminal gang with which such alien is or has been affiliated.
- Security screenings that have been performed with respect to such aliens.
Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Tedd Budd (R-N.C.) are also cosponsoring the legislation.
Full text of the legislation is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has joined Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act of 2023 to sanction purchases of Iranian oil. The SHIP Act would impose sanctions on foreign ports and refineries that knowingly accept and refine petroleum products from Iran.
“With the cash it’s making from oil sales, Iran is fanning the flames of global instability by enriching uranium and sponsoring terror. I’m proud to support the SHIP Act to hold ports and refineries that Tehran does business with accountable by expanding U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil purchasers,” said Kennedy.
“As the regime in Tehran continues to enrich itself through the sale of sanctioned oil, we must ensure that U.S. sanctions on all individuals and entities linked to the illicit trade of Iranian oil are rigorously enforced,” said Rubio.
The legislation would require the Energy Information Administration to issue an annual report on Iran’s growing exports of petroleum. The president would also be able to waive sanctions under the SHIP Act if vital to national security interests.
Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) also cosponsored the legislation.
The full bill text is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. J.D. Vance and all other Republican members of the Senate Banking Committee in urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to reverse its guidance requiring lenders to open lines of credit for illegal immigrants.
On Oct. 12, the CFPB and the Department of Justice issued a joint directive warning lenders against “unnecessary or overbroad reliance” on a borrower’s immigration status.
In a letter to CFPB Director Rohit Chopra and Attorney General Merrick Garland, the senators wrote that the new guidance threatens the stability of financial institutions and defies common sense for lenders.
“[Y]our agencies claim that if a creditor has a ‘blanket policy’ on immigration status, then they risk violating fair lending laws. The joint statement also suggests that as long as an applicant for credit has a good credit score and other ‘credit qualifications,’ then his or her immigration status should not matter,” wrote the senators.
“The CFPB and DOJ’s joint directive not only flies in the face of responsible lending standards, risk-based pricing, and sound risk management, but also contradicts and rewrites decades worth of guidance from the CFPB and the federal banking regulators,” they continued.
“Financial institutions have long relied on this guidance in their assessment of credit risk, and the abrupt upending of the CFPB’s interpretation of Reg B and ECOA not only poses serious compliance costs, but could also have detrimental impacts on the safety and soundness of the banking sector, and financial stability in the American economy more broadly,” explained the lawmakers.
“[T]he importance of considering immigration status when assessing the potential of repayment is nothing short of common sense,” the senators added.
“As members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, we urge you to retract your agencies’ irresponsible joint statement and instead endorse risk-based lending practices that promote safety and soundness in the bank sector,” they concluded.
The full letter is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in introducing the Southern Border Transparency Act to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to issue reports detailing the number of aliens seeking entry along the southern border.
The Biden administration uses tools such as parole to drive down apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border and avoid removing foreign nationals who enter the country illegally.
“The Biden White House claims it’s doing everything it can to stop the flow of illegal immigration, but the facts tell a different story. Requiring the DHS to issue a detailed report on the hundreds of thousands of immigrants it releases into the U.S. would give the American people the truth about how the administration is fueling lawlessness at the border and around the country,” said Kennedy.
“The Biden administration has gone to great lengths to hide record levels of illegal immigration at the southern border, but Americans deserve to know exactly how many migrants are being released into our country. This legislation would shine a bright light on President Biden’s catch-and-release practices and reveal the devastating consequences of this administration’s unlawful actions,” said Cornyn.
The bill would require the DHS to report on the:
- Number of migrants paroled at each port of entry (POE), broken down by nationality and demographics.
- Number of migrants paroled in each Border Patrol sector, broken down by nationality and demographics.
- Number of migrants apprehended at each POE.
- Number of migrants apprehended in each Border Patrol sector.
- Number of petitions for parole received and granted by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the total number of aliens paroled into the U.S., broken down by nationality and demographics.
Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Hawley (R-Mo.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) also cosponsored the legislation.
Bill text of the Southern Border Transparency Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $6,747,163 in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for Louisiana disaster aid.
“Hurricane Ida left a great deal of damage behind when it hit Terrebonne Parish. I’m grateful to see this $6.7 million help these Louisianians as they rebuild for the future,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $6,747,163 to the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government for the demolition and reconstruction of flood-prone residential properties.
Kennedy in Newsweek: Congress must step in to stop Iran from receiving billions through the IMF
Oct 31 2023
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in Newsweek urging Congress to work together to prevent Iran and other state sponsors of terrorism from receiving billions of dollars in special drawing rights from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) without congressional approval.
Kennedy has introduced the No Dollars for Dictators Act to require congressional authorization before the IMF can issue any special drawing rights to state sponsors of terrorism or genocide.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“Under certain circumstances, the IMF can make general allocations to each member nation called Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). . . . The president of the United States has to approve these allocations, but Congress only votes on distributions above a certain amount—a threshold the IMF and the Biden administration apparently love to dodge.
“In 2021, President Biden approved the largest IMF allocation of SDRs in history, conveniently valued at $650 billion to narrowly avoid congressional scrutiny. This was designed ostensibly to help countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, but money is fungible. It played out just how you’d imagine.
“Russia received $16.2 billion from the IMF and invaded Ukraine six months later. China received $38.3 billion for pandemic response but refused to allow the world to investigate the COVID-19 origins. Iran received $4.5 billion while promoting terrorism throughout the world and brutalizing protesters who sought equality for women.”
. . .
“Days before Hamas attacked Israel, several of my colleagues in the Senate and dozens more in the House wrote a letter to President Biden asking him to approve another IMF distribution of SDRs worth $650 billion.
“If he approves this allocation, Iran could receive as much as $4.9 billion to fund terrorism, China could receive another $41.6 billion to menace Taiwan, and Russia could receive $17.6 billion to fund its war on Ukraine. President Biden has made the mistake of approving IMF allocations once. Congress cannot stand by and let him do it again.”
. . .
“It’s difficult to imagine why the United States wouldn’t stop Iran from taking billions of American dollars to use against the safety and security of the American people. Iranian leaders saw the killing and kidnapping of innocent people in Israel, including dozens of Americans, and cheered. It was nauseating, but not surprising. Iran hates America and our allies. Yet the Biden administration—from the 2021 IMF allocation to the $6 billion prisoner swap—continues to try to placate this vicious regime by bankrolling it.
“Congress needs to have the authority to step in before the White House can rubber stamp the allocation of billions of dollars to America’s most enthusiastic, violent enemies. My colleagues should join me in ensuring that Congress has a say before terrorists and dictators get another dollar from the IMF.”
The full op-ed is available here.
Text of the No Dollars for Dictators Act is here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sens. Chris Coons (D-Conn.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in urging Senate leadership to prioritize the reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the senators wrote that renewing AGOA would create valuable opportunities for U.S. businesses, workers and consumers, while advancing national security interests.
“Renewing AGOA would offer businesses an important incentive to increase production in Sub-Saharan Africa, diversifying their global supply chains and reducing dependence on the People’s Republic of China,” wrote the senators.
“With an early, lengthy renewal, Congress can provide businesses the long-term certainty needed to diversify and secure their supply chains,” they continued.
“As you consider the legislative calendar for the months ahead, we strongly urge you to consider the reauthorization of AGOA as an important priority,” the senators concluded.
In Sept. 2023, Kennedy introduced the AGOA Extension Act of 2023 to extend the program for 20 years to 2045.
Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) also signed the letter.
Background:
- Congress first enacted the African Growth and Opportunity Act in 2000. The program encourages African countries to adopt market-based economies, support democracy and protect due process and the rule of law.
- In turn, AGOA-eligible nations receive duty-free access to thousands of products in the U.S. market. Today, 36 countries are eligible for AGOA benefits. The AGOA also supported nearly 120,000 jobs in the United States.
- Congress authorized AGOA through 2025.
The full letter is available here.
Full text of the AGOA Extension Act of 2023 is available here.
Kennedy announces $62 million in Ida aid for Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Helena Parishes and New Orleans
Oct 27 2023
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $61,833,619 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid.
“Hurricane Ida struck a tough blow to Lafourche, Terrebonne and St. Helena Parishes, as well as to New Orleans. I’m thankful to see that this $62 million will support Louisianians’ recovery efforts,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $50,332,228 to the Lafourche Parish Hospital Service District #1 main hospital facility for damages as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $5,018,086 to the city of New Orleans for debris removal operations as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $4,996,454 to Terrebonne Parish for emergency protective measures as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $1,486,851 to St. Helena Parish for roadway and culvert repairs as a result of Hurricane Ida.
