WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and all other Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee in writing a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) provide a copy of the audio recording of President Joe Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“We, like our colleagues on the House Judiciary and House Oversight and Accountability Committees, believe the tapes are necessary to assist with the Committee’s constitutional oversight of the Department of Justice. Further, we urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to comply with the valid subpoena by the House Judiciary and House Oversight and Accountability Committees as the law requires. It is unacceptable that you, the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, are continuing to defy a lawful command of Congress and that you have been held in contempt of Congress,” the senators wrote.

“Earlier this year, Special Counsel Hur issued a shocking report concluding that criminal charges against President Biden for mishandling highly classified information for decades and ‘willfully retain[ing] and disclos[ing] classified information after his vice presidency’ were not warranted, in part, because a jury would perceive him as an ‘elderly man with a poor memory.’ Congress must be able to test the veracity of the Special Counsel’s conclusion, as well as the accuracy of the transcript, against recordings capturing the President’s performance in the two-day interview. The only way that this can be done is with the recording itself,” they continued.

The senators explained that the information within the recordings of the president’s conversation with Hur is critical to Congress’s exercising legislative, oversight and impeachment powers, and, specifically, to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s oversight of the DOJ. 

“The need to produce this recording is also particularly acute considering President Biden’s recent public performances, which have surely emboldened our enemies abroad as much as they have alarmed Americans at home. The American people deserve to be fully informed as to their President’s faculties, and there is every reason to believe that the President and his Administration have not been forthcoming on this issue. The threats to the United States are at an all-time high, red lights are blinking everywhere, and America cannot afford weak leadership,” said the lawmakers. 

The full letter is available here. 

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today released the following statement upon attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech was exceptional. Unfortunately, mere months after the October 7 massacre, some people in Washington still seem confused about why America supports Israel. Too many people—many of whom descended on the Capitol today—still apparently believe in diversity, equity, inclusion and the right to kill Jews. That bloodlust has never been—and will never be—what most Americans believe. 

“Louisiana still understands that the debased people who slaughtered more than 300 young people at a peaceful music festival are the bad guys. The odious men who raped women next to the bodies of their dead friends don't deserve to be on this planet. The evil we saw unfold when Hamas butchered Israeli civilians is indefensible. And we all saw it.

“Hamas terrorists brutalized thousands of people, including Americans. Hamas is still holding eight Americans in Gaza. We believe five of our fellow citizens being held there are still alive. President Biden and Vice President Harris need to bring them home, and every day until then they need to condemn the Hamas terrorists who have murdered, kidnapped and abused our fellow Americans.

“Israel has both the right and the responsibility to defend itself. This world will be a safer place for Americans and Israelis alike when Hamas ceases to exist.

“Let's not forget that Hamas are the wicked people who are using civilians as human shields. Hamas are the bloodthirsty people who dug up their people’s water pipes to turn them into rocket launchers.

“The truth is that the Palestinian people, the people of Gaza and the Israeli people all suffer because of Hamas. The truth is that Hamas brutalized Israeli citizens and then ran home to hide behind their women and children, using them as human shields.

“The only way to stop the cycle is to eliminate Hamas. Hamas doesn't want a permanent cease fire. After all, they had that on October 6. Hamas wants America, Israel and every decent person on earth to let them catch their breath so that they can reload and take aim again at innocent Americans and Israelis.

“Hamas is working with Iran, and Iran is hellbent on developing a nuclear weapon and pointing it at America and our allies. Iran is the author of chaotic, senseless suffering across the Middle East, and Tehran wants nothing more than to annihilate Israel and take its terrorism global. America needs to keep supporting Israel as it destroys Hamas and working with Israel to defeat Tehran’s terrorism and its evil aspirations definitively. I’m thankful that Prime Minister Netanyahu came to join us in that effort today.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $2,709,877 in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for Louisiana disaster aid. 

“Hurricane Ida dealt a tough blow to southeast Louisiana. This $2.7 million will help cover the cost of emergency measures that Jefferson Parish Public School System took to keep Louisianians safe,” said Kennedy.

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

• $2,709,877 to the Jefferson Parish Public School System for emergency protective measures as a result of Hurricane Ida. 

Watch Kennedy’s full statement here.

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today made the following statement regarding the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. 

“Why? That's what most Americans are asking themselves today, ‘Why did President Trump almost lose his life?’

“First, there aren’t words in English, it seems to me, to describe how horrible the attempt on President Trump's life was. I know it could’ve been worse, but it was really, really bad. And, inevitably, Americans today, as I said, are asking themselves, ‘Why?’

“Look, America hasn't been happy for a while, and this crosses all political spectrums. It costs more to live in our country today. Many people on both sides of the political spectrum are upset about the open border. Crime is . . . still bad. People are scared. They see the rise of China and the rise of Iran and the rise of Russia, and they instinctively know that [those regimes’] domination creates a world that's not safe for democracy or America. And this has led to disagreement in our politics. That disagreement is inevitable.

“It's been especially sharp because I think it reflects two things: It reflects the unhappiness that I've talked about, but it also reflects the fact that all Americans, they care deeply about their families, and they care deeply about their country. 

“I don't have an answer for why, but what I will respectfully suggest is that we wait and try to figure out why together. Don't make assumptions. Don't jump to conclusions. I've already heard some people saying, ‘Well, the shooter was left-wing,’ or ‘the shooter was a right-winger,’ or ‘it was all political.’ We just don't know. Maybe he wasn’t left-wing or right-wing. Maybe he was just a broken wing. Maybe he was a nut. Maybe he was mentally ill.

“I've also seen people pointing fingers at our government officials about how could they have allowed this to happen. Well, the American people deserve answers to that, but let's wait and get the facts. 

“So, I just wanted to say that—it was in my head and on my heart—to the people of America and the people of Louisiana: We'll figure this out together. In the meantime, let’s all respect each other’s humanity.” 

Sen. Kennedy continues to pray for the loved ones of Corey Comperatore, who attended the rally with his family and died while protecting his wife and daughter. 

“Becky and I are praying for the family of the attendee who died this evening at Pres. Trump’s rally as well as for the quick recovery of all others who are injured. Political violence has no place in America,” said Kennedy Saturday as he thanked God for protecting Pres. Trump and others that evening.

Watch Kennedy’s statement here.