WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and 24 colleagues in introducing the Equal Campus Access Act of 2025.

“Our nation’s colleges and universities have a duty and constitutional responsibility to protect every student’s right to faith. Sadly, we’ve seen too many abandon that important duty—whether through rising antisemitism or rampant discrimination against student faith groups. The Equal Campus Access Act is simple: If a college or university accepts federal funds, it must treat all religious students fairly. Protecting religious liberty is paramount and should never depend on who occupies the Oval Office,” said Kennedy.

“Freedom of religion, speech, and association are Constitutionally protected rights in every place in America, including America's campuses. This bill makes clear that public colleges must grant religious student organizations the same rights as every other student group. At a time when our nation needs hope and unity, the ability to exercise your faith must be protected, not cast aside,” said Lankford.

In Feb. 2023, the Biden administration attempted to roll back parts of a Department of Education rule from the first Trump administration requiring officials to withdraw federal backing from colleges that restrict the activities of campus religious organizations.

Though the rule remains in effect under the second Trump administration, the Equal Campus Access Act would codify the policy and prevent future administrations from intruding on the rights of student religious organizations.

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“All too frequently, we hear about instances of students' free speech and free association being restricted on college campuses, especially due to their religious beliefs. While the Trump administration and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting student liberties on campuses, we've seen other administrations try to undermine the foundational principle of academic freedom and the right to religious expression. Our legislation will ensure that future administrations cannot erode religious freedom and ideological diversity on college campuses,” said Walberg. 

Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) also cosponsored the bill. 

51 faith-based and religious liberty groups have endorsed the Equal Campus Access Act. 47 such organizations authored a letter in support of the bill, noting, “The undersigned represent diverse beliefs regarding theology, but we agree on affirming the freedom of all students to meet on their public college campuses based upon their shared religious beliefs.”

Kennedy first cosponsored the bill during its 116th Congress introduction in 2019.

Full text of the Equal Campus Access Act is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced the District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act, which would ensure the President of the United States has greater latitude to nominate qualified candidates without interference from partisan Washington, D.C., bureaucracy. 

“The President of the United States ought to be able to nominate the most qualified candidates to Washington, D.C., judgeships without being subject to the whims of far-left D.C. bureaucrats. The District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act would fix this broken system and break Washington wokers’ grip on D.C. courts,” said Kennedy.

The bill would specifically strip the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission (JNC) from the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

The JNC, a seven-member body, presents presidents with a three-person shortlist of candidates for every vacant judgeship on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. The D.C. Home Rule Act purports to limit presidents to only nominating candidates from that shortlist. 

At present, the JNC also suffers from left-wing bias. The D.C. Home Rule Act allots certain JNC seats to appointees of the mayor of Washington, D.C., the District of Columbia Bar and the far-left Council of the District of Columbia.

Kennedy’s bill is a companion to Rep. Pete Sessions’ (R-Texas) H.R. 5125, which the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Wednesday.

“I am proud my bill to abolish the DC Judicial Nomination Commission has passed the House. As the son of a federal judge, I have a great respect for the judiciary and the process Constitutionally ordained to ensure fairness in our courts. As it stands, the DC Judicial Nomination Commission has too often prioritized politics over justice, creating delays and heavy caseloads. The President must be able to quickly nominate judges to fill vacancies that allow criminals to escape justice. The DC courts must be equipped to do their job: hold criminals accountable, protect victims, and maintain order in our nation’s capital,” said Sessions.

Full text of the District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $34,358,061 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to support recovery and emergency measures in Louisiana following Hurricanes Ida, Laura and Francine, as well as severe storms and flooding. 

“Louisiana families and communities have endured severe natural disasters with resilience and determination. This funding will help local governments, schools, hospitals and other critical facilities recover and rebuild, ensuring our communities are stronger and safer for the future,” said Kennedy.

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

• $1,428,700 to Livingston Parish Public Schools (Denham Springs Elementary School) for temporary modular classrooms following severe storms and flooding.
• $1,563,986 to the Society of the Roman Catholic Church of the Diocese of Lake Charles (St. Louis High School) for temporary modular classrooms, offices, and restrooms after Hurricane Laura.
• $1,763,210 to Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District for replacement of the City Docks Transit Shed 7 warehouse building damaged by Hurricane Laura, including hazard mitigation improvements.
• $8,964,281 to The Society of the Roman Catholic Church of the Diocese of Lake Charles for replacement of four parish buildings damaged during Hurricane Laura.
• $1,046,203 to Community Center and Playground District Number 2 of Ward 4 (McMurry Park) for permanent repairs to park facilities, including buildings and sports fields damaged by Hurricane Laura.
• $1,154,024 to Chennault International Airport Authority for management costs related to FEMA Public Assistance awards following Hurricane Laura.
• $1,071,418 to Lafourche Parish Hospital Service District #1 for permanent restoration of roofs and interior components damaged by Hurricane Ida, including hazard mitigation upgrades.
• $2,506,500 to Jefferson Parish Public School System for emergency mold remediation at multiple school facilities following Hurricane Ida.
• $2,722,755 to Jefferson Parish Water and Drainage Departments for emergency protective measures, including labor and equipment deployment to maintain water and drainage operations during Hurricane Ida.
• $4,056,819 to St. James Parish Hospital for permanent repairs to roofing, HVAC, and interior finishes damaged by Hurricane Ida.
• $1,600,548 to St. Charles Parish Hospital Service District for permanent repairs to building structure and interior contents damaged by Hurricane Ida.
• $1,676,972 to St. Charles Parish for management costs related to FEMA Public Assistance awards following Hurricane Ida.
• $1,578,920 to the Town of Golden Meadow for permanent repairs to recreational facilities, including swimming pool, bathhouse, and pool pump house, after Hurricane Ida.
• $1,727,040 to Plaquemines Parish for disaster repair financing for six pump stations, a marina, and a communication tower damaged by Hurricane Ida.
• $1,496,685 to Jefferson Parish for emergency protective measures, including pumping and temporary sanitary system installation during Hurricane Francine.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced the U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act, which would require a full review of America’s relationship with South Africa in light of its government’s alignment with U.S. adversaries, support for Hamas and several antisemitic actions following the October 7 terror attacks.

“America’s foreign policy should always put American interests first. The South African government has chosen to cozy up to Russia and China while making shameful, antisemitic attacks against our ally Israel. This bill holds South Africa accountable and ensures our relationship is serving U.S. national security—not undermining it,” said Kennedy.

The chronically mismanaged government of South Africa has repeatedly acted against the interests of the United States and its allies, particularly by using its role on international bodies to advance outlandish anti-U.S., pro-Russia, pro-Hamas and pro-China narratives. 

In particular, South African officials have inflamed tensions with the United States by appointing Ebrahim Rasool, a radical official who hosted senior Hamas officials in South Africa and described President Donald Trump as “a white supremacist,” as its Ambassador to the United States. Its government has further glorified anti-Israel terrorists, blamed Israel for the October 7 terror attacks and threatened to arrest and strip the citizenship of Israeli-South Africans serving in the Israeli Defense Forces. 

The South African regime has also repeatedly aligned itself with U.S. adversaries in Europe and Asia, hosting joint naval exercises with Russia and China and allowing a U.S.-sanctioned Russian cargo ship to dock on its shores. It has benefited extensively from China’s belt-and-road initiative, becoming reliant on Chinese-linked firms that the United States has restricted due to national security threats.

In response, Kennedy’s U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act would: 

• Require a comprehensive review of the bilateral U.S.-South Africa relationship and a certification from the President on whether South Africa undermines U.S. national security interests. 

• Require a classified list of South African government officials and members of South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, eligible for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act. 

• End South Africa’s eligibility to benefit from the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

Full text of the bill is available here.