WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Judge John Gleeson, a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, to discuss the unprecedented recent breakdown in bipartisan decision-making at the Commission.
In the meeting, Kennedy shared his concerns about the partisan path that the Commission has taken in recent years. In a sharp break from its traditional bipartisan practices, the Commission has forced through several major policy changes to federal sentencing rules on a party-line basis.
Gleeson acknowledged the concerns raised about the Commission’s recent practices and confirmed that the Commission will return to making changes on a bipartisan basis.
“We’re talking about public safety and the rule of law here, and I’m very, very glad to hear that the Commission is returning to its history of making changes only when there’s bipartisan agreement. I look forward to seeing the fruits of this commitment,” said Kennedy.
Background:
This April, Kennedy introduced the Consensus in Sentencing Act to require the U.S. Sentencing Commission to achieve bipartisan agreement to make major policy changes.
The legislation would amend 28 U.S.C. § 994(a) to require that amendments to the Sentencing Guidelines receive five votes from the Commission’s seven voting members.
Full text of the Consensus in Sentencing Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $2,247,179 in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for Louisiana disaster aid.
“Louisiana’s state parks are a big part of what makes our state so special. This $2.2 million will help the Fairview-Riverside State Park in St. Tammany Parish recover from the damage Hurricane Ida caused to its dock, pier and fishing facilities,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $2,247,179 to the Office of Risk Management for the replacement of the Fairview-Riverside State Park’s dock, pier and fish cleaning station due to Hurricane Ida damage.
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in National Review on the importance of protecting athletic opportunities for women and girls. Kennedy’s op-ed, which argues that it is unfair and unsafe to allow biological men to compete against biological women, initially ran in Louisiana’s Gannett-owned USA Today Network papers.
USA Today, however, removed the piece a few days after publication without notifying Kennedy’s team or its readers. USA Today later said that it had pulled the piece due to its “loaded language,” as reported by Fox News. USA Today said Kennedy could not use the phrase “biological male” in his op-ed about the physical differences between men and women.
Key excerpts of the op-ed, now published in National Review, are below:
“Many fair-minded people reject the idea that women and girls who work hard to develop their athletic talents must sacrifice their opportunities, privacy and safety to promote gender activism. I’m one of them.
“Louisiana is full of fair-minded people. We recognize that it’s common sense for boys and girls to compete in separate leagues. That’s why a bipartisan coalition in the Louisiana legislature passed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act to prevent biological boys from competing against biological girls in our elementary and high schools and from sharing their locker rooms.
“Protecting women and girls in sports doesn’t need to be a partisan issue. Congress should follow Louisiana’s leadership and do more to protect girls, their sports, their scholarships, and their futures from a social experiment that is already proving to be unwise.”
Background:
- The Shreveport Times and seven other USA Today publications in Louisiana initially published Kennedy’s op-ed on May 11 and removed the piece a few days later without notifying Kennedy’s office. The USA Today network also failed to notify readers of the decision to remove Kennedy’s op-ed and instead published a “404” error message.
- Kennedy’s office reached out to the Shreveport Times about the “404” message on May 14. On May 20, USA Today told Kennedy’s office that it had removed the op-ed because of “loaded language,” including the phrase “biological male.”
- In a statement to Fox News, Kennedy condemned Gannett’s censorship, saying, “[The] USA Today Network apparently does not like the way I express myself. They think they are the speech police. Drunk on certainty and virtue, they think they are our moral teacher. This attitude is why so many Americans have lost confidence in the media. The media is not going to win that trust back until they return to neutrality instead of advocacy. Most people don’t support allowing biological men to participate in women’s sports because they think that will bastardize sports, skew the results, and hurt women. Other people disagree. Gannett should simply report the two sides and not try to silence the position it disagrees with.”
Read Kennedy’s full op-ed in National Review here.
Watch Kennedy’s speech on protecting women’s sports here.
Kennedy, Britt, Graham, colleagues call for Judiciary Committee consideration of Bipartisan Laken Riley Act
May 28 2024
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) along with all other Republicans on the Judiciary Committee in urging Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to schedule a mark-up of the bipartisan Laken Riley Act.
The House of Representatives passed the companion bill on March 7, 2024, in a bipartisan vote of 251-70 with 37 Democrats voting in favor of the legislation. Sen. Durbin has blocked the Senate from passing the bill twice in recent months.
“As you are aware, during the Biden Administration and due to its policies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported over 7.8 million encounters with illegal aliens at the southern border. That staggering number of encounters is larger than the individual populations of 37 states and larger than the number of people who live in any city throughout the United States other than New York City. . . . One of these encounters was with Jose Ibarra, the alleged killer of Georgia nursing student, Laken Riley,” the senators wrote.
“This bipartisan bill is a common-sense measure that would help to avoid future tragedies resulting from the failure to enforce and follow immigration law, and we look forward to the Judiciary Committee’s consideration of it,” they continued.
“The Laken Riley Act is but one of numerous pieces of legislation that Senate Republicans have introduced to better protect the American people from the consequences of the ongoing crisis at the southern border and to stop—not merely manage—the flow of illegal aliens to the southern border and into the United States. So far during this Congress, the Judiciary Committee has failed to take meaningful action on any of those bills. We hope that will change in the near future, and we request that you start with the Laken Riley Act,” the senators concluded.
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) also signed the letter.
The full letter is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $12,622,007 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid.
“Hurricanes Laura and Ida struck Louisiana hard, and our communities are still rebuilding. This $12.6 million will go towards Jefferson Parish School System and Lake Charles for their recovery efforts as well as to the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the winter storms that our state faced,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $6,189,686 to the Jefferson Parish Public School System for management costs as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $3,359,250 to the Jefferson Parish Public School System for emergency protective measures as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $1,733,224 to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for management costs as a result of Severe Winter Storms.
- $1,339,847 to the city of Lake Charles for permanent restoration of eight fire station buildings as a result of Hurricane Laura.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Small Business Committee, today introduced the Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act to help disabled veterans’ small businesses thrive.
“Louisiana’s disabled veterans served our country honorably, and this bill would make sure the Small Business Administration meets its goal of awarding government contracts to businesses so they can provide good jobs to their communities,” said Kennedy.
The House of Representatives passed the companion bill, which Reps. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.) and Nicholas LaLota (R-N.Y.) co-led.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) currently offers a program to provide service-disabled veterans’ small businesses with $7 million for manufacturing contracts and $3 million for other contracts. The Service-Disabled Veterans Opportunities in Small Business Act would:
- Require the SBA to issue guidance to meet goals for extending contracts to small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans more effectively.
- Provide training for federal agencies that fail to meet contracting goals.
- Require the SBA to issue a report to Congress detailing a list of each federal agency that failed to meet its contracting goals.
Full text of the bill is available here.
Kennedy, Budd demand answers after illegal aliens on terror watch list attempt break in at Quantico
May 23 2024
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and colleagues in urging Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to seek answers following two Jordanian nationals’ attempt to break into Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Reports indicate that the individuals illegally crossed the southern border to enter into the U.S. One individual is currently on the U.S. terror watch list.
“The military community at Marine Corps Base Quantico and the American people deserve answers regarding the terrorism and counter-intelligence threats posed by the Biden administration’s open border policies,” the senators wrote.
“This deeply concerning incident occurred mere weeks after a Chinese national who was in the country illegally broke into Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms on March 27. This individual attempted to enter the base without valid identification and, despite being instructed by base security to exit, proceeded onto the installation until he was caught and detained by military law enforcement,” they continued.
“Due to the serious nature of these threats and the danger not just to our military installations but the American public, we request that the Department of Homeland Security brief the undersigned senators or their staff,” the senators concluded.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz, (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) also signed the letter.
The full letter is available here.
Kennedy, Rounds, Manchin file resolution to condemn ICC prosecutor’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu
May 23 2024
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) in introducing a bipartisan resolution to reject the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“America must stand up to the International Criminal Court for abusing its power against our greatest ally in the Middle East. The Senate should condemn the court for seeking arrest warrants that equate Israel’s self-defense with Hamas terrorism,” said Kennedy.
On May 20, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that the ICC is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and three Hamas leaders. The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber will decide whether to issue the warrants and can take between one month and one year to issue arrest warrants after it reviews the warrant applications. Neither the U.S. nor Israel was part of the treaty that established the ICC.
“It is unconscionable that the ICC prosecutor would seek arrest warrants for Israeli leaders for defending against Hamas terrorists. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization while Israel is a democracy and ally of the United States that works hard to uphold international law. This action by the ICC prosecutor draws an equivalency that is devoid of reality. I am proud to lead my colleagues in this resolution that tells the world that we stand with Israel,” said Rounds.
“The International Criminal Court’s decision to charge Israeli leadership with war crimes is shocking and disgraceful. Israel is facing an existential threat in Hamas’s brutal terrorist agenda, and I have continued to support the country’s right to defend itself in a manner expected of a nation that abides by the law of armed conflict. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan resolution with Senator Rounds to condemn the ICC’s outrageous choice that equates Israel’s efforts to secure its homeland with the barbarism of Hamas, and I encourage all of my colleagues to join us,” said Manchin.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) also cosponsored the resolution.
Text of the resolution is here.
Kennedy introduces bill to expand opportunities for Louisiana’s small businesses to win government contracts
May 23 2024
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Small Business Committee, today introduced the DOE and SBA Research Act to require the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to collaborate on ways to create more opportunities for small businesses to win government contracts.
The House of Representatives has passed the companion bill, which Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) and Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) co-led.
“The DOE and SBA Research Act would help ensure the government is doing all that it can to expand contract opportunities to Louisiana and America’s best job providers—small businesses. The Senate should send this common-sense bill to the president’s desk quickly,” said Kennedy.
The SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program helps ensure that small businesses get the training they need to better access government contracting opportunities.
Specifically, the DOE and SBA Research Act would require the DOE and SBA to submit a report to Congress describing the coordination efforts, potential opportunities to expand technical capabilities and collaborative research achievements made to further small business opportunity in the federal marketplace.
Full text of the bill is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $15,670,984 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid.
“Louisianians are still recovering from Hurricanes Laura and Ida’s sucker punches. This $15.7 million will go towards Lake Charles’s recovery and flood protection projects in Ruston and Terrebonne and West Feliciana Parishes,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $7,717,140 to the Office of Risk Management for the retrofitting of five Delgado Community College buildings to prepare for future storms.
- $3,565,659 to Lake Charles, La. for debris removal operations resulting from Hurricane Laura.
- $1,527,908 to the city of Ruston to design, purchase and install 27 generators for critical utilities.
- $1,191,316 to Terrebonne Parish for the permanent restoration of the South Wastewater Treatment Plant facilities that Hurricane Ida damaged.
- $1,130,222 to West Feliciana Parish for Phase II of the Hardwood Drainage Improvement project to prevent flood damage to residential homes.
- $428,730 to the Office of Risk Management for management costs associated with the Delgado Community College projects.
- $110,009 to the city of Ruston for management costs associated with the generator replacement project.
