WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and colleagues in introducing the Stop the Nosy Obsession with Online Payments (SNOOP) Act, which would strike the Biden administration’s tax-code provision within the American Rescue Plan that requires third-party payment platforms to report businesses’ gross transaction volumes totaling more than $600 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

“President Biden’s administration is bent on weaponizing the IRS against hard-working, tax-paying Americans. Louisianians, and all Americans, are entitled to privacy, and Congress must stop unjustified tax policies that do little more than harass and track the personal finances of hardworking Americans,” said Kennedy.

“The Biden Administration has proven relentless in its attempt to invade the privacy of Americans’ lives and finances. It is regrettable that this Administration still insists on advancing their perilous and oppressive political agenda to the detriment of taxpayers’ privacy, heedless of the IRS’s failed track record of protecting Americans’ confidential data and the deep concern of the American people that they serve. Though Republican efforts to repeal these new requirements were ignored for two years, the Biden Administration took a politically-timed short-term step to save themselves from the consequences of their own actions, but merely delaying this intrusive provision is not enough; It is past time we stand up for our small business owners and put an end to this egregious and unwarranted overreach for good,” said Hagerty.

Prior to the American Rescue Plan, payment providers were only required to report information when a payee had over 200 commercial transactions per year that exceeded $20,000. As a result of the new provision, thousands of Americans will have to fill out 1099-Ks and provide their personal information to the IRS, despite the IRS’s poor history of safeguarding Americans’ personal data.

Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are also cosponsoring the legislation.

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 117th Congress. The Susan B. Anthony List’s national scorecard recognizes lawmakers who have consistently championed life through their voting record and legislative leadership.

“Human life is precious, and that’s why I’ll continue to stand with Americans who are fighting to give a voice to the voiceless and defend the defenseless,” said Kennedy.  

Kennedy has opposed using taxpayer money to fund abortions and voted against Democrats’ attempt to force states to legalize abortion up to the point of a child’s birth. He also helped lead an effort to defund Planned Parenthood.

Before the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Kennedy co-led the pro-life bicameral amicus brief in the case of June Medical Services v. Russo.

In addition, he has authored the Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act to protect the health of women and children and the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, which would make it a crime to abort a child based on his or her gender. 

View Kennedy’s March for Life message here.

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $25,165,912 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid.

“Louisianians are still recovering from Hurricane Laura’s damage, and this $25.2 million will help Calcasieu Parish and other areas of our state rebuild together,” said Kennedy.

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

• $22,038,272 to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Laura.
• 3,127,640 to West Calcasieu Port to replace facilities in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Agency Action, Oversight and Federal Rights, wrote U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging them to take action in order to mitigate the threat foreign actors like China are posing by covertly funding litigation in U.S. courts.  

“Few safeguards exist in any form of law, rule, or regulation to prevent foreign adversaries from participating in civil litigation as an undisclosed third-party in our country’s federal courtrooms—this resulting in our national security and our entire government being vulnerable to manipulation,” Kennedy wrote.

“As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I ask that the Department of Justice provide details about any course of action that has been taken to mitigate this threat. I also recommend that the Judicial Conference of the United States consider proactively providing guidance to courts from coast to coast as means of preventing foreign entities from hijacking our federal judiciary,” Kennedy stated.     

The letter comes as recent reports reveal that foreign hedge funds, private equity funds and sovereign wealth funds linked to hostile governments are financing civil lawsuits in U.S. courts with a desired outcome. 

The full letter is available here.