Kennedy: The American people should be “more cognizant” of what they’re eating and drinking
Mar 11 2026
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) explained why Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised concerns about the ingredients in some popular coffee drinks in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Key excerpts of the speech are below:
“One of the things I support Secretary Kennedy on is trying to make the American people more cognizant about what they’re eating. Not to tell them what they can eat and drink, but to make them aware.”
. . .
“I’m not telling anybody what to do or not to do. I’m just pointing out the facts. A caramel macchiato has as much sugar as 12 Chips Ahoy cookies. A caramel macchiato has as much sugar as four Krispy Kreme glazed donuts. . . . And it has about as much sugar as 50% of a medium McDonald’s chocolate milkshake. You can burn off the calories, though, if you run three miles to burn off the calories.
“So, again, I’m not here to tell people what they should drink or not drink or eat or not eat, but I wanted people—to the extent that they are listening and that they care—to understand why I think Secretary Kennedy made the point that he made about coffee that takes ten or more words to order, and specifically Starbucks coffee.”
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
Kennedy congratulates US Hockey on Olympic victory: “I’m proud of America and our boys for winning”
Mar 04 2026
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) congratulated the U.S. Hockey team for its Olympic victory in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Key excerpts of the speech are below.
“Well, we just had a great hockey game: United States versus Canada. The United States won—men’s hockey. The United States won, and I’m very, very proud of our boys. It was a close, close game, 2-1 in overtime. And, of course, we celebrated that victory and congratulated our U.S. team at the State of the Union address.”
. . .
“I think it’s important to note that Canada’s got a great team, too. That was just a really good game. And it could have gone either way, and I so admire the people of Canada. Things get rocky a little bit between us, between America and Canada, but deep down, Americans love the people of Canada. And they’re smart, and they’re hardworking, and they’re industrious, and they’re our neighbors, and we just appreciate them so much. I just wanted to say to the members of the Canadian hockey team, well played. Well, well played. I’m proud of America and our boys for winning, but I’m proud of the young men who played for Canada, as well."
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today condemned Susan Rice, a former advisor to Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, for her recent remarks calling for political retribution against President Trump’s supporters in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Key excerpts of the speech are below.
“What Ms. Rice is talking about is payback. What Ms. Rice seems to be saying is, ‘Two wrongs don’t make it right, but they do make it even.’ What Ms. Rice seems to be saying, and I don’t know whether she’s speaking on behalf of Netflix or not, but what Ms. Rice seems to be saying is that it’s okay in America today to use the law to prosecute and harass your political enemies. I find that astounding, coming from a person of her stature.
“That’s the sort of thing that doesn’t happen in America. That’s the sort of thing that is only supposed to happen in countries whose Powerball jackpot is 287 chickens and a goat. Not America. We believe in the rule of law. We believe in equal protection. We believe nobody is above the law, but nobody’s beneath it. I can’t think of a more irresponsible statement for somebody to make.”
. . .
“And I know some are going to say, well, President Trump is doing the same thing. If that’s true, I don’t like that either. In fact, when many of President Trump’s nominees for the Justice Department came and appeared before us for confirmation in the Judiciary [Committee], on which I sat, I talked to him about this. I said, ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right, but they do make it even,’ is wrong.
“It was wrong then, when President Biden did it. It’s wrong now if people are doing it. And it’s going to be wrong if Ms. Rice gets back in government. And it is wrong for her to say this, especially if she’s doing it on behalf of Netflix, a great American company. You can only be young once, but, man, oh, man, you can always be immature.”
Background
- Rice, who currently sits on the board of Netflix, recently appeared on the podcast “Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara.” During the interview, Rice told Bharara that “it is not going to end well” for American businesses that “bend the knee” to the Trump administration.
- Rice later added, “There is likely to be a swing in the other direction, and they are going to be caught with more than their pants down. . . . They’re going to be held accountable by those who come in opposition to Trump and win at the ballot box. . . . If these corporations think that Democrats, when they come back in power, are going to play by the old rules, and say, ‘Never mind, we will forgive you for all the people you fired and all the policies and principles you violated, all the laws you skirted,’ I think they got another thing coming.”
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today introduced the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC) Reauthorization Act, which would allow a partnership of organizations to continue providing training for first responders and other personnel at large events.
“Our country has big plans for the next few years, and that comes with an important responsibility to protect the American people. That’s why my bill would renew the partnership that trains first responders to keep events like the World Cup and Summer Olympics safe and secure. The National Domestic Preparedness Consortium—with LSU and the state of Louisiana’s help—is helping America get this critical job done, and I’m proud to have their back,” said Kennedy.
The NDPC is made up of organizations that prepare personnel, including first responders, police officers and emergency medical professionals, for large events like sports games and political conventions.
The reauthorization of funding for the NDPC is particularly crucial, given the United States’ plans to host the World Cup and the Summer Olympics in 2026 and 2028 respectively. The NDPC was most recently fully authorized in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, with the partnership receiving year-to-year funding through annual appropriations since.
Louisiana State University’s (LSU) National Center for Biomedical Research and Training/Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education (NCBRT/ACE) is a founding member of the NDPC.
Since the NDPC’s 1998 founding, LSU NCBRT/ACE has trained between 45,000 and 60,000 first responders in Louisiana.
“The National Domestic Preparedness Consortium plays a critical role in keeping America safe. It delivers advanced, real-world training to first responders in every state and territory so they are prepared to respond to terrorism, natural disasters, and emerging threats. Reauthorizing NDPC strengthens our national security posture and ensures that the men and women on the front lines have the tools and training they need to protect the American people,” said Jeff Mayne, Executive Director of LSU NCBRT/ACE.
Full text of the NDPC Reauthorization Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Following the end of the 2025-26 duck hunting season, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and five Republican colleagues in encouraging Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to continue working to combat declines in North America’s waterfowl population.
The current downturn, caused in large part by droughts in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Great Plains, has disrupted the hunting seasons and economies of Mississippi Flyway states like Louisiana.
“We are . . . increasingly concerned about continued declines in duck populations and strongly urge continued stewardship of the National Wildlife Refuge System—particularly USFWS conservation easements in the Prairie Pothole Region—as the foundation for long-term population recovery,” the senators explained in their letter to Burgum.
“The USFWS 2025 Waterfowl Population Status Report estimates 34 million breeding ducks, a figure below the long-term average and well below highs,” the Republicans wrote.
“This decline can be attributed to drought conditions in the Prairie Pothole Region, where pond counts have fallen below average in three of the last four years,” they continued.
“If these conditions persist, hunters could face shorter seasons and reduced limits. These outcomes would diminish hunting opportunities and harm rural economies, especially in Mississippi Flyway states such as Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi,” the lawmakers added.
“For generations, hunters and conservationists have invested in the National Wildlife Refuge System to sustain waterfowl populations and preserve America’s hunting heritage. As Secretary of the Interior and Chair of the MBCC, we encourage you to continue stewarding these investments—particularly Prairie Pothole Region easements—to support waterfowl, rural economies, and the future of duck hunting,” the senators concluded.
Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) also signed the letter.
Kennedy has been a consistent advocate for Louisiana’s hunters and wildlife enthusiasts as the state faces a declining duck population. In January 2026, Kennedy called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to study the impact of unfair “legal baiting” practices that come at the expense of states including Louisiana.
View the senators’ full letter here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, introduced the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) Reform Act, which would improve Board standards and put in place good-government reforms at one of the United States’ most important securities regulators.
“The MSRB oversees a municipal securities market that is worth trillions of dollars in public projects. It’s supposed to represent the consumer. Instead, it’s an insider’s club. It’s more incestuous than King Tut’s family. Public seats on the board shouldn’t be filled by executives who just quit their Wall Street jobs. These reforms are long overdue,” said Kennedy.
The MSRB regulates the municipal bond market, which finances airports, roads and other public works. The fifteen-member board includes eight members belonging to the public sector and seven members representing the private sector.
With little oversight from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress, the MSRB currently sets and approves its own budget, including the size of its members’ paychecks. This lack of oversight has led to brazen abuses from members of the Board, with its President and Chief Executive Officer being paid more than $700,000 in 2024.
While the MSRB and SEC have made internal steps toward reform, Congress has failed to take permanent action.
Kennedy’s bill would codify several internal changes taken by the MSRB and require a stricter oversight role for the SEC. Changes that the MSRB Reform Act imposes include:
- A policy that the Board’s public sector representation be no less than five years removed from their association with a private municipal securities entity.
- A requirement that the SEC approve members of the MSRB committee and cap compensation for the Board.
- A stipulation that the number of Board members be permanently set at 15, with the majority of members representing regulated parties.
The American Securities Association (ASA) supports Kennedy’s bill.
"ASA applauds Sen. Kennedy’s MSRB Reform Act because it brings much-needed transparency and accountability to the MSRB's governance process. Reforming the MSRB's board will benefit investors by freeing our public finance markets from conflicted individuals pushing political anti-market agendas,” said ASA President and CEO Chris Iacovella.
View the MSRB Reform Act here.
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that Louisiana will receive $70,508,829 million in federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster recovery efforts, repairs, and emergency protective measures in south Louisiana communities impacted by Hurricanes Laura, Ida, Francine, and saltwater intrusion
“Costly natural disasters like Hurricanes Laura, Ida, and Francine and 2023’s saltwater intrusion took a toll on Louisiana, but our people are as tough and hardworking as they come. This $70.5 million will help south Louisiana communities—including folks in Terrebonne, Plaquemines, and St. Charles Parishes—rebuild and cover the costs of this severe weather,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $30,937,726 for Terrebonne Parish to provide temporary emergency power generation at the Houma, La., Generating Station after catastrophic Hurricane Ida damage.
- $10,493,107 for the Terrebonne Parish School Board to restore the East Street Campus following Hurricane Ida damage and improve flood protection measures.
- $9,115,952 for the Terrebonne Parish Levee System to repair and strengthen portions of the Isle de Jean Charles Levee that Hurricane Francine damaged.
- $8,973,729 to the Office of Risk Management for Hurricane Laura recovery efforts at McNeese State University through campus renovations, facility upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
- $6,754,464 for the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District to construct a consolidated warehouse facility replacing port infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Laura.
- $2,045,911 for St. Charles Parish to repair the Bayou Des Allemands bulkhead and restore shoreline protection infrastructure that Hurricane Ida damaged.
- $1,156,452 for Terrebonne Parish to repair Hurricane Ida damage at the Houma Power Plant.
- $1,031,488 for Plaquemines Parish to respond to saltwater intrusion that threatened the parish’s drinking water supply, including emergency water distribution and temporary treatment measures.
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) explained why the United States is exerting pressure on Iran’s leaders to halt their missile program in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Key excerpts of the speech are below.
“We don’t know how many people he’s hung in the last six months. We don’t know how many people he’s tortured. I’ve seen estimates as high as 50,000. So that’s what this business with Iran is all about.
“We’re not trying to be the world’s policeman. We’re trying to stop the Ayatollah from being the world’s policeman. He’s getting a lot of support from President Xi Jinping in China and Vladimir Putin in Russia and Kim Jong Un in North Korea. So that’s where we find ourselves, trying to stop this war.
“And to the Ayatollah, I would say, ‘Ayatollah, you’re entitled to believe what you want. You can hate me. You can believe that. I know you hate me and what I stand for. Do you know how I sleep at night knowing that you hate me? With the fan on. That’s your right. But you can’t act on that belief.’
“Put down the nuclear weapons. Put down the nuclear enrichment. Stop exporting terrorism to Hamas and Hezbollah. End your missile program. Stop killing and torturing your people. That’s all we want. And he’s doing that as we speak. He’s at war. We’re trying to stop it.
“I’m not about to give the president any advice. He has intelligence that I don’t have, and I respect the fact that he’s being very deliberate and careful in making the decision. If we make a deal with Iran, let’s make sure we have a protocol to enforce it, because my experience in watching the Ayatollah through the years, I wouldn’t trust this man if he were three days dead.”
. . .
“Let me say it again. We’re not trying to start a war. This war began a long time ago. We’re trying to end it.”
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) called on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to have the Census Bureau add a new definition of poverty to reflect the benefits that American taxpayers provide to those in need in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Key excerpts are below.
“They need to redefine the poverty level in America and the definition of poverty. And it’s the Census Bureau’s job, and that’s what I talked to the good Secretary Howard Lutnick about. And I talked to him in committee, and he said he’d worked on it, and I thank him for that. And I’m going to chase him like he stole Christmas until he does it. I’m going to chase him like he stole Christmas and Thanksgiving.
“He can do it with a rule or regulation. I’ve introduced a bill. Again, the purpose is not to take any money away from anybody. The purpose of this is to tell the American people the truth: that they’re the most generous people in the world, and they should be proud of that. And this mother—this poor mom of two—she’s not just getting around $17,000 a year. She’s getting almost $65,000 a year, tax-free.
“But the American people get no credit. And you know why? Because there are so many people in the bureaucracy. They want us to think everybody is poor.”
. . .
“Mr. Secretary Lutnick, with all the respect I can muster, please fix this. Please fix it. And I’m going to keep bringing it up until you do. I’ll pass a bill, if I can, but it’s going to be kind of tough. The short way home here is to have the secretary—I don’t mean disrespect—have the secretary do this job.”
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
Watch Kennedy discuss the Census Bureau’s poverty data with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick here.
Read Kennedy’s op-ed about the Census Bureau’s poverty data in National Review here.
Full text of the Poverty Statistics Enhancement Act is available here.
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today called on elected officials in New Orleans to hold the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) accountable for the $1.5 million in unpaid water bills at the Guste Homes High Rise in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Key excerpts of the speech are below.
“We’ve got a new mayor in New Orleans. I’m delighted we’ve got some new council people. They’ve got to do their job. And I don’t want to hear we’re not responsible for HANO. The mayor appoints them.
“Get rid of the thieves. Get rid of the incompetence. Don’t come back and ask for more money to fix your mistakes from the American taxpayer. The good people of New Orleans deserve that. They deserve better. Do better. The people living in this complex deserve better. I’ve had enough. I’ve just had enough. Fix it.”
. . .
“I can’t tell you how to do it. Maybe you’re going to have to borrow the money. Maybe you’re going to have to actually raise taxes on the people in New Orleans. I hope not, but at some point, the money has got to come from somewhere. Get your act together before you come back to me or anybody else in Washington, going, ‘Do you got $60 million lying around? Not only can we not pay the water bill, but we want to tear the whole thing down and build a new one and have somebody else pay for it.’ Gag me with a spoon.”
Background:
- The Guste Homes High Rise is a 12-story public housing complex that is home to more than 310 elderly residents in New Orleans. The complex is managed by the Guste Homes Resident Management Corporation on behalf of HANO.
- The building has approximately $1.5 million in outstanding water bills, which HANO claims are the result of a years-long dispute over pricing and usage rates. The Sewerage & Water Board announced this week that it “will no longer delay water shut offs within the Guste Community due to nonpayment,” leaving the building’s elderly residents in jeopardy of losing their housing.
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development opened an investigation into the Guste Homes High Rise for failing to maintain the building and leaving its residents in “distressed” conditions.
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
