Kennedy introduces resolution urging use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defense
Sep 30 2025
WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) today introduced a resolution urging all countries and international organizations holding frozen Russian assets to partner with the United States to seize and repurpose these funds for Ukraine’s defense.
“Let me be clear: President Putin will keep committing crimes against humanity until fighting his war in Ukraine becomes more costly than stopping. This resolution tells our allies and international organizations holding frozen Russian funds to join us—seize those assets, repurpose them for Ukraine’s defenses and make the calculus of aggression intolerable. Hit Putin in his wallet, and you change his behavior,” said Kennedy.
“I applaud Senator Kennedy and my colleagues for working on this proposal to increase the cost to Putin for continuing the war with Ukraine. The best way to get Putin to the peace table is to hit his wallet, upping the cost of the war to him and his cronies. The $300 billion in frozen Russian assets should be used to help Ukraine deal with Putin’s invasion, at no cost to the American taxpayer. I would urge other allies to partner with the United States in this effort,” said Graham.
“Demanding that seized Russian assets be used to bolster Ukraine’s brave fight is the critically important message of our bipartisan resolution. Hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen Russian accounts can be used by Ukraine for drones, missile defenses, long range artillery, and other arms necessary to defeat Russia’s murderous slaughter. We’re sending a message to Putin that we’ll stand with Ukraine—and seek peace through strength,”said Blumenthal.
“Vladimir Putin and his corrupt oligarchs must pay for their murderous invasion of a peaceful neighbor, and repurposing their frozen assets for Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction is a major leverage point. The Trump administration and our G7 allies should immediately begin seizing these frozen Russian assets and disbursing them to Ukraine on a regular schedule to ramp up economic pressure on Putin’s floundering regime,” said Whitehouse.
During its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has committed widespread crimes against humanity, including the targeting of civilians and ambulances with drones, sexual violence against civilians and prisoners of war, extrajudicial killings and the kidnapping of Ukrainian children for re-education and militarization.
In the wake of these mounting atrocities, Kennedy delivered a speech on the Senate floor this month that renewed attention to the $300 billion in unused, internationally frozen Russian assets, and outlined the framework of his resolution.
Kennedy’s resolution:
- Determines that Russia is fully financially responsible for the harm it caused in Ukraine.
- Recommends that the Executive Branch conclude that Russia’s actions violate international law and that seizing the frozen Russian assets is a legitimate means of supporting Ukraine’s defense.
- Urges all countries holding frozen Russian assets to partner with the U.S. to seize these funds and provide them to Ukraine in monthly tranches of no less than $10 billion until no assets remain.
- Calls on the President of the United States, the U.S. Secretary of State and the U.S. Secretary of War to prioritize foreign military sales to countries that seize and repurpose these assets and deprioritize sales to countries that do not.
Full text of Kennedy’s resolution is available here.
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $34,568,132 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to support Louisiana’s recovery from Hurricanes Laura, Ida and Francine.
“Louisiana communities have dealt with hurricanes destroying everything from power systems to public works and levees. This $34.6 million will help Lake Charles with the cost of recovering from Hurricane Laura, strengthen Grand Isle’s shoreline protection and aid with the costs of electrical repairs and emergency management costs in our state. These investments will make Louisiana stronger and more resilient for the future,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $13,904,737 to the city of Lake Charles for permanent repairs and relocation of damaged Public Works Administration facilities due to Hurricane Laura damage.
- $15,047,043 to the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for state management costs resulting from Hurricane Ida.
- $4,540,119 to the Grand Isle Independent Levee District for repairs to the Fi Fi Island Breakwater system damaged by Hurricane Ida.
- $1,076,233 to the Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative for repairs to its electrical distribution system due to Hurricane Francine damage.
U.S. Senate passes Kennedy, Peters, Wyden bill to end government payments to deceased Americans
Sep 24 2025
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Ron Wyden’s (D-Ore.)’s Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, which would save hard-earned taxpayer money by curbing erroneous payments to individuals who have passed away.
Kennedy’s original bipartisan law established key provisions to curb erroneous government payments to deceased individuals for a three-year period, a reform expected to save at least $330 million from 2024 to 2026. The new Kennedy-Peters-Wyden bill would make this temporary halt on such payments permanent.
“It is unconscionable that hardworking Americans are forced to foot the bill for the government’s wasteful payments to dead people. I applaud the U.S. Senate for taking bold action by passing my crucial bill to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse from our federal budget. Now, the U.S. House of Representatives ought to step up and pass this vital reform without delay,” said Kennedy.
“This bill will help save millions of taxpayer dollars by ensuring that the Social Security Administration can permanently share important data with the Treasury’s Do Not Pay system, preventing wrongful payments to deceased individuals. I have long supported this legislation because I believe it is a vital step in safeguarding taxpayer dollars and ensuring the integrity of our payment systems,” said Peters.
“This bipartisan bill fixes our federal government’s payment systems so that millions of taxpayer dollars are saved every year. As Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, I am committed to ensuring that Americans’ hard earned benefits are protected. That’s why I’m supporting this bill to ensure Americans’ personal data and earned benefits from Social Security are protected,” said Wyden.
In January 2025, the Treasury Department announced that it recovered $31 million in fraud and improper payments during the first five months of the implementation of Kennedy’s Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, in which the U.S. Social Security Administration shared its Death Master File with the Treasury Department to temporarily avoid erroneous payments.
The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act would permanently amend the Social Security Act to allow the Social Security Administration to share the Death Master File—a record of deceased individuals—with the Treasury Department’s Do Not Pay system. This change would rein in the government’s ability to make improper payments to deceased people in the future.
This bill would also allow the Treasury’s Do Not Pay working system to compare death information from the Social Security Administration with personal information from other federal entities and to share this information with any paying or administering agency that is authorized to use the Do Not Pay system.
Sens. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) also cosponsored the bill.
“Government by and for the people should run as efficiently as possible, and we owe it to the people to cut waste. I’m proud to cosponsor the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, which has now passed out of the Senate, that permanently codifies coordination between the Department of Treasury and Social Security Administration to eliminate payments to dead people,” said Moody.
“I’m glad to see this important legislation to save taxpayer money pass through the Senate. This is the kind of strategic approach we should be taking to improve government efficiency — a measured and bipartisan legislative fix to ensure federal funds are being appropriately spent. I hope this targeted fix is soon signed into law,” said Warner.
Background:
Kennedy has long championed the cause of saving billions of dollars in taxpayer money by ending improper payments to deceased Americans:
- In July 2025, the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously advanced Kennedy’s Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, sending it to the Senate floor.
- In December 2024, Kennedy urged his colleagues to save hardworking taxpayer dollars by supporting the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased Americans Act on the U.S. Senate floor.
- In May 2024, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously passed Kennedy’s Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People’s Act.
- Kennedy’s Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act became law in December 2020. This bill mandated the sharing of the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File with the Department of the Treasury’s Do Not Pay working system within three years after enactment. The three-year exchange period runs from December 27, 2023, to December 27, 2025.
- In 2021, Kennedy wrote this op-ed sounding the alarm on the government’s sending more than $1 billion to deceased Americans.
- In 2019, Kennedy questioned U.S. Government Accountability Office Comptroller General Hon. Gene L. Dodaro about improper payments sent to deceased Americans.
Full bill text is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Times-Picayune and The Advocate arguing that the One Big Beautiful Bill will protect Medicaid benefits for Americans in need.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“Some people in Washington enjoy scaring Americans to score political points. The current debate on Medicaid is a prime example.
“Since President Donald Trump signed the 2025 reconciliation bill, which some call the One Big Beautiful Bill, into law, those opposing the legislation, mostly Democrats, have been telling anyone who will listen that the new law will cut Medicaid benefits to Americans in need.
“If you believe that, you also believe in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, and that Jimmy Hoffa died of natural causes.”
. . .
“Many of those public officials telling lies about the OBBB are doing it because they need to justify voting against the main provision in the OBBB: the biggest tax cut in American history. They know most Americans are too busy going to work and raising their families to read through the Medicaid provisions in the bill, and they are choosing to scare people with lies about cuts to the program.
“The truth is that the OBBB will leave Medicaid stronger than ever by protecting benefits for those who truly need them.”
Read Kennedy’s op-ed here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today joined Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and four bipartisan colleagues in reintroducing the Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act, which would help landowners and those involved in the timber industry combat pine beetle infestations and remove unsafe, infested trees.
“Louisiana’s timber industry creates more than 37,000 jobs in our state and supplies the rest of our country with much-needed wood products. That’s why it’s so important that we beat back pine beetle infestations and make sure Louisianians and other Americans who work in the timber field don’t get hung out to dry,” said Kennedy.
“The end of drought conditions didn’t end the pine beetle infestation or lessen costs to combat them. There is a real need to tailor USDA disaster programs to truly help states like Mississippi where most of its forests are privately owned or within city limits. Most of these folks do not have the upfront money to carry out timely or thorough eradication work. The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act addresses these issues effectively,” said Hyde-Smith.
Central Louisiana faced a devastating pine beetle outbreak in 2024, which, combined with 2023 drought conditions, hurt Louisiana’s timber industry and left many dead pine trees at risk of damaging homes and infrastructure.
The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act would:
- Authorize an 85 percent cost-share payment to landowners to cover the cost of tree removal, commercial thinning and related activities.
- Establish a 50 percent cost-share payment to incentivize loggers, haulers and tree removal services to do this work, which typically yields little profit.
- Make landowners eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Emergency Loan program, allowing them to access financing for emergency work upfront, rather than waiting for work to be completed.
- Authorize USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office committees, rather than the FSA national office, to administer program assistance immediately following confirmed pine beetle infestations and natural disaster designations.
- Authorize the USDA to make grants to states and municipalities for infested tree removal and related activities.
Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) cosponsored the bill.
Full text of the Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and 48 other Senate Republican colleagues in sending a letter to the French, German and British foreign ministers thanking them for initiating snapback sanctions on Iran, and urging them to keep pressure until they achieve the elimination of Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Key excerpts from the letter are below:
“We write to applaud the United Kingdom, France, and Germany for initiating the snapback process to return international sanctions on Iran at the United Nations Security Council. This action was necessary in light of the Iranian regime's persistent acts of nuclear extortion. We commend your leadership and support the successful reimposition of international sanctions and restrictions targeting the Iranian arms industry, its nuclear and missile programs, and its terror and proliferation activities.”
…
“While we back diplomatic efforts to restore Iran's compliance with its International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) commitments, the international community should not allow hollow gestures and cynical threats from Tehran to stop the snapback process. The regime has abused diplomatic processes for years to avoid penalties. Sanctions relief should only be negotiated after snapback is fully implemented. The regime must fully and verifiably dismantle its nuclear program, restore full IAEA access, terminate its support for international terror proxies, and end its ballistic missile program – at a minimum.”
…
“In light of the soon-returning international sanctions, we need joint interdiction efforts to prevent Iranian proliferation and acquisition of military, missile, and nuclear goods, technologies, and components. In line with returning UN obligations, we hope you will help us fully shutter Iran's banking sector abroad, including by closing all branches in Europe. Closing off the regime's financial pathways will curb the regime's aggression. More pressure is necessary to ultimately bring Iran back to meaningful and serious diplomatic engagement on the full spectrum of its malign activities.”
Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and 30 other Republican senators also signed the letter.
Read the full letter here.
Kennedy, Lankford introduce bill protecting student religious organizations from campus discrimination
Sep 18 2025
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.
Senate passes Kennedy-backed resolution recognizing National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk
Sep 18 2025
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today unanimously passed a resolution led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fl.), with Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) among other cosponsors, designating October 14, 2025, as the National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.
“Charlie Kirk was a courageous conservative warrior who inspired countless Americans to stand up for our nation’s values and the freedoms that make this country the greatest place on earth. He gave young people a voice, passionately advocated for free speech, and never wavered in his defense of God, Family, Country, and Freedom. This resolution honors Charlie’s legacy and ensures his many contributions to our great country are never forgotten,” said Kennedy.
“Charlie was a magnetic leader, a loving father and husband, and a friend and inspiration to so many. His loss is devastating, and I’ll always cherish the friendship I had with him. Charlie loved our nation and its founding principles and believed deeply in his faith, in his family, and in beauty of ideas and discussion. He lived with purpose and conviction, never shying away from hard truths and hard conversations, and always believing that the strength of our ideas and our faith could bring people together. Charlie worked to make our nation a better place in his 31 years before he was lost in an evil act of political violence, and will leave a lasting legacy on our nation. We know what Charlie would want us to do: he’d want us to stand strong by the ideas we believe in, have discussions, carry on with hope, strength and courage, and look to God for guidance. I am proud to lead a resolution honoring Charlie’s legacy as an American patriot by designating October 14th, what would have been his 32nd birthday, as National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk – a day to come together, pray, and celebrate Charlie’s impact on the nation,” said Scott.
The resolution recognizes Kirk’s lifetime of leadership and advocacy, including his work founding Turning Point USA, empowering students nationwide, and promoting civic engagement and free speech. By commemorating October 14, the Senate aims to honor Kirk’s lasting impact on young leaders and the conservative movement.
Full text of the resolution is available here.
Kennedy introduces bill to cut left-wing D.C. bureaucracy out of judicial nomination process
Sep 18 2025
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.
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) delivered the following remarks on the U.S. Senate floor:
“Now, for eight months, President Trump has tried to talk to President Putin in Russia—eight months. And for eight months, President Putin has made all kinds of promises, a lot of pretty words, a lot of play acting. And he’s done none of what he said he would do.”
. . .
“But in order to get peace, and to get Putin to negotiate seriously, we’re going to have to increase the costs and make the cost on him of prosecuting the war greater than the benefits of him being able to continue to do it.
“Now, how do we do that? One option is sanctions. . . . The problem with it is that you have some European countries—one is Hungary, another is Slovakia—they tend to be more aligned with Russia than anybody else in the European Union, and they buy oil from Russia, and it’s going to take a while to convince them to stop it. It’s going to take months.”
. . .
“So, if sanctions are not going to work for now, if it’s going to take several months for us to work that out, what can we do? Well, here’s what I think we ought to do. And I am introducing legislation to do this. . . . We’re going to seize Russian assets if our legislation passes, and we’re going to give those assets to Ukraine to prosecute the war.
“Here’s what I’m talking about. . . . There’s over $300 billion of cash that the United States and our European allies froze that belongs to Russia. And it’s been sitting there. It’s been invested basically in money markets, and we have been sending the interest to Ukraine to help them fight the war. But we’ve left the principle—the $300 billion—alone. We haven’t seized it. We’ve just frozen it.
“The time has come to seize it. . . . Ukraine can use that money to buy their own drones and to buy their own missiles. And Ukraine can use that money, not to kill Russian civilians, but Ukraine can use that money to buy missiles to take out every single refinery in Russia. Cut off their cash flow. Take out every single oil refinery in Russia.”
. . .
“Not a single taxpayer’s money from an American will be spent on this. This will all be Russian money. We’re going to level the playing field. We’re going to see what Mr. Putin is made of.”
. . .
“So, I hope the Senate will pass our bill. We’re going to move it. If you object to it, stand up in front of God and country and say so. But we’ve got to do something. And I can promise you with $300 billion of new capital—none of which will be American taxpayer money—Ukraine can buy some missiles that will get Mr. Putin’s attention.”
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
