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, 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, 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 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.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and colleagues in urging the Biden administration’s Department of Education (DOE) to withdraw its proposed rule that would transfer an additional $147 billion in student loan debt to American taxpayers. If implemented, the rule would bring the total debt transferred to Americans to as much as $1 trillion.
In April, the DOE published its proposed rule, which would amend regulations in the Higher Education Act of 1965 to waive student loan debt for tens of millions of borrowers.
“The Biden administration describes this regulation as ‘targeted relief,’ yet the Department’s own estimates show the opposite. This is even broader than the Department’s first attempt: at an estimated price tag of $147 billion, taxpayers are being forced to take on the debt of nearly 28 million borrowers,” the lawmakers wrote.
“In addition to the fiscally irresponsible nature of this backdoor attempt to enact ‘free’ college, the administration continues to use borrowers as political pawns knowing full well these proposed actions are illegal. The Supreme Court [made] it abundantly clear that there is zero authority to write-off federal student loans en masse last June when the Department’s ‘Plan A’ was ruled unconstitutional,” they continued.
The lawmakers also raised concerns because the Biden administration dedicated resources to drafting a “Plan B” to cancel student loans for Americans who already attended college after “Plan A” failed in the Supreme Court, but it did not make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available to prospective college students.
“Failure to make the FAFSA available to these prospective students on time will have life-long consequences for many young Americans. We already know, as of March 29, FAFSA completion for seniors in high school is down by 40 percent. Those who do not file will likely not attend college next year and maybe never will,” they wrote.
The lawmakers concluded by urging the Biden administration to work with Congress to solve the higher education financing crisis.
Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) also signed the letter along with more than 90 members of the House of Representatives.
Full text of the letter is available here.
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today urged President Joe Biden to fire Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chair Martin Gruenberg. Kennedy argued that Gruenberg’s eventual resignation would not protect the employees who have endured persistent harassment at the agency during his tenure.
Key excerpts from Kennedy’s speech are below:
“I don’t remember seeing any exceptions in the MeToo Movement for President Biden’s appointees to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. We call it the FDIC. There’s not supposed to be a carve-out for bigots and perverts at the FDIC to harass their coworkers when they’re supposed to be regulating America’s banks. So why hasn’t President Biden shown FDIC chairman, Mr. Martin Gruenberg, and his leadership team the door? Why hasn’t he fired them?”
. . .
“Mr. Gruenberg didn’t just supervise the harassment at the FDIC. According to the report, he participated in it. According to Mr. Gruenberg’s employees, Chairman Gruenberg repeatedly ‘disrespected, disparaged, and mistreated’ his staff. Not the predators, but his staff that was trying to help him manage the agency.
“According to the report, Mr. Gruenberg would berate them, threaten to fire them, participate in ‘embarrassing and inappropriate’ group chats with them, and throw temper tantrums where he’d throw papers his staff prepared for him against the wall.”
. . .
“Mr. Gruenberg and every single member of senior management ought to hide their heads in a bag. . . . These folks ought to quit, and they ought to quit today. And if they don’t, President Biden should fire them. Anything short of firing them will show that President Biden condones this behavior.”
. . .
“President Biden correctly said that he would fire ‘on the spot’ any appointee who disrespected other members of his staff. Those are the president’s words: ‘on the spot.’ And he told his appointees that he expected them to do the same. The evidence, Madam President, is plentiful that Chairman Gruenberg disrespected his staff and allowed a toxic culture to bloom at the FDIC.
“He should resign. He should resign immediately. It’s time to clean house at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.”
Background
- The FDIC recently published a report detailing the toxic culture that has unfolded at the agency under Chairman Gruenberg’s watch.
- More than 500 of the FDIC’s 6,000 employees reported instances of sexual harassment, racial or gender discrimination, verbal abuse or other inappropriate behavior.
- Several employees accused Gruenberg of threatening and verbally abusive conduct. Employees reported that Gruenberg has an explosive temper and often berated employees, including one instance where he threw the staff’s papers against the wall. One employee said, “In my entire career of 35 years, I’ve never had anybody treat me like that.”
- Gruenberg has been on the FDIC’s Board of Directors since August 2005. During that time, at least 92 employees reported instances of harassment or discrimination to the agency. Investigators found that the FDIC did not fire, demote or cut the pay of a single alleged harasser while Gruenberg was on the FDIC’s board.
- In 2021, Biden vowed to fire any appointee who disrespected his or her staff “on the spot.” The president also said he expects each appointee to similarly fire employees who disrespect their colleagues. Biden has not yet asked for Gruenberg’s resignation.
- Kennedy called for Gruenberg’s resignation last year when revelations of his inappropriate conduct at the FDIC broke. He penned this op-ed in The Hill urging Gruenberg to resign so a new leader could address the culture problems within the agency.
Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.
Kennedy applauds Senate passage of National Police Week Resolution honoring law enforcement heroes
May 17 2024
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, helped introduce a resolution to designate May 12 through May 18, as National Police Week. The Senate unanimously adopted the resolution.
“One of the toughest jobs in the world is being a police officer, especially when so many officers don’t get the recognition they deserve. I can’t thank Louisiana’s brave policemen and women enough for the good work they do to keep our communities safe, and I am proud of the Senate for honoring our heroes today,” said Kennedy.
The resolution:
- Designates the week of May 12 through 18, 2024, as “National Police Week.”
- Expresses unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the U.S. in the pursuit of preserving safe and secure communities.
- Recognizes the need to ensure that law enforcement officers have the equipment, training and resources that are necessary in order to protect the health and safety of the officers while they protect the public.
- Acknowledges that Americans should remember and honor police officers and other law enforcement personnel, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
- Expresses condolences and solemn appreciation to the loved ones of each law enforcement officer who has given his or her life in the line of duty.
- Encourages the people of the U.S. to observe National Police Week by honoring law enforcement personnel and promoting awareness of the essential mission that law enforcement personnel undertake in service to their communities and the U.S.
Background:
- Kennedy introduced the Back the Blue Act to increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement officers and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.
- Kennedy introduced the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Reform Act to expand the concealed-carry rights of qualified law enforcement officers.
- The Senate passed the Kennedy-backed Recruit and Retain Act to address the nation-wide shortage of law enforcement officers, increase recruitment and address workforce challenges.
- Kennedy helped introduce the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act to establish a grant program at the Department of Justice to help state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies solve more crimes and improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm related violent crimes.
