WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) in introducing the CFPB Pay Fairness Act of 2023, which would increase accountability at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by requiring the agency to pay its employees according to the same standards that apply to other federal employees.

“The CFPB’s funding scheme reveals much about what’s wrong with big government. Our bill would do away with the CFPB’s unfair pay advantage and begin to put the agency’s staff on equal footing with other hardworking federal employees,” said Kennedy.

“Those who created the CFPB continually sought to remove the agency from meaningful oversight and provide it with preferential treatment, all the way down to ignoring the widely-used federal government GS pay scale for CFPB employees. This legislation is a common-sense step to reigning in exorbitant pay at the CFPB and restoring parity among federal agencies,” said Tillis.

The CFPB’s funding mechanism operates outside the regular congressional oversight process. As a result, many CFPB employees receive salaries comparable with those of members of Congress and cabinet secretaries. The CFPB Pay Fairness Act of 2023 would give the CFPB 90 days to bring its employee salaries in line with the General Schedule (GS) pay scale for federal employees.

Full text of the CFPB Pay Fairness Act of 2023 is available here.

WASHINGTON – The Senate today unanimously passed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (SALE) Act. The legislation would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to release previously auctioned spectrum in order to expand 5G broadband access to rural communities. 

“My 5G SALE Act provides Americans with access to broadband by giving the FCC the authority to finish transferring previously auctioned spectrum to companies that offer 5G coverage. The House should move quickly to send this bill to the president’s desk so that the job providers who depend on wireless communications in Louisiana and across America can continue to support rural economies,” said Kennedy. 

Kennedy questioned FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing about the commission’s lapsed authority to transfer spectrum licenses already sold at auction. The 5G SALE Act would temporarily grant the FCC auction authority it needs to complete spectrum transfers, which would allow broadband services to provide greater 5G network coverage to Americans in rural areas.

Background:

In 2022, the FCC auctioned off roughly 8,000 licenses to grant companies access to America’s broadband spectrum. These licenses are the only way companies can legally use the radio waves that deliver 5G to customers. These wavelengths are therefore highly valuable.

During the period between when companies paid for their licenses and when the FCC should have parceled the licenses out, Congress failed to reauthorize the FCC’s ability to auction off licenses altogether. Now, each company that bought spectrum in that auction is waiting to receive its transfer. Despite payments being complete, the FCC says it no longer has the authority to grant those licenses. 

Kennedy’s legislation would grant the FCC a one-time, temporary authority to issue licenses purchased in auctions that were held before March 9, 2023 (when the FCC’s Congressional authorization ended).

Full text of the 5G SALE Act is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and 44 other Republican senators in demanding that Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) restore the traditional, business dress code for senators on the Senate floor. 

“For more than 230 years, the United States Senate has served the American people with honor and dignity. As members of this esteemed body, we understand the seriousness our positions require,” the senators wrote.

“The Senate is a place of honor and tradition, and the Senate floor is where we conduct the business of the American people. It is where we debate the policies which impact every American family and, when necessary, it is where we must make the gravest decision imaginable—whether to send our fellow Americans into battle to defend the freedoms we all hold dear. The world watches us on that floor and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs,” they continued.

“Allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent. We the undersigned members of the United States Senate write to express our supreme disappointment and resolute disapproval of your recent decision to abandon the Senate’s longstanding dress code for members, and urge you to immediately reverse this misguided action,” the senators concluded.

The letter is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced a resolution urging all member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to spend a minimum of 2% of their gross domestic product on defense. 

“Friends tell friends the truth: By not meeting their own pledge to spend 2% of GDP on defense, our NATO allies are opening the door to further political instability. Every member of NATO must do its part, just as many countries are already doing, to deter bad actors like Russia from advancing their goals,” said Kennedy.

“To effectively confront the vast range of security risks we face—from Russia and China to cybersecurity, our NATO allies must fully meet defense spending commitments. Peace and stability do not come without a price and that’s why I am proud to introduce this resolution urging NATO members to strive toward the agreed-upon 2% of GDP defense spending allocation. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this resolution to ensure every NATO state is shouldering the responsibilities of this defense alliance,” said Manchin.  

The resolution also commends member countries including Greece, the United Kingdom, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia for taking strides to either meet or exceed the spending commitment. 

Background:

• In 2006, member countries of NATO first agreed to spend 2% of GDP on defense. In 2014, at the NATO Summit in Wales, all member countries once again committed to maintain or move toward meeting the 2% defense spending minimum within 10 years. 

• As of 2022, only 11 member countries were meeting the 2% minimum, including the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

• Many member countries issued statements pledging to meet the 2% minimum following the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, yet many member countries are projected to not reach the minimum until as late as 2035. 

• Kennedy recently commended NATO allies for increasing defense spending on the Senate floor and called on other countries to meet their commitments. 

The resolution is available here.