Kennedy introduces bill to enforce U.S.-U.K. treaty, require U.S. Senate to approve Diego Garcia giveaway
Mar 13 2026
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the Diego Garcia Treaty Oversight Act, which would require the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate for any changes to the 1966 treaty between the United States and United Kingdom concerning the British Indian Ocean Territory.
In effect, Kennedy’s bill would force the United Kingdom to secure Senate approval before ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including an island home to U.S.-U.K. Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, to Mauritius. It would also block the use of federal funds to modify the treaty without such approval.
“When two countries shake hands on a treaty, one of them can’t start changing the terms without the other country agreeing to it. That’s just common sense. That’s why I take issue with the United Kingdom trying to give our joint military base on Diego Garcia to a pal of Xi Jinping’s—all without getting the U.S. Senate’s consent. My bill would make sure that our friends in the U.K. don’t modify our treaty and hand this gift to China without giving the Senate a say,” said Kennedy.
The bill would additionally require a report to Congress about the national security reasons for any change to the treaty, implications for U.S. operational control of the base and risks posed by third-party sovereignty or military presence.
Read more about Kennedy’s bill in The Telegraph here.
Background:
Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands, houses a joint U.S.-U.K. military base—one of the only bases in the world where the U.S. military can reload submarines.
Despite the base’s importance, the United Kingdom has sided with left-wing activists by moving to cede control of the Chagos Islands to the small island nation of Mauritius.
Mauritius, located more than 1,200 miles from the Chagos Islands, has become increasingly aligned with the Chinese Communist Party. Its prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, has signaled his intent to bolster diplomatic relations with China, once relaying that President Xi Jinping told him, “China never forgets its friends.”
Kennedy has long condemned the United Kingdom’s planned giveaway of the Chagos Islands.
- Shortly after the proposed deal’s announcement in October 2024, Kennedy released a statement lambasting the decision as “dangerous and irresponsible,” making him one of the chief American opponents of the Chagos giveaway.
- The same month, Kennedy authored an op-ed in The Hill further denouncing the move and wrote a letter to then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken seeking answers about the Biden administration’s involvement in the deal.
- On four occasions from November 2024 to February 2025, Kennedy took to the U.S. Senate floor to urge the U.S. and U.K. governments to abandon the deal.
- In January 2025, Kennedy hosted two leading British critics of the Chagos giveaway, Baron Dean Godson and Julia Mizen of the U.K.-based think tank Policy Exchange, at his office.
- Later that month, Kennedy penned an op-ed in The Telegraph, arguing in part that “[t]he idea that the U.K. must hand over the islands to atone for whatever perceived wrongs Britain’s forefathers may have committed is nonsense.”
- In April 2025, Kennedy participated in a Wall Street Journal documentary about the Chagos Islands deal, calling it “stone-cold stupid.”
- In January 2026, Kennedy published another op-ed in The Telegraph, once again urging the U.K. to work with the Trump administration to protect Diego Garcia. He followed this op-ed with a February speech on the Senate floor elaborating on his argument.
- In February 2026, Kennedy led a letter to the Trump administration encouraging Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to oppose the deal.
Full text of S.4019, the Diego Garcia Treaty Oversight Act, is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, encouraged Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to permit Louisiana to use a pesticide required to combat rice delphacid infestations.
Rice delphacids, invasive insects that originated in South and Central America, feed directly on rice plants and open the door to diseases like the rice hoja blanca virus.
Rice delphacids have had a profound impact on Texas rice production since 2015, and in 2025, they were spotted in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.
As a result, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry requested in December 2025 that the EPA approve the use of the pesticide buprofezin on an emergency basis to fight infestations.
“I write to express my concern regarding the emerging threat to Louisiana rice production posed by the rice delphacid. This invasive insect, originating in Central and South America, established itself in Texas in 2015 and has since been detected in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The pest damages rice by direct feeding, causing ‘hopperburn,’ and may also serve as a vector for rice hoja blanca virus, which can significantly reduce yields,” Kennedy began his letter to Zeldin.
“The economic timing of this threat is particularly concerning. In late 2025, the price of rice per hundred pounds fell to its lowest level in nearly a decade. At the same time, producers continue to face elevated input costs,” he explained.
“As you know, Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to consider applications for emergency exemptions for unregistered uses of pesticides to address emergency conditions. Access to timely and effective control measures is critical to ensuring producers can move forward with planting decisions and secure necessary financing,” the senator added.
“For these reasons, I respectfully encourage the timely consideration of the Section 18 request submitted by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry in December 2025. Ensuring that producers across the rice belt have the tools necessary to combat this growing threat is essential to protecting both farm viability and regional agricultural stability. I appreciate your attention to this important matter,” Kennedy concluded.
View Kennedy’s full letter here.
Kennedy: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is the last person America should go to for military advice
Mar 11 2026
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) criticized United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his inconsistent response to the war in Iran in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Key excerpts of the speech.
“Everything I just told you, the prime minister of the United Kingdom knew. He had the same intelligence we had.
“When it came time for us to intervene, he said, you cannot use any United Kingdom air force bases or military bases, none, zero, nada. He specifically said that you can’t use Diego Garcia, the joint U.S.-United Kingdom military base in the Indian Ocean that Keir Starmer is trying to give away to Mauritius. You’ve heard me talk about it on the Senate floor. And Mauritius, of course, will welcome the Chinese. Now, once the war started going the way of the people who believe in freedom, Prime Minister Starmer changed his mind. Now he says you can use our bases. Thank you very much. It’s a little late. We don’t need you.
“He also is trying to give President Trump advice about how to conduct the war. That’s a little bit like seeking the advice of a nun about sex. So, Keir Starmer is the last person you would want to go to advise you about how to have a military confrontation. He’s the kind of guy that he’ll want to quote—if you’re in the middle of a bar fight—he’ll want to stop and quote Socrates.”
. . .
“I thought, you know, let me take a look at what the prime minister’s plans are, in terms of defense, because if you remember about a year ago, January, the prime minister produced this report. . . . And the prime minister makes a big deal in his report. He says, ‘Oh, we’ve changed our ways. We’ve been born again. We’re now going to spend 2.6% of our GDP on defense by 2027.’ I’m thinking, good for you. It’s about time. . . . Then I read the report. The cash is backloaded.
“He didn’t bother to tell the people of the United Kingdom or NATO or the president. The cash is backloaded. He is not going to even start spending the money, the real money, until the 2030s. That’s four years from now. He’s going to make it somebody else’s problem. I can assure you the prime minister will not be the prime minister in 2030 and beyond. Talk about sleight of hand.”
. . .
“Now, if I’m wrong, I hope the prime minister will respond. But if I’m right, shame on him. Shame on him for looking the good people of the United Kingdom in the eye and the good people of the world in the eye and lying and saying that the United Kingdom would do its part when the prime minister has no intention whatsoever.”
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
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.
