Media

Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) celebrated the Trump administration’s effort to expose wasteful spending within the federal government in a speech on the Senate floor.

Key excerpts of the speech are below:

“I want to make a brief comment about the continuing saga that our new president is doing, in my judgment, a good job of prosecuting here in Washington. I am talking about his audits of federal government spending and all of the wasteful spending—I call it spending porn—that he is finding.”

. . .

“The battle lines are drawn. Some of my colleagues have decided to support the bureaucracy and the spending porn over the American taxpayer. . . . That is their right.

“It is not against the law or unconstitutional to be foolish in America, but these are the same people . . . who chose to support illegal immigration over the rule of law. These are the same people who have chosen to support teachers’ unions over parents and kids. These are the same people who have chosen to support criminals over cops and victims. These are the same people who have chosen to support transgender athletes over women’s sports. These are the same people who have chosen to support Hamas over Israel.

“They think they are winning. Maybe in this town they are—if you listen to a lot of the pundits up here, if you listen to a lot of the members of the ‘wokerati’ in Washington—but they are not winning in America. The justice stick is coming, and I am very proud to be a part of that effort.”

Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today introduced a bill to repeal the Biden administration’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule that would implement Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Section 1071 amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) to require financial institutions to collect certain personal information on small businesses when they seek a loan.

In 2023, Congress passed Kennedy’s joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to reverse the Biden administration’s rule, which requires banks to report to the CFPB on small business owners’ race, ethnicity and sex; and whether a business is minority-owned, women-owned or LGBT-owned. However, President Joe Biden vetoed the resolution, and the rule remains in effect.

“President Biden’s woke CFPB put small business owners’ information at risk by requiring their personal details to be exposed online. My bill would repeal the last administration’s misguided regulation so that job creators’ private information isn’t public, and government doesn’t stand in the way of Main Street’s access to loans,” Kennedy said.

Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

Background:

  • On March 30, 2023, the CFPB promulgated the final rule implementing Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which amends the ECOA. The rule was published in the Federal Register on May 31, 2023.
  • Section 1071 requires covered financial institutions to collect and report certain personal information on small business loan applicants and report that to the CFPB. The CFPB may then make certain parts of that information public, including data that could publicly identify the small business credit applicant.
  • In order to comply with the Biden CFPB rule, financial institutions would have to collect information about applicants, including the applicant's census tract, North American Industry Classification System and years in business, among other personal information.
  • The rule applies to financial institutions that originated at least 100 small business loans in each of the two preceding calendar years.
  • Based on the number of credit transactions for small businesses, covered financial institutions must comply with the final rule beginning Oct. 1, 2024; April 1, 2025; or Jan. 1, 2026.
  • A small business is defined as a company with $5 million or less in revenue from the previous fiscal year. 
  • Among the many concerns about the CFPB’s collecting and storing such personal information is that the agency recently experienced a data breach including the personally identifiable information of 256,000 consumers and failed to properly inform them for two months.
  • The implementation of this rule may reduce the availability and accessibility of small business credit by increasing compliance costs of lenders.

Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) cosponsored the bill.

Text of the bill is here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the Senate companion to the No Propaganda Act to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The bill would block federal funding for the CPB, which funnels taxpayer dollars to National Public Radio (NPR), because of the organization’s chronically biased content. 

“The Corporation for Public Broadcasting should not be funneling Louisianians’ hard-earned tax dollars to outlets with one-sided coverage that clearly aim to promote a leftist political agenda. The No Propaganda Act would make sure that Americans aren’t footing the bill for biased, government media,” said Kennedy.

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

“The American Taxpayer continues to provide handouts through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to media outlets that have actively pushed Chinese propaganda and have prioritized fighting disinformation over free speech. CPB must be defunded to end the stream of taxpayer funds to biased, anti-American public radio and television stations,” said Perry.

Congress has appropriated more than $15 billion to fund the CPB since 1969, which it allocates to NPR and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). CPB states that its goal is to “educate, inform, foster curiosity, and promote civil discourse essential to American society.”

However, in April, a whistleblower exposed NPR’s decision not to broadcast the Hunter Biden laptop scandal because NPR believed covering the story would help presidential candidate Donald Trump during the 2020 election cycle.

In 2020, reports also revealed that PBS used taxpayer dollars to partner with a Chinese Communist Party-controlled media outlet, CGTN, to produce a pro-Beijing film.

The full bill text is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $17,860,797 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for flood mitigation projects and emergency power generator installations in Louisiana.

“Our communities depend on projects to help them prepare for storms and recover from disasters. This $17.9 million will help Louisianians with flood mitigation, emergency generators and permanent repairs after Hurricanes Ida and Laura,” said Kennedy 

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

  • $7,239,362 to Lake Charles for permanent repairs to the Purple Heart Recreation Center and Gymnasium due to Hurricane Laura. 
  • $3,632,990 to St. John the Baptist Parish for the elevation of 21 residential structures.
  • $1,908,921 to the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the instillation of two permanent generators in Monroe, La.
  • $1,906,342 to St. John the Baptist Parish for management costs as a result of Hurricane Ida. 
  • $1,492,935 to Livingston Parish for the replacement of the Lod Stafford Road Bridge as a result of Hurricane Ida.
  • $1,421,300 to Winn Parish for the installation of 15 emergency power generator systems.
  • $201,832 to St. John the Baptist Parish for management costs associated with the elevation of 21 residential structures.
  • $57,115 to Winn Parish for management costs associated with the installation of the 15 emergency power generator systems.

 

WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today led 14 colleagues in introducing the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. The bill would prevent veterans from losing their Second Amendment right to purchase or own firearms when they receive help managing their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits.

“Our veterans should not receive less due process rights than other Americans just because they served our country and asked the federal government for a helping hand. Under the VA’s interpretation of the law, however, unelected bureaucrats punish Louisiana and America’s veterans by forcing them to choose between their Second Amendment rights and getting the help they need as they manage their financial affairs. I’m proud to introduce the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act to stand up for veterans’ constitutional rights by ending this unfair practice,” said Kennedy.

"Veterans should never be forced to choose between receiving assistance from VA to manage their benefits and their fundamental Second Amendment rights. Our nation should be encouraging veterans to utilize VA services, not discouraging them by denying them due process. The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act makes certain that the rights of those who have served are protected, and that veterans are not penalized for receiving support that they have earned and deserve. I thank Sen. Kennedy for his partnership in this effort,” said Moran. 

Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

“It should go without saying that veterans should not be treated like second-class citizens simply because they need help managing their books—but under current law they are. Without a permanent fix in place, VA bureaucrats can continue to strip veterans with fiduciaries of their Second Amendment right with no court ruling in place that they are a danger to themselves or others. It’s as simple as that. I have heard from too many veterans that VA’s current NICS reporting measures prevent them from seeking mental health care at VA—we must change that. I want to thank Chairman Moran, Senator Kennedy, and my House colleagues for working with me last Congress to pass a temporary solution, but veterans need a permanent fix. House and Senate Republicans will fulfill the American people’s mandate to get this bill to President Trump’s desk to protect veterans’ due process and constitutional rights for good,” said Bost. 

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Mike Rounds (S.D.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) cosponsored the legislation.

“I take the constitutional right to bear arms very seriously. Our bill would preserve due process for veterans and put a stop to unelected bureaucrats unjustifiably stripping away the Second Amendment rights of those who’ve served,” said Grassley.

“Veterans must not be required to forfeit the Second Amendment without a careful, constitutional process. Attempting to deprive former servicemembers of firearms for protection or recreation simply because they require assistance managing the benefits they have earned is bureaucracy at its worst. Our legislation would correct this injustice and preserve these law-abiding patriots’ rights,” said Boozman.

“The veterans who served our country shouldn’t lose their 2nd Amendment rights just because they need financial help,” said Cassidy.

“Veterans who have served our country deserve the same Second Amendment rights and protections as every other American. This commonsense legislation ensures that veterans aren’t punished simply because they need assistance managing their benefits and guarantees they are not denied their constitutional rights without due process,” said Tillis. 

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much to defend this great country, and it is critical their God-given right to protect themselves and their families doesn’t rest on judgement of unelected bureaucrats. It takes a lot of courage and humility for our brave veterans to admit that they need help managing their financial benefits. But it shouldn’t place their constitutional freedoms in jeopardy. This bill ends the ability of government workers to take away the Second Amendment freedoms of our veterans when they ask for help with their money unless a judge finds them to be a danger to himself or others. I stand with our veterans and will continue to fight to preserve the freedoms they fought for on the battlefield,” said Tuberville.

“I’m proud to stand with our veterans to ensure equal protection of their rights with the Second Amendment Protection Act. Our veterans have fought to protect our nation and defend our rights, and they deserve to be treated fairly with the same due process under the law,” said Scott.

Because of the VA’s interpretation of current law, the VA sends a beneficiary’s name to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) whenever a fiduciary is appointed to help a beneficiary manage his or her VA benefit payments.

Ultimately, VA employees decide whether veterans receive help from a fiduciary.

The bill would prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting a veteran’s personal information to NICS unless a relevant judicial authority rules that the beneficiary is a danger to himself or others.

Vietnam Veterans of America, National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, Black Veterans Empowerment Council, Military Order of the Purple Heart, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, AMAC Action, Turning Point Action, Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, National Disability Rights Network and the National Association for Gun Rights support the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act.

Background:

  • In the 116th Congress, Kennedy introduced the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. 
  • In the 118th Congress, Kennedy and Moran re-introduced the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act with six co-sponsors. 
  • In Oct. 2023, the Senate passed Kennedy and Moran’s amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act based on the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. The same language passed into law as part of an appropriations package in March 2024.
  • The language included in the appropriations package only provided a temporary solution tied to appropriations. The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act would make the fix permanent and prevent future VA administrations from undoing the work to restore veterans’ due process and Second Amendment rights. 

The bill text is available here.

Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) explained why many Americans support the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to uncover wasteful spending at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in a speech on the Senate floor.

Key excerpts of the speech are below:

“[Americans] have had to live through 20% inflation under President Biden. They understand what [Elon] Musk is doing. They understand spending porn and wasting taxpayer money.

“Now, Mr. Musk started with USAID. . . . He found that USAID gave money to support electric vehicles in Vietnam—our money, taxpayer money. He found that USAID gave money to a transgender clinic in India. I didn’t know that. I bet you the American people didn’t know that.

“He found that USAID gave $1.5 million to a Serbian LGBTQ group. . . . They got $1.5 million to ‘advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.’ What else did Mr. Musk find that my colleagues don’t want to talk about?”

. . . 

“Now, I am not saying everything that USAID does is wasted, but I am saying a lot of it is—a hell of a lot of it is—and we ought to be on the floor of this United States Senate thanking Mr. Musk, and we ought to be asking him to go through every agency and look at everybody’s budget—everybody’s budget.

“That is what the American people want. They don’t want to talk about process. They don’t want to continue with the Washington way. They want to save some money.”

Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.

Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) warned the United Kingdom that it could damage its relationship with the United States if it threatens the future of the joint U.S.-U.K. military base on the island of Diego Garcia by ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Key excerpts of the speech are below:

“Do you know who is loving all of this? China, because China has a close relationship with Mauritius. And do you know what? It is going to get a lot closer.

“This is insane. This is cell-deep stupid. This is bone-deep, down-to-the-marrow stupid. Because the United Nations wants the United Kingdom to feel guilty, they want to give our military base and their military base to Mauritius. Now, the prime minister of the United Kingdom can stop this.”

. . .

“Please, Mr. Prime Minister, don’t do this. Don’t do this. We will stand with you in telling the United Nations, who is upset with you, to go fill out a hurt feelings report because we are not doing it. We will stand with you. Please say no. Don’t give our military base away. It is going to really hurt the relationship between the United States of America and the United Kingdom.”

Background

  • The U.K. had previously announced on Oct. 3, 2024, that it had reached a deal with Mauritius to cede the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. This deal between the U.K. and Mauritius would jeopardize the security of a key U.S.-U.K. military base on Deigo Garcia by potentially exposing the island to Chinese espionage efforts, according to a report from the Policy Exchange.
  • Negotiations between the U.K. and Mauritius followed a years-long pressure campaign from the United Nations to get England out of the Chagos Islands. The Biden administration also reportedly pressured the U.K. to enter the deal with Mauritius before the American and Mauritian elections took place—an idea Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially endorsed
  • On Oct. 23, 2024, Kennedy wrote to then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken seeking answers about the Biden administration’s involvement in the deal between the U.K. and Mauritius.
  • Kennedy also penned this op-ed in Oct. 2024 arguing that the Biden administration owes the American people an explanation for its decision to allow this deal between the U.K. and Mauritius to move forward.
  • On Jan. 15, 2025, Starmer announced that he wanted President Trump and his administration to weigh in on any deal struck between the U.K. and Mauritius regarding the transfer of the Chagos Islands, including the transfer of the U.S.-U.K. shared military base on the island of Diego Garcia. 
  • Kennedy published this op-ed in Jan. 2025 welcoming the U.K.’s change of heart after Starmer announced that he would include the Trump administration in the ongoing negotiations with Mauritius.
  • Former Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), President Trump’s nominee for National Security Advisor, has criticized the deal, saying, “Should the U.K. cede control of the Chagos to Mauritius, I have no doubt that China will take advantage of the resulting vacuum.”
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio has similarly condemned the deal and said it “poses a serious threat to our national security interests in the Indian Ocean and threatens critical U.S. military posture in the region.”

Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and colleagues in reintroducing the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) to help law-abiding gun owners better access suppressors to preserve their hearing and safety. The HPA would reclassify suppressors so that they receive the same regulation as traditional firearms, removing regulatory burdens.

“Big government shouldn’t stand in the way of protecting lawful gun owners’ hearing. I’m proud to help introduce this bill to make it easier for Louisianians and all Americans to practice their Second Amendment rights safely,” said Kennedy.

“Federal red tape continues to follow the false Hollywood narrative that suppressors are silent, and ignores the reality that they serve a genuine purpose in protecting the hearing of law-abiding American citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights. It is past time Congress removes the burdensome barriers to accessing this equipment for the safety of Idaho’s hunters and sportsmen,” said Crapo. 

Suppressors are currently subject to additional regulatory burdens under the National Firearms Act (NFA). The HPA would remove suppressors from regulation under the NFA and replace the overly burdensome federal transfer process with an instantaneous background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This process would make the purchasing and transfer process for suppressors equal to that for a rifle or shotgun.

By taxing suppressors under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, rather than the NFA, the bill would also generate funding for state wildlife conservation agencies. 

The legislation does not impact any state laws that prevent suppressors, and it does not eliminate background check requirements.

The full bill text is available here

 

 

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in reintroducing the Fair Access to Banking Act to prevent banks from denying services to law-abiding businesses for political purposes.  

“Banks shouldn’t stop customers from accessing accounts or services based on political affiliation or industry. I’m proud to help introduce the Fair Access to Banking Act to make sure financial institutions aren’t working as political activists against law-abiding Americans,” said Kennedy.

“When progressives failed at banning these entire industries, what they did instead is they turned to weaponizing banks as sort of a backdoor to carry out their activist goals. Financial institutions are backed by taxpayers, for crying out loud! They should be obligated to provide services in an unbiased, risk-based manner. The Fair Access to Banking Act ensures that banks provide fair access to services and enacts strict penalties for categorically discriminating against legal industries and individuals,” said Cramer.

In 2021, the Trump administration finalized its Fair Access Rule to require banks to make individual risk assessments and stop broad discrimination against customers. However, the Biden administration paused the rule’s implementation. 

The Fair Access to Banking Act would penalize banks and credit unions with more than $10 billion in assets for refusing services to law-abiding companies or people. The bill also requires banks to give a written explanation for denying services to a customer.

Background:

  • The Fair Access to Banking Act would protect Americans in the wake of major banks’ move to discriminate against legal businesses. Some of the largest U.S. banks have blocked businesses and consumers from accessing financial services based on political ideology.
  • In 2020, five of the country’s largest banks announced they will not provide loans or credit to support oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge even though Congress explicitly authorized it.
  • In 2021, JPMorgan Chase declared it would refuse financial services to coal producers. Bank of America also began a politically motivated effort to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from its financing activities by 2050, an effort directly targeting producers of reliable American energy. Earlier this year, however, Bank of America quietly withdrew from a climate alliance seeking net-zero emissions.
  • Payment services like Apple Pay and PayPal have denied their services for transactions involving firearms or ammunition.

Sens. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Curtis (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) also cosponsored the bill. 

The full bill text is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) today introduced the Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act. The bill would require able-bodied adults without dependents who receive Medicaid benefits to work or volunteer for at least 20 hours per week. This change could save taxpayers more than $100 billion over 10 years.

“Medicaid doesn’t work the way it should. Able-bodied adults without dependents are better off with jobs than with hand-outs, and so are their communities and American taxpayers. My Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act would help pave a path out of poverty for millions of Americans,” said Kennedy.

“By incorporating work requirements for able-bodied adults, Medicaid can serve as a bridge to self-sufficiency, fostering pathways to employment, job training, and community engagement. This not only helps recipients gain financial independence but also preserves resources for the most vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, said Schmitt.

“The goal of this bill is straightforward: if you’re a healthy adult on Medicaid, we want to make sure you have every opportunity to find employment that leads to better health coverage. Welfare programs shouldn’t incentivize people against working. This is about empowering Americans—helping them become independent, thrive in the workforce, and reach their highest potential,” said Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

Background:

  • The CBO estimates that Medicaid work requirements would save $109 billion over 10 years.
  • 2023 Axios-Ipsos survey revealed that 63% of Americans, including 49% of Democrats, supported work requirements for Medicaid and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits. 
  • Kennedy also penned this op-ed in the National Review explaining the need for Medicaid work requirements.

The full bill text is available here.