Democrats block Kennedy resolution to withhold senators’ pay during government shutdowns

“And if a Member of this body disagrees with what I am doing, then, by God, they ought to come down here and stand up in front of the U.S. Senate and stand up in front of the American people and stand up in front of God and stand up in front of country and stand up in front of all these people—these good people that aren’t being paid—and say: Here is why.”

Watch Kennedy’s comments here. 

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) attempted to pass his resolution to withhold senators’ pay during government shutdowns via unanimous consent on Sunday, but Senate Democrats objected and blocked the resolution.

“And here is what my resolution would do: It would change Senate rules to provide that, when we are in a shutdown, that Senators cannot be paid, cannot receive their salaries. Their checks would be—think of it this way, Mr. President—locked in a vault. And once the shutdown is over, the Senators could pick them up,” Kennedy explained.

“This resolution—again, it is not a bill—is about shared sacrifice. And I am not doing it to punish anybody. I am not doing it to try to embarrass anybody,” Kennedy said, later adding, “It is about shared sacrifice and sending a message. We have about a squillion employees at the Department of Homeland Security that aren’t being paid, and there is no prospect of them being paid.”

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) then objected to Kennedy’s unanimous consent request without being recognized by the Chair or stepping forward to explain his objection.

“Can you opine on why my colleague objected and then immediately left, and whether he is coming back?” Kennedy asked. The parliamentarian then claimed that Sen. Schatz did not need to be recognized to block Kennedy’s resolution from passing through unanimous consent.

“All right. I am coming back, Mr. President,” Kennedy said. “And I am coming back, and I am coming back, and I am coming back. Did I mention I will be back? And if a Member of this body disagrees with what I am doing, then, by God, they ought to come down here and stand up in front of the U.S. Senate and stand up in front of the American people and stand up in front of God and stand up in front of country and stand up in front of all these people—these good people that aren’t being paid—and say: Here is why.”

Kennedy first introduced early versions of this legislation in November 2025 during the historic 43-day government shutdown and fought for their passage on the U.S. Senate floor.

Kennedy’s resolution received unanimous, bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate Rules Committee in December 2025.

Full resolution text is available here.

Watch Kennedy’s speech here.  

Kennedy: I support the SAVE America Act “unconditionally”

“It’s meant to say to the American people, ‘Look, we in Congress hear you. We want you to trust our elections.’”

Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today reaffirmed his support for the SAVE America Act and called for the use of another reconciliation bill to pass the legislation in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.

Key excerpts of the speech are below.

“Mr. President, I would like to talk for a few minutes about the SAVE [America] Act. I’m a cosponsor. I support it unconditionally. The SAVE [America] Act, as you well know, Mr. President, is really pretty simple. It’s about our sanctity of voting in America.

“It says, ‘If you want to register to vote in America, you have to prove that you're a citizen of America,’ and once you're registered, it says, ‘When you're voting in a federal election, in all instances, you have to prove you are who you say you are in order to vote.’ Very simple.

. . .

“It’s about trying to get the American people to trust our elections every year in light of the fact that President Biden and his team, with the concurrence of many of my colleagues in this chamber, admitted millions and millions and millions of people into our country illegally.”

. . .

“It’s meant to say to the American people, ‘Look, we in Congress hear you. We want you to trust our elections.’”

. . .

“If this bill is as important as we say it is, we should try it through reconciliation. I haven’t convinced Senator Thune of that. I haven’t convinced all of my colleagues on either side of the aisle, but I plan on continuing to chase them like they stole Thanksgiving and Christmas put together.”

Watch Kennedy’s speech here.

Jeff Landry Exposes John Fleming’s Cynical Carbon Capture Rebrand

In a recent video, Landry took direct aim at former Congressman John Fleming over his sudden opposition to carbon capture, calling it what it looks like to many observers: an opportunistic, cynical, and disingenuous flip-flop driven by politics, not principle.

Read more: Jeff Landry Exposes John Fleming’s Cynical Carbon Capture Rebrand

Governor Jeff Landry Opens Third Regular Session

Will Republicans break their losing streak on health care reform?

Despite a handful of promising drives, Republicans have a losing record on health care reform over the past two decades. Since the passage of ObamaCare, the GOP has repeatedly failed to successfully field an alternative vision — leaving more Americans with insurance cards but fewer who can afford it. Will Republicans prevail this time around with the so-called “Great Healthcare Plan” released in January?

Republican margins in Congress are extremely slim and getting members to coalesce behind one blueprint will be like herding cats. But there is hope given conservatives were able to eke out a tax cut win last summer under similar conditions. To borrow a line from “Dumb and Dumber”, “so you’re telling me there’s a chance.”

Read more: Will Republicans break their losing streak on health care reform?

Kennedy on Iran: “We’re not trying to start a war. . . . We’re trying to end it.”

“We’re not trying to be the world’s policeman. We’re trying to stop the Ayatollah from being the world’s policeman.”

Watch Kennedy’s comments here. 

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) explained why the United States is exerting pressure on Iran’s leaders to halt their missile program in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.

Key excerpts of the speech are below.

“We don’t know how many people he’s hung in the last six months. We don’t know how many people he’s tortured. I’ve seen estimates as high as 50,000. So that’s what this business with Iran is all about.

“We’re not trying to be the world’s policeman. We’re trying to stop the Ayatollah from being the world’s policeman. He’s getting a lot of support from President Xi Jinping in China and Vladimir Putin in Russia and Kim Jong Un in North Korea. So that’s where we find ourselves, trying to stop this war.

“And to the Ayatollah, I would say, ‘Ayatollah, you’re entitled to believe what you want. You can hate me. You can believe that. I know you hate me and what I stand for. Do you know how I sleep at night knowing that you hate me? With the fan on. That’s your right. But you can’t act on that belief.’

“Put down the nuclear weapons. Put down the nuclear enrichment. Stop exporting terrorism to Hamas and Hezbollah. End your missile program. Stop killing and torturing your people. That’s all we want. And he’s doing that as we speak. He’s at war. We’re trying to stop it.

“I’m not about to give the president any advice. He has intelligence that I don’t have, and I respect the fact that he’s being very deliberate and careful in making the decision. If we make a deal with Iran, let’s make sure we have a protocol to enforce it, because my experience in watching the Ayatollah through the years, I wouldn’t trust this man if he were three days dead.”

. . .

“Let me say it again. We’re not trying to start a war. This war began a long time ago. We’re trying to end it.”

Watch Kennedy’s speech here.  

OPINION: Community Banks Lead in Small-Business Credit Access: Proposed Legislation Puts That at Risk

The Credit Card Competition Act, sponsored by Senators Durbin and Marshall, aims to inject competition into credit card networks and lower costs for merchants and consumers. The legislation requires issuers with over $100 billion in assets to enable at least two unaffiliated payment networks and gives merchants control over transaction routing. Community banks are explicitly exempt from this threshold. Yet despite this exemption, community banks will be disproportionately affected because the legislation misunderstands how interchange fees function in two-sided payment markets and why network routing requirements cannot be confined to large banks alone.

Read more: OPINION: Community Banks Lead in Small-Business Credit Access: Proposed Legislation Puts That at Risk

Governor Announces Historic Tax Relief as Louisiana Families Save More

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry today highlighted the impact of the 2024 Tax Reform Special Session, noting that folks across the state are now saving more money as they file their 2025 tax returns.

“When people file taxes this year, they are getting a bigger refund,” said Governor Landry. “The typical middle-class working family will save nearly $500, and the average working individual will save around $261—cutting their state income tax liability by nearly a third. Turns out the biggest jackpot in Louisiana this year was in your paycheck!”

Background:

The legislation delivered the largest income tax cut in state history. By nearly tripling the standard deduction to $12,500, families now pay no income tax on their first $25,000 of income. 

Louisiana moved to a flat 3 percent personal income tax rate, the second lowest in the nation and the lowest in the South, providing immediate relief.

The reform doubled the retirement income exemption to $12,000, allowing a married couple over 65 to earn nearly $49,000 tax-free. We also eliminated the corporate franchise tax and reduced the corporate income tax rate to a flat 5.5 percent, strengthening Louisiana’s business climate.

The changes are permanent and include automatic increases to the standard deduction to protect families from inflation.

New Report: Third-Party Litigation Financing Is Undermining Affordability Nationwide

Analysis shows higher prices, lost income, and lost tax revenue tied to exploitative lawsuit investment practices

(Baton Rouge, LA) – Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) recently released a new report detailing how third-party litigation financing (TPLF) is driving up costs for American consumers and families at a time when affordability remains a top concern across the country.

The report, The Impact of Third-Party Litigation Funding on U.S. Business Activity and Consumers, prepared by The Perryman Group, examines how outside foreign and sovereign entities that are financing lawsuits in exchange for a share of the payout are distorting the civil justice system and passing exorbitant costs onto households through inflated prices and reduced economic growth.

This highly unregulated and purposefully opaque practice turns America’s courtrooms into casinos that are open for business to investors at the expense of American citizens and businesses. Adding insult to injury, foreign investors can often avoid paying taxes on their profits.

“When undisclosed investors bankroll lawsuits for profit, the costs are not limited to the courtroom. Louisianans are facing these consequences through increased prices for goods and services, job losses, and reduced purchasing power. With little oversight, TPLF also lends itself to concerns regarding conflicts of interest, since we do not know who is actually controlling the litigation,” said Rep. Emily Chenevert (R-Baton Rouge). “I have filed HB240 in the upcoming session that will limit recovery under TPLF agreements and provide more disclosure around these agreements,” she added.

“Rep. Chenevert has led the charge to address TPLF in Louisiana, which has quietly become an increasingly significant burden on our families,” said Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch Executive Director Lana Venable. “Unfortunately, legislation introduced last year to reinforce initial 2024 reforms did not make it through the process. We look forward to Rep. Chenevert’s legislation this year to increase transparency on the involvement of outside financiers and protect litigants from exploitation,” she added.

According to the report, the economic impact of third-party litigation financing is significant:

• Over $607 per household per year in lost earnings and reduced purchasing power due to higher inflation and slower economic growth

• $192.79 per person annually in direct consumer costs tied to TPLF-driven litigation inefficiencies

• More than $31 billion in added inflationary pressure across the economy, driven in part by higher insurance and liability-related costs

• Over $54 billion in lost economic output annually, weakening job growth and income gains that families rely on to keep up with rising costs

• An estimated 454,450 jobs are lost every year as businesses struggle to absorb the rising costs and uncertainty created by third-party litigation financing

• Upwards of $15 billion in annual tax receipts are lost across Federal, State, and Local Governments due to excessive TPLF litigation.

“These findings confirm what we are already feeling at the checkout counter and when paying our monthly bills,” Venable added. “TPLF fuels the wave of frivolous litigation that raises costs across the economy, leaving families with less money in their pockets and fewer opportunities to get ahead while these wealthy outside investors earn millions in tax-free profits.”

CALA released the report as part of its ongoing efforts to highlight how lawsuit abuse and predatory litigation undermine affordability, economic stability, and fairness for consumers nationwide. CALA emphasizes that while a fair civil justice system is essential, practices that inject profit-driven incentives into litigation can create ripple effects that hurt households and economic viability long after a case is filed.

About Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW)

Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW) is a high-impact watchdog group with nearly 20,000 supporters across the state dedicated to fixing Louisiana’s broken legal system through transparency, accountability, and lawsuit reform. Visit us on Facebook, Twitter and www.llaw.org.

About Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA)

Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) is a nonpartisan, grassroots movement working to end rampant lawsuit abuse across the United States. CALA advocates for common sense legal reform measures by educating the public about the devastating, real-world costs of lawsuit abuse on working families and small businesses.

About The Perryman Group (TPG)

An economic and financial analysis firm, The Perryman Group (TPG), provides clients with well-documented, carefully considered answers to even the most complex questions. For more than 30 years, The Perryman Group has met the challenges of thousands of clients through a systematic approach and a level of performance that assures a consistent standard of excellence. The firm has been involved in scores of major events shaping the economic landscape, from crucial corporate locations to landmark legislation to important regulatory policies to notable judicial decisions.

OPINION: Thankful for PBM Reform

Access to prescription drugs often determines whether people can stay healthy and independent. For years, patients had little insight into why prices kept rising or why access to certain medications suddenly changed. That’s why the passage of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform is an important and long-overdue step forward.

PBMs sit between patients, pharmacies, and insurers, influencing nearly every part of the prescription process. When decisions are made without transparency, patients pay more while PBMs continue to profit from a system few people could understand, and even fewer could challenge.

I’m grateful that Senator Cassidy, Speaker Johnson, Representative Scalise, and Representative Letlow took these concerns seriously and delivered PBM reform. For families across Louisiana who rely on daily medications to manage chronic conditions, their decisive action represents a meaningful shift toward accountability where it has long been missing.

Just as importantly, lawmakers chose to focus on reforms that address the real problem instead of proposals like Most Favored Nation pricing, which could leave patients even worse off.

With PBM reform now passed, patients can finally begin to see greater transparency and fairness at the pharmacy counter. I thank Congress for staying focused, following through, and putting patients first when it mattered most.

Ben Orlando

Sierra Club Quietly Teams With ‘Conservative’ Groups to Block Louisiana Energy Projects

President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have made increased energy production a top priority, arguing it lowers prices for consumers and creates jobs for skilled workers.

Environmental activists like the Sierra Club disagree. They oppose new oil and gas production, LNG export terminals, pipelines, and virtually any other form of fossil fuel energy infrastructure.

In the lead-up to Louisiana’s 2026 state legislative session, which kicks off next month, the Sierra Club is leading a highly coordinated legal and advocacy campaign targeting LNG terminal development, pipelines and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects, which have expanded in recent years to support the state’s growing manufacturing sector.

Read more: Sierra Club Quietly Teams With ‘Conservative’ Groups to Block Louisiana Energy Projects

Governor Landry Announces Julie Emerson as New Chief of Staff

Baton Rouge, LA — Today, Governor Jeff Landry announced that Julie Emerson will serve as his new Chief of Staff, replacing Kyle Ruckert. She will start next week. Headshot attached.

“Julie Emerson is a proven leader with a deep understanding of Louisiana’s people, our State legislature, and the work that needs to be done to move Louisiana forward,” said Governor Landry. “Her experience and commitment to conservative reform makes her the perfect person to help lead this administration as we continue fighting for a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Louisiana.”

“The last two years have produced some of the boldest reforms Louisiana has ever seen—reforms that have led us to climb in education rankings, business friendliness, and economic growth. I’m honored to have been a part of many of these reforms as a legislator, and I look forward to continuing to grow Louisiana as Governor Landry’s Chief of Staff,” said Julie Emerson.

Julie Emerson is a native of Homer, Louisiana and was raised in Carencro. First elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2015, Emerson served three terms and made history as the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Legislature. She most recently served as Chairman of the House Committee on Ways & Means, becoming the first woman to chair a finance committee in Louisiana history. A proven conservative leader, Emerson is widely respected for her commitment to fiscally responsible budgeting, lower taxes, protecting innocent life, and defending Second Amendment rights. She now brings that experience to her new role as Chief of Staff for Governor Jeff Landry.

Economic Benefits of Tort Reform - LLAW Response Statement

Statement on 2025-26 Economic Impact of Lawsuit Abuse report

BATON ROUGE, LA – The national Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) released its annual Economic Benefits of Tort Reform report and the news is only getting worse for Louisiana.

Once again, Louisiana is losing to our culture of lawsuit abuse while the trial bar continues to win big. The report reveals excessive tort litigation in Louisiana in 2024 resulting in:

• More than 45,000 jobs lost (up from nearly 40,000 last year)

• A hidden “tort tax” of more than $1,100 paid by every citizen

• More than $3.4 billion in personal income losses for residents

• Gross product (GDP) losses of $5.4 billion

• Direct costs of more than $3.7 billion

• Tax losses:

  • More than $235,000 at the local level

  • More than $281,000 at the state level

These numbers demonstrate the real losses to Louisiana’s families and businesses as unfounded lawsuits continue to proliferate across the state. These impacts are felt in everything from the rising cost of insurance to higher prices for groceries and gasoline. Louisiana’s coastal lawsuits’ recent no. 4 ranking as a Judicial Hellhole® is a glaring example of “costly costal litigation that continues to burden the state’s economy and workforce and has openly embraced the plaintiffs’ lawyers leading the charge.”

Louisiana has made some positive steps in addressing legal reform, but this momentum must continue for real, long-lasting impacts that our residents and businesses can feel in their pocketbooks. Other states like Georgia and Florida have passed sweeping reforms that work in concert to address lawsuit abuse. Louisiana must do the same or we will continue to miss economic opportunities and fall behind other, more forward-thinking states.

# # #

About Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW)

Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW) is a high-impact watchdog group with nearly 20,000 supporters across the state dedicated to fixing Louisiana’s broken legal system through transparency, accountability, and lawsuit reform. Visit us on Facebook, Twitter and www.llaw.org.

Louisiana Signs Its Largest Set of BEAD Agreements by Coverage to Date, Moving 75K+ Locations Closer to Construction

Louisiana has signed its next round of grant agreements with providers through BEAD’s Benefit of the Bargain initiative, marking the state’s largest set to date by number of locations covered.

The new agreements build on last month’s announcement that Louisiana was the first state in the country to sign BEAD grant agreements with internet service providers. This latest round covers 76,045 locations statewide and will be delivered by a mix of local and national providers: Cajun Broadband, Conexon, REV and Swyft Fiber.

These agreements build on Louisiana’s ongoing progress expanding broadband access across the state. Currently, 93% of Louisiana households and businesses are served, and the state remains on pace to achieve statewide high-speed internet access by 2028, two years ahead of the federal 2030 goal.

In November, Louisiana became the first state in the nation to receive federal approval of its final Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) proposal, clearing the way to deploy $1.36 billion in federal broadband funding. That approval positioned Louisiana to move quickly from planning to execution and begin delivering BEAD-funded projects on the ground.

These projects are expected to break ground in the coming weeks as Louisiana continues working to close the digital divide and expand high-speed internet access statewide.

Learn more about the GUMBO 2.0 program

The Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity (ConnectLA) leads the state’s efforts to expand high-speed internet access and close the digital divide. Housed within the Louisiana Division of Administration, ConnectLA works across federal, state and local partners to identify and implement strategies that ensure every resident can benefit from reliable broadband connectivity.

The Shadow War on Blake Miguez: Fake Grassroots Group Turns on Its Own

Blake Miguez is publicly praised as a conservative standard-bearer by the same group now funding attacks against him.

For years, we have watched a strange and increasingly destructive phenomenon take hold inside Louisiana’s political landscape: a small but noisy faction that claims to be “more Republican than the Republican Party” consistently spends all of its time and energy attacking Conservative Republicans. During the Jesse Regan vs. Brach Myers special election, this behavior became impossible to ignore. By all accounts, Regan had already secured the bulk of the district’s conservative support, yet his campaign failed when he succumbed to the temptation to resort to deception.

Citizens for a New Louisiana was pressed into the uncomfortable role of umpire because the truth mattered more than anyone’s feelings. That’s what our readers and supporters have come to expect from us. It was unpleasant, but it gave the public a clearer view of the methods involved.

The same tactics and methods were also spotted in the Julie Quinn vs. Jean-Paul Coussan race for the Public Service Commission. Although we didn’t identify anything that rose to the level of knowingly false, outrage over Carbon Capture was the primary driving force. I actually had a short conversation with Quinn at the time about her proximity to actors who use manufactured outrage as their primary campaign tactic. The idea that someone can win an election based on smashing their same-party opponent has rarely ended well in Louisiana politics. Well, Quinn didn’t listen, and the rest is history.

Read more: The Shadow War on Blake Miguez: Fake Grassroots Group Turns on Its Own

Governor Jeff Landry's Board of Regents Chair, Trump Delegate, & Conservative Leader Misti Cordell Announces for Congress

With Congresswoman Julia Letlow's Senate candidacy, conservative leader, Governor Landry Board of Regents Chair, and two-time Trump Delegate, Misti Cordell is running for Congress.

She will represent Louisiana's 5th district - from the neighborhoods of Baton Rouge to the farms and small towns of Northeast Louisiana.

"It is a critical time for our country. President Trump is under constant attack by the extreme left," said Cordell.

Radical voices in Washington are pushing policies that undermine our values, our economy, and our families. We need strong Republicans who will stand up for common sense, defend America-First principles, and fight back. We need leaders from the real world, not more career politicians," said Cordell.

"As a Republican Leader and small business owner, I believe now is the time to step forward," Cordell added. 

Cordell currently serves as Chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents, appointed by Governor Jeff Landry at the beginning of his administration to reform Louisiana's higher education system.

Under her leadership, the Board has focused on fiscal responsibility, strengthening job and career training, prioritizing core academic disciplines, and pushing back against woke extremism that has infiltrated America's campuses.

A Trump Delegate to the 2020 and 2024 Republican National Conventions, Cordell has spent years as a conservative leader.

She serves on the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee and has held executive roles in multiple parish and local conservative and Republican organizations.

Unlike the career politicians considering this race, Cordell  spent her adulthood raising a family, growing a business, and serving her community - giving her real-world experience, not empty rhetoric. As a mother and businesswoman, she understands firsthand the pressures families face from rising healthcare costs, failing schools, inflation, and over-taxation.

Cordell is the owner and operator of COR Consulting, a healthcare consulting firm that is a voice for independent physicians and an advocate for rural healthcare. Her work in healthcare administration and community-based solutions gives her deep insight into expanding access and lowering costs, especially for rural families losing critical medical services.

During Governor Jeff Landry's tenure as Attorney General, Cordell served as an official representative of his administration, ensuring senior citizens and families across Louisiana could access assistance. She also served on Governor Landry's Health and Hospitals Transition Team.

A proud wife and mother of two sons, Cordell has devoted years to education initiatives and community service. She has volunteered and led charitable efforts supporting veterans, senior citizens, small business job creators, students, and
pro-life causes.

She is the granddaughter of a World War II veteran who stormed the beaches of Normandy and the daughter of an Army Veteran, a legacy of service that continues to guide her commitment to faith, family, and freedom.

In addition to her professional experience, Cordell's understanding of Louisiana's economy is further bolstered by her husband's leadership in a longtime family business servicing the state's agricultural and energy sectors.

As Louisiana's next Member of Congress, Cordell will focus on defending President Trump from partisan impeachment attacks, cutting taxes, eliminating wasteful spending, securing the border, protecting the right to life, defending the Second Amendment, restoring parental rights in education, protecting women's sports and Title IX, rebuilding infrastructure, expanding broadband access, and fighting for farmers and small businesses across both urban and rural Louisiana.

"Our district feeds America and fuels Louisiana's economy," Cordell said. "Our farms, our infrastructure, and our working families - whether in Baton Rouge neighborhoods or rural Northeast Louisiana - need a strong voice. We need roads and bridges rebuilt, broadband expanded, doctors kept in our communities, and jobs brought home," said Cordell.

"We need to fight back against the woke extremism of the far left. That's what I will do in Congress," said Louisiana leader Misti Cordell. 

Kennedy, Cassidy, Higgins to Secretary of War Hegseth: Invest in Louisiana shipyards

“South Louisiana’s shipbuilding workforce is deep, experienced, and generational—comprised of welders, fitters, naval architects, engineers, electricians, machinists, and other skilled tradesmen.”

WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) urged U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to give serious consideration to Louisiana’s shipyards, among the best in the country, as the Department of War seeks to bolster our nation’s shipbuilding capacity.

“We write to encourage the Department of War to give deliberate and sustained consideration to small and mid-sized domestic shipyards, including those in South Louisiana, when awarding shipbuilding, repair, modernization, and sustainment contracts, as the Department works to restore America’s shipbuilding capacity and strengthen the nation’s defense industrial base,” the lawmakers began their letter to Hegseth.

“Louisiana’s small and mid-sized shipyards already operate in a manner consistent with the Department’s stated aim to prioritize speed, innovation, and a ‘commercial-first’ mindset in defense acquisition. . . . That operating model enables them to adapt quickly to evolving requirements, integrate new technologies, and deliver complex vessels at pace—capabilities that directly support the Department’s effort to modernize procurement and strengthen the defense industrial base,” they continued.

“Equally important, these yards anchor a strong and sustained maritime workforce. South Louisiana’s shipbuilding workforce is deep, experienced, and generational—comprised of welders, fitters, naval architects, engineers, electricians, machinists, and other skilled tradesmen. Investing in stable, long-term contract opportunities helps grow this workforce, preserves productive careers, and ensures capacity to deliver for warfighters today and in the decades to come,” the legislators added.

“We appreciate the Department’s leadership on these issues and welcome continued engagement on how best to ensure the full American shipbuilding industrial base is positioned to support national defense,” the Louisiana Republicans concluded.

Background:

• In June 2025, Kennedy questioned then-Acting Chief of Naval Operations James W. Kilby on China’s rapid shipbuilding pace and the United States’ failure to keep up, observing that “we’ve retired more [ships] than we’ve built” in 20 years.

• Kennedy also highlighted the critical role that private American shipyards, including those in Louisiana, should play as the U.S. military works to catch up and surpass China.

View Kennedy, Cassidy and Higgins’ full letter here.

Gov. Landry Visits with Leaders on Severe Winter Weather

Yesterday, Governor Landry visited with local leaders in Ouachita Parish about the severe winter weather. He then flew over East and West Carroll Parish and ended with a stop in Richland Parish to speak with local leaders, again, on the winter weather. 

ICYMI: Kennedy in The Advocate: Cost of living is coming down, but Congress can do more

“We’re off to a great start, but Congress still has a lot of work to do to keep wages growing and return a sense of normalcy to the pocketbooks of Louisianians.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Advocate explaining how Congress is working to bring down the cost of living for American families. 

Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:

“It’s a new year, but many Louisianians are still missing the old prices that they were paying before President Joe Biden took office.

“The Biden administration’s bad policies drove up prices by 21% in just four years. In turn, the average Louisiana household had to spend an additional $28,426 to cover the cost of inflation over the course of Biden’s four years in office.

“It’s a mess, but Republicans in Washington have already begun to clean it up.”

. . .

“We’re off to a great start, but Congress still has a lot of work to do to keep wages growing and return a sense of normalcy to the pocketbooks of Louisianians. We need to address our broken health care system, bolster our immigration policies, reform our burdensome regulatory state and address the soaring price of housing.

“To do any of this, though, we need 60 votes in the Senate. You don’t have to be a senior at Caltech to know that most of my Democratic colleagues hate President Trump. They’ll never cast a vote to help the Republican agenda, and that’s their right.

“The only way around the 60-vote requirement is to use the 1974 Congressional Budget Act’s reconciliation process. This procedure allows us to pass legislation with 51 votes — just like we did with the One Big Beautiful Bill.”

. . .

“Prices may not soon return to where they were before President Biden destroyed the cost of living in America, but the right policies can ensure that Louisianians have the income they need to breathe easy in this new year.”

Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.  

Gov. Landry Announces Nearly $1 Billion In Savings