Cajun Conservatism
I regularly visit Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, the largest maximum-security prison in the United States. We deliver Congressional representation to the children of God who are incarcerated there.
As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let us not forget that Redemption is a journey. What we give to our fellow Man, we can expect from our Lord God. It is an honor to serve as your Congressman. Becca and I wish you a blessed Christmas.
Clay Higgins - LA (03)
“Right now, over in the United States Department of Treasury, there are 100 million unredeemed savings bonds—money that belongs to the American people—and it’s no longer earning interest.”
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor about his efforts to help Americans claim the money that the federal government may owe them through mature, unclaimed savings bonds. Kennedy also outlined the steps that state treasurers should take to reunite Americans with their money.
Key speech excerpts are below.
“Mr. President, I've learned a few things in life. I want to mention two: number one, money does not buy happiness; number two, poverty does not buy a damn thing. And that's the theme of my few minutes as I talk today. This is about people's money, and it has to do with unredeemed, uncashed savings bonds.”
. . .
“Here’s what I’m driving at: Right now, over in the United States Department of Treasury, there are 100 million unredeemed savings bonds—money that belongs to the American people—and it’s no longer earning interest . . . [T]he money’s just sitting there, and the federal government’s using it, and they’re not paying people interest.”
“The total amount of these unredeemed savings bonds: $36.27 billion. And that $36 billion has been there a long, long time, because people have either died or they’ve forgotten that they have these unredeemed savings bonds.”
. . .
“[B]ack in 2023, I introduced a bill which actually passed . . . that said to the federal government, specifically the United States Department of Treasury, ‘You’ve got to give this money back.’ . . . Why are you just sitting on this $36 billion?”
. . .
“And they said, ‘Kennedy, you don’t understand. First of all, . . . the records are not digitized . . . and it’s just a lot of trouble.’ And I said, ‘Well, I feel your pain, but you still ought to return the money to people. So, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to introduce a bill’—and I did, and I passed it—‘[that provides] money for the U.S. Department of Treasury to digitize those records . . . and put them in a database so they can be easily searched.’ And the U.S. Department of Treasury has done that, and I want to thank them.”
. . .
“We are ready to turn the names and addresses and serial numbers over to the treasurer of every state—in Louisiana, in West Virginia, in every other state . . . so they can contact people in their state and say, ‘The federal government has your money, and we want to get it back to you.’”
. . .
“[W]e’re almost home. What now we have to do is get the state treasurers to sign an agreement with the U.S. Department of Treasury to cooperate, and Treasury will send them the names, and we can start returning this money to people.
“And I’m going to be sending another letter out, in short order, to all the state treasurers asking them to go ahead and sign that user agreement with the Treasury Department so we can start getting this money back to people.
“It’s free money . . . If I can just get our state treasurers to turn in these user agreements . . . you may not get a check for Christmas, but if you hurry up, you can get a check in January or February, so you can pay some bills.”
Background:
Kennedy authored the Unclaimed Savings Bond Act of 2021, which was signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
Kennedy’s law requires the U.S. Treasury to share information about the original owners of unclaimed savings bonds with officials in every state. This allows state treasurers to add information about mature, unredeemed savings bonds to their state’s unclaimed property program, enabling more Americans to locate and claim their missing investments.
In November 2025, Kennedy sent this letter to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators and the National Association of State Treasurers, emphasizing, “It is imperative that all states enter into this User Agreement so Americans throughout the United States are efficiently reunited with their matured unredeemed debt to which they are entitled.”
Kennedy managed Louisiana’s unclaimed property program for 17 years while serving as state treasurer. During this time, Kennedy reunited Louisianians with roughly $400 million in their unclaimed property.
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
“These brave Louisiana National Guard members deserve our thanks and support—not abuse from whack jobs.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today met and voiced his support for members of the Louisiana National Guard who were verbally abused by a protester as they patrolled Washington, D.C. “These brave Louisiana National Guard members deserve our thanks and support—not abuse from whack jobs. I was honored to speak to them at my office today. They make Louisiana proud,” said Kennedy. On December 10, video surfaced of an activist hurling insults toward five members of the Louisiana National Guard and a bystander near Union Station in Washington, D.C. The disturbed individual followed and repeatedly berated the men and women in uniform, calling one Guardsman “a piece of f***ing sh*t” and falsely claiming he “never did a damn thing for the country.” The Louisiana National Guard members maintained their composure and stood tall in the face of the man’s harassment.
On December 11, Kennedy responded to the video, writing on X, “In real America, we don’t tolerate crazed nutjobs who treat our men and women in uniform like garbage . . . They’re always welcome to warm up and enjoy a moment of peace and quiet in my office.”
These Louisiana National Guard members today joined Kennedy at his office, who thanked them for their service and hard work to keep Washington, D.C., safe.
Roughly 450,000 Louisianans, enough to fill Tiger Stadium more than four times, have received access in just two years.
Gov. Jeff Landry announced today that Louisiana is significantly ahead of schedule in its effort to provide high-speed internet access to every Louisiana resident.
Since the beginning of the Landry Administration, more than 150,000 additional households, small businesses, and community organizations have received access. This growth has been achieved through private investment and federal funds put to work by Louisiana’s internet service providers, with most new service delivered through fiber.
“When I took office, about 83% of our state had access to high-speed internet. Today we’re approaching 93%. That’s nearly 450,000 people, more than four Tiger Stadiums full, who now have the tools they need to work, learn, and compete. We got here by listening to residents, focusing on results, and keeping the work moving, and we’re going to keep pushing until every family in this state has the same kind of reliable access.”
Gov. Jeff Landry
Louisiana’s broadband progress has earned significant national attention. The state became the first in the country to receive full federal approval of its BEAD plan and now ranks among the top 10 states for the percentage of households receiving fiber connectivity through BEAD, as well as the cost efficiencies achieved under the GUMBO 2.0 program. In total, Louisiana identified more than $800 million in savings, with federal guidance on their use expected by March 2026.
“This work is delivering real value to taxpayers. We are stretching every dollar and moving faster than Washington ever expected.”
Gov. Jeff Landry
Over the past several weeks, representatives from the governor’s office and ConnectLA have joined local leaders and internet providers to celebrate completed broadband projects in Vernon, Vermilion, and Acadia parishes, where Gumbo 1.0 investments have provided access to thousands of homes and hundreds of small businesses. More ribbon cuttings are planned for completed projects in Allen, Grant, LaSalle, Avoyelles, and other parishes, along with groundbreaking ceremonies for new construction made possible through federal BEAD funding.
Early 2026 is expected to bring the most significant broadband construction activity Louisiana has ever undertaken. Projects entering the ground phase will connect more than 127,000 new households and bring service to another 30,000 households through the completion of GUMBO 1.0 work already underway.
“These wins show up in real places, not spreadsheets. They’re the farms, the classrooms, and the small businesses that finally have the infrastructure they’ve waited on for years. With this momentum, Louisiana is on pace to reach full high-speed internet access in 2028, if not sooner. That’s two years at minimum before the federal goal. And we’re not slowing down.”
Veneeth Iyengar
Executive Director of ConnectLA
“To my Senate colleagues: Please, with sugar on top, do not waste this opportunity.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, penned this op-ed in the New York Post urging congressional Republicans to use their two remaining reconciliation bills to address cost-of-living issues in America.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“The One Big Beautiful Bill stands alone as the 119th Congress’ most extraordinary piece of legislation — but it doesn’t have to.
“Under the Senate’s rules, congressional Republicans can use the reconciliation process to pass two more big, beautiful bills with a simple majority vote. And we would be fools to let this opportunity pass us by.
“Here’s the reality: Most of my Democratic colleagues would rather bathe with their toasters than support any part of President Donald Trump’s agenda. If Trump endorsed breathing to live, they’d hold their breath.
“They can’t stand the president, and that’s their right — but this hyper-partisanship makes it nearly impossible to gather the 60 votes needed in the Senate to pass most legislation. With the 1974 Budget Control Act’s reconciliation process, however, the Senate under certain circumstances can pass major legislation with just 51 votes.”
. . .
“It would be legislative malpractice to squander these two remaining reconciliation bills.
“The midterm clock is ticking, and the Republican majority in the House has never been more fragile. To my Senate colleagues: Please, with
Read Kennedy’s op-ed here.
“With war continuing to rage in Ukraine, chaos in the Middle East, and Communist China gearing up for the long haul, the United States cannot afford weakness, distraction, or social experiments in our military. America needs a military that’s lethal, focused, and respected – not woke and watered down. The FY26 NDAA gets us back on track by strengthening our warfighting edge, gutting the woke nonsense infecting our ranks, and delivering real, concrete wins for Louisiana that help keep our country strong and safe.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, a critical bill that rebuilds America’s military might, backs our men and women in uniform, and delivers major wins for Louisiana’s military community. The bill also includes Kennedy’s Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act, which shuts down loopholes that let foreign executives game U.S. markets while American investors pay a heavy price. The U.S. Senate passed the annual defense authorization bill by 77-20.
“With war continuing to rage in Ukraine, chaos in the Middle East, and Communist China gearing up for the long haul, the United States cannot afford weakness, distraction, or social experiments in our military. America needs a military that’s lethal, focused, and respected – not woke and watered down. The FY26 NDAA gets us back on track by strengthening our warfighting edge, gutting the woke nonsense infecting our ranks, and delivering real, concrete wins for Louisiana that help keep our country strong and safe.
“I’m proud that my Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act is becoming law. For years, foreign executives exploited loopholes to rip off American investors and walk away clean. Those days are over. The FY26 NDAA puts American security, our nation’s heroes, and American taxpayers first. President Trump should sign it without hesitation,” said Kennedy.
Key Louisiana wins in the FY26 NDAA:
Barksdale Air Force Base
Weapons Generation Facility Dormitory ($18 million)
Funds a new dormitory to support the $275 million Weapons Generation Facility currently under construction – critical infrastructure for mission readiness.
Child Development Center in Bossier Parish ($2.2 million)
Starts the replacement of a deteriorating, outdated facility with a modern 13-room expansion that supports our military families.
U.S. Air Force B-52 Program Modernization ($931 million)
Ensures the B-52 continues to serve as the backbone of the U.S. Air Force’s bomber force and nuclear deterrent well into the future.
U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command
Codifying Air Force Global Strike Command
Establishes the U.S. Air Force’s Global Strike Command, located at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana, as a Major Air Force Command, cementing Louisiana’s central role in America’s nuclear deterrence mission.
Joint Reserve Base (JRB) New Orleans (Belle Chasse)
F/A-18 Super Hornet Fighter Jets
The FY26 NDAA requires at least eight F/A-18 Super Hornet tactical fighter aircraft to be assigned to the U.S. Navy Reserve at JRB New Orleans.
Military Medical Readiness
Military-Civilian Medical Surge Program
The FY26 NDAA would make permanent the National Disaster Medical System pilot program, which is a military-civilian medical surge program. This program will leverage the new campus of LSU-Health Shreveport (LSUHS) to support military medical facilities and surge capacity in times of need.
Kennedy’s Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act
Once Kennedy’s Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act becomes law, foreign executives will be held to the same insider-trading reporting requirements as American executives. A gap in current law has allowed for insider trading abroad at the expense of everyday American investors.
Kennedy’s bill provides regulatory parity by requiring executives of public companies based outside the United States to make electronic disclosures of trades in their company’s stocks to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) within two business days.
The SEC would then make that information public, as it currently does with U.S.-based firms.
In addition to these major Louisiana wins and Kennedy’s Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act, the FY26 NDAA rebuilds America’s warfighting edge, ends wokeness in the military, secures the border, and improves quality of life for our servicemembers.
FY26 NDAA Highlights:
Delivers a 3.8% pay raise for servicemembers and improves benefits for military families.
Authorizes $1 billion to fight drug trafficking, including Department of War support for counternarcotics operations, and $216 million for the National Guard Counter Drug programs.
Eliminates and bans DEI offices, trainings, activities, and woke mandates in our military and restores a warrior ethos.
Fully supports President Trump’s top defense priorities, including Golden Dome missile defense, F-47 fighter aircraft, new submarines, warships, and autonomous systems.
Rebuilds the defense industrial base and strengthens America’s shipbuilding capacity.
Fully funds border security support from the Department of War and the National Guard.
Authorizes $1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative and expands its uses to deter Communist China.
Strengthens America’s counter-terrorism tools to deter China in the Indo-Pacific and demands greater burden sharing from our allies for collective defense.
Bottom Line:
The FY26 NDAA restores American strength, backs our men and women in uniform, and delivers serious results for Louisiana.
By Staff @ Louisiana Policy Review
President Donald Trump has taken a bold step to strengthen retirement security for millions of Americans by signing an executive order that opens 401(k) plans to private equity and private credit investments.
For too long, only wealthy investors and public pension systems have had access to the strongest-performing asset classes in the market. Meanwhile, ordinary workers with 401(k) plans have been limited to a shrinking pool of public stocks and bonds. This executive action changes that dynamic, ensuring that everyday Americans have the same opportunity to grow their savings that Wall Street insiders and government pension funds have enjoyed for decades.
Louisiana’s own Senator Bill Cassidy is helping lead the charge. Cassidy, as Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, has endorsed the President’s action and urged regulators to move quickly. He and a coalition of senators have called on the Department of Labor to provide fiduciaries with safe-harbor protections and clear rules so that employers can confidently offer new investment options to workers. Cassidy has made retirement reform one of his top priorities, emphasizing that families deserve stronger tools to save and that outdated regulations should not stand in the way of progress.
The numbers make the case clear. Public pensions across the country have earned some of their best returns from private equity — with annualized results well above public markets. Private equity also fuels the economy directly, supporting millions of jobs, higher wages, and small business growth in states like Louisiana. Here at home, private equity activity supports more than 150,000 jobs and contributes $24 billion to our state’s economy.
By opening 401(k) menus to these investments, Trump and Cassidy are democratizing access and giving workers the tools to build stronger, more secure retirements. This is a matter of fairness. Public employees and wealthy investors shouldn’t be the only ones who can benefit from the growth of private markets.
With this executive order and the backing of leaders like Senator Cassidy, America is taking a major step toward leveling the playing field for savers and putting retirement security back in the hands of working families.
Read more: Trump’s Executive Order Levels the Playing Field for Retirement Savers
BATON ROUGE, La. –As announced earlier today by the American Tort Reform Foundation, Louisiana's coastal litigation has been ranked number 4 on the Judicial Hellholes List, and the state as a whole has been placed on the national watch list. While lawmakers enacted legal reforms this year, significant work remains to address Louisiana’s overly litigious climate and create a more stable, predictable environment for economic growth, while protecting the pocketbooks of hardworking residents.
The unprecedented coastal lawsuits target energy companies alleging environmental damage for federally permitted activities conducted decades ago. The eye-popping first judgment in the queue of 40-plus lawsuits was handed down earlier this year, in a nearly $745 million verdict against Chevron. These kinds of nuclear verdicts® send the wrong message to current and future investors, cementing Louisiana's reputation as one of the worst places to do business in the country. These lawsuits lack legal basis, inflict economic harm, and should not be heard in state courts, where the Louisiana trial bar exerts an outsize influence. In fact, these lawsuits are so egregious that even the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court, and a former U.S. Attorney General have weighed in to object. Louisiana’s citizens will be on the wrong side of this “lawsuit lottery” if this suit is upheld and others move forward at the state level.
It is no secret that the costs of lawsuit abuse are felt by all Louisianans. We need far-reaching comprehensive legal reforms to address the nearly 40,000 jobs lost in Louisiana and the more than $1,000 hidden lawsuit tax paid by every single resident. A set of quick fixes in one legislative session is a positive step, but Louisiana must join other states in continually adopting reforms to capitalize on economic opportunities and address consumer needs.
In a prime example of how litigation costs are passed down, the ongoing saga of staged accidents involving big trucks has expanded. In addition to multiple indictments in the Orleans area, a new scheme was uncovered in St. Martin Parish earlier this year resulting in an arrest by Louisiana State Police. This is exactly the kind of environment that drives insurance costs up and existing trucking businesses out of the state.
These are all contributing factors to the poor perception of Louisiana’s legal climate and its place as a fixture on the Judicial Hellholes® list.
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.
Read more about America Tort Reform and the Judicial Hellhole here.
A political fight is unfolding across Louisiana’s energy corridor, but it isn’t the homespun, grassroots uprising its organizers claim. Newly compiled financial records show that more than $50 million in outside money has poured into the activist network campaigning to shut down carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects across the state. Major funders include Michael Bloomberg, Jeff Bezos, George Soros, and the Arabella Advisors network, all of whom bankroll organizations dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels entirely.
The groups leading the anti-CCS push—ranging from the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice to the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Earthworks, 350.org, and Rise St. James—are heavily financed by national foundations and federal grants. Several operate through fiscal sponsors in California and Washington, D.C., enabling them to present as “local” while masking their donor base and internal finances.
And now, according to public postings and coordination materials, these national organizations are working directly with parish coalitions and landowner groups like Save My Louisiana and the Louisiana CO₂ Alliance. They share the same messaging, graphics, policy demands, and legal strategies—evidence that this isn’t an organic revolt, but a coordinated national campaign using Louisiana as its next battleground.
This network was also reflected in the recent Save My Louisiana lawsuit, which mirrors arguments historically advanced by Earthworks, Sierra Club, and the Bucket Brigade. Their broader policy agenda has already influenced Louisiana’s regulatory climate, including the moratorium on new CCS well applications—an action industry leaders warn is putting the state behind Texas at a pivotal moment.
The stakes for Louisiana’s energy economy are real. CCS is essential for securing billions in new investment, from the proposed Hyundai steel plant to the Meta AI data center, LNG facilities, and next-generation industrial projects. Losing these projects to Texas or Mississippi would mean forfeiting thousands of high-wage jobs and the state’s long-standing leadership in energy production and manufacturing.
Governor Jeff Landry—who has consistently supported responsible CCS development—didn’t mince words when asked about the activist network now influencing local coalitions.
“Leaders of Save My Louisiana have been hoodwinked by the radical left to oppose any new energy development,” Landry told POLITICO’s E&E News. “The men behind that political organization have built their entire careers on the back of the oil and gas industry. They claim to be pro-industry, but they are preventing our state from leading America's energy dominance—and threatening the Louisiana economy and way of life. Sadly, they have been manipulated into becoming the mouthpiece of the well-known anti-oil and gas financiers Mike Bloomberg and George Soros.”
Louisiana isn’t dealing with a spontaneous groundswell of concerned locals. It’s confronting a nationally funded, politically aligned operation working to shut down the very energy projects that underpin the state’s economy, workforce, and future competitiveness. And unless Louisiana reasserts control of its own energy path, those decisions will increasingly be made—not in Baton Rouge—but in the boardrooms of coastal billionaires.
The following was received in an email sent to the constituents for Rep. Clay Higgins today after his vote earlier this week against H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
This week, I've taken heat from all directions for being the lone "no" vote on H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Truth: My stance hasn't wavered since the bill was first introduced back in July. Many highly respected journalists and legal analysts have stepped forward to confirm that my vote was rooted in principle, due process, and the rule of law. I have an obligation to honor my oath to the Constitution.
As introduced, my friend Thomas Massie's "Epstein Files Bill" failed to adequately protect the identities of victims and witnesses. Further, H.R 4405 abandoned 250 years of Constitutionally-sound criminal justice procedure.
After calm review, many distinguished editorialists agree:
Legal Expert Judge Andrew Napolitano on Newsmax:
"Even though he is the only person of 535 members of Congress to oppose this, he may very well have a point."
The News-Gazette Editorial Board:
"You can say one thing about Louisiana Republican U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins: He stands on principle. 'This bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people - witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members,' he said. "This type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people getting hurt.' Higgins is right, of course. But politicians generally allow for such collateral damage when an avalanche is bearing down on them, and that's what happened here."
Washington Post Editorial Board:
"The lone congressional objector, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana), has a point when he says this indiscriminate release 'abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America' and could 'result in innocent people getting hurt."
On a farm in Gilliam, Louisiana, the final harvest is in. Corn, soybeans, cotton, and peanuts have all been cut and loaded. Now, farmer Stephen Logan is spreading cereal rye seed and planning for the next growing season. But this fall, the federal shutdown has left him — and many like him — working without a safety net.
For weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s local offices have been closed, cutting off access to conservation payments, short-term crop loans, and critical market data. “All of that is shut down,” Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain told The Advocate, noting that farmers rely on those programs to decide when to sell crops and what to plant next season.
That uncertainty is hitting at a time when Louisiana’s producers are already dealing with high input costs and low crop prices. “We’re resilient,” Logan told The Advocate, “but this is a very tough time in agriculture. The math just doesn’t work.”
Read more: Louisiana Farmers Face a Credit Crunch Fueled by Uncertainty in Both Policy and Markets
“Tomorrow, I will be bringing two bills before the Senate.”
Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) delivered the following remarks on the U.S. Senate floor:
“Tomorrow, I will be bringing two bills before the Senate. They both have to do with the shutdown and congressional pay.
“The first bill is the No Shutdown Paychecks [to Politicians] Act. The second bill is the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act.
“The first bill would provide that, as long as we’re shut down—and I’ll explain why in a moment—as long as we’re shut down, no member of Congress can be paid. And the money will not be reimbursed at a later date or repaid at a later date.
“The second bill, to address any 27th Amendment concerns, will say, ‘During a shutdown, members of Congress will not receive their pay, but their pay will be escrowed, and they will receive it after the government is opened back up.’
“Look, we’re on day 36. Like you, Mr. President, I’ve heard a lot of rumors about, ‘We’re that close to reaching an agreement.’ We’ve been that close for a week. Frankly, I hope I’m wrong in saying this, but I don’t think we’re really that close. I wish we were, and I hope we are, but I think we’re going to be in the shutdown for a while longer. It doesn’t give me any joy to say that.
“In the meantime, none of our staff are being paid. No federal employees are being paid. I got some numbers in this morning that federal workers have had to borrow $365 million so far during this 36-day shutdown in order to just pay their rent. Our military is only being paid partially. Our air traffic controllers are not being paid. People who receive SNAP payments are only being partially paid. I don’t think anybody wants to see anybody go hungry in America. And that’s not a partisan statement; I think that’s a bipartisan statement.
“There’s precedent for this, Mr. President. Some may say, ‘Well, this violates the 27th Amendment.’ I don’t think it does. That’s why I’m offering two different flavors of bills. But in 2013, President Obama did the same thing that I’m doing now. They were in a shutdown, and President Obama supported legislation that said, ‘If you don’t open the government by this certain date, then you’re going to lose your paychecks.’
“And guess what? Members of Congress had an epiphany, and they found religion. They had a Damascene moment, and they opened up the government. And that’s all this bill will do.
“I’m not trying to grandstand. I wasn’t going to bring this bill. When I got back here Monday, I heard all the rumors, like everybody else, that we were close. And I hope we are close, but we’re not close enough. So, I’ll offer these bills tomorrow, and people can vote yea, or they can vote nay, but what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
Full text of the No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act is available here.
Full text of the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act is available here.
Read more about the bills in Fox News Digital here.
Watch Kennedy’s speech here.
“I don’t see missing paychecks or empty dinner plates as leverage or bargaining chips. My bills ensure Congress feels the same pain as the folks we’re failing to pay – our troops, air traffic controllers, and federal workers. If we can’t do our jobs and fund the government, we don’t deserve a paycheck – plain and simple.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, last week introduced two critical pieces of legislation that ensure Members of Congress do not receive a paycheck until the federal government reopens following a shutdown or lapse in appropriations.
The No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act ensures that Members of Congress do not receive a paycheck during a government shutdown. Members will also not receive back pay.
The Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act (S.3057) mandates that payroll administrators for each House of Congress keep Members of Congress' paychecks in escrow accounts during a government shutdown. The funds are only disbursed at the start of the next Congress.
“I don’t see missing paychecks or empty dinner plates as leverage or bargaining chips. My bills ensure Congress feels the same pain as the folks we’re failing to pay – our troops, air traffic controllers, and federal workers. If we can’t do our jobs and fund the government, we don’t deserve a paycheck – plain and simple,” said Kennedy.
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI-1), Chairman of the U.S. Committee on House Administration, introduced the companion bill of the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“There is no reason our government should be shut down. Senate Democrats must do the right thing and vote to reopen the government. If service members, men and women of federal law enforcement, and other essential employees are working without pay during the Schumer shutdown, members of Congress should not be paid either,” said Steil.
Full text of the No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act is available here.
Full text of the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act is available here.
Read more about the bills in Fox News Digital here.
Photo source: Breitbart
The following content is sponsored by Americans for Limited Government.
At a White House press conference last month, President Donald Trump announced a breakthrough on lower drug prices and promised he would take action against European countries who haven’t been paying their fair share for the medicines Americans innovate and invent.
“That’s why my administration is also taking historic action to investigate the unfair and discriminatory trade practices of other countries that extort our pharmaceutical makers to shift costs onto the American consumer,” Trump said.
Louisiana will focus on a elderly, disabled, and children SNAP stopgap
Baton Rouge, LA –Today, Governor Jeff Landry signed an Emergency Declaration for Louisiana to help fund SNAP benefits for the elderly, disabled, and children in our State who have been abandoned by Congressional Democrats. Emergency Declaration Attached.
We should not allow our elderly, disabled, or children to go hungry because of the Washington, D.C. Democrats’ failure to reopen the federal government. Our social security net is supposed to help the most vulnerable, and we will try to accomplish this with today’s action.
"My Administration has created over 70,000 new job opportunities in Louisiana since I took office. Wages are on the rise, and our economic outlook has never looked better. This is how we move people from dependence to independence.
I urge those who are able bodied to continue to strive to get off SNAP and similar programs. Due to the Democrat’s political games these programs are not reliable.
I encourage our citizens to seek the thousands of new job opportunities across our State, and free themselves from these social programs that the Left uses as a weaponization tool to win political points,” said Governor Landry.
BATON ROUGE, LA –Today, Governor Jeff Landry issued the follow update on the Federal Government Shutdown and SNAP benefits in Louisiana.
"Notifications from LDH have been sent out stating that, because of Democrat Leader Schumer's Shutdown, SNAP beneficiaries may run out of funds by November 1. I have been in discussions with other governors across the nation, as well as with our legislative leadership. I am making it a top priority to ensure that seniors, individuals with disabilities, and children who rely on food stamps do not go hungry in Louisiana. Democrats’ political games need to end,” said Governor Landry.
“We appreciate the job you are doing to keep Americans safe here at home and write you as members of the Louisiana congressional delegation to request a briefing regarding how Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi came to reside in Lafayette, Louisiana, after entering the United States in 2024 during the Biden Administration’s dangerous open borders policy.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined a letter led by U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem seeking a briefing on the presence of Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi in Lafayette, La. Al-Muhtadi is a Gazan native who allegedly participated in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israel.
Al-Muhtadi entered the United States under false pretenses on September 12, 2024, according to the Department of Justice.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Reps. Julia Letlow (R-La.) and Clay Higgins (R-La.) also joined the letter.
“We appreciate the job you are doing to keep Americans safe here at home and write you as members of the Louisiana congressional delegation to request a briefing regarding how Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi came to reside in Lafayette, Louisiana, after entering the United States in 2024 during the Biden Administration’s dangerous open borders policy,” the lawmakers began.
“According to public reporting and Department of Justice filings, Al-Muhtadi is alleged to have participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attacks against Israel and to have entered the United States the following year after falsely concealing his affiliations on his visa application. He was later located living and working in Lafayette, Louisiana, before being taken into custody by federal authorities,” they continued.
“We would also like to be informed about any additional terrorist threats in our state due to President Biden’s dangerous and deadly immigration policies,” the members of the Louisiana delegation added.
“We appreciate your leadership at the Department and your continued commitment to keeping our communities and our nation safe. We look forward to a briefing from your team to help us understand the circumstances surrounding this individual’s entry and residence in Louisiana,” they concluded.
Read the lawmakers’ letter here.
Read more about the letter in Fox News.
President Trump’s pledge to make America the crypto capital of the world underscores the growing urgency for Congress to act. In fact, Congress now has a pivotal opportunity to strengthen America’s leadership in digital assets by advancing clear, responsible rules that promote both innovation and trust.
In recent Senate floor remarks on the crypto market structure bill, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) underscored the importance of modernizing markets the right way: “[This bill] is one of the most important pieces of legislation that this body will consider … I hope we’ll move it quickly, but I hope we’ll move deliberately.” His words should guide Congress as it seeks to provide clear rules for digital assets and the trust and confidence necessary for hardworking Louisianians to confidently participate in the next era of the stock market.
Louisiana stands to benefit from a thoughtful federal framework for digital assets. Our state has long punched above its weight in energy, petrochemicals, shipping and logistics. Similarly, we should aim to lead in financial innovation. State lawmakers voted this past year to assess how cryptocurrency, AI and blockchain can be used in public and commercial sectors. But effective leadership comes only with responsibility. Transparent markets and robust anti-fraud enforcement protect investors from falling prey to fraud, scams and other kinds of financial crimes. It’s not enough to clear the way for technological innovation; we must safeguard the people who place their trust, savings and financial futures in these markets.
Innovation and clarity must move hand in hand with accepted investor safeguards that have proven essential for traditional markets. When digital-asset platforms execute poorly, fail to safeguard customer assets or operate in the shadows, ordinary investors and lifelong savings are exposed. Moreover, if we leave investors behind, today’s innovation will morph into a financial fad.
For Louisiana, the stakes are clear. We have an opportunity to attract fintech investment, encourage digital asset infrastructure and support job growth in our state. However, we’ll only reap these benefits if lawmakers deliver an investor-first framework that fosters innovation, opportunity and market trust for all Louisianians.
In Washington’s rush to “win the crypto race,” let’s not lose sight of the people who are participating in that race: retirees, small business owners, teachers and workers here in Louisiana who deserve both opportunity and protection.
As Congress debates, I join Sen. Kennedy in urging: Let’s move quickly and let’s move deliberately.
DK Willard
Sterlington, LA
As a nurse, I see firsthand how fragile access to care can be when Washington gets drug policy wrong. Patients often assume that “price controls” will make medicine more affordable, but experience shows the opposite.
The proposed Most Favored Nation (MFN) model would tie U.S. drug prices to those set by foreign governments with socialized health systems. That might sound good on paper, but in practice it means fewer treatment options, delayed access to new therapies, and more red tape for doctors and pharmacists trying to help their patients. The countries we’d be copying routinely make patients wait months or even years for new medicines that are available here in America.
If the goal is to lower out-of-pocket costs, there’s a better path: PBM reform. Pharmacy Benefit Managers are the middlemen who decide what drugs are covered and how much patients pay. They’ve quietly become one of the biggest cost drivers in our health-care system—negotiating rebates with drugmakers, pocketing the savings, and leaving patients stuck with higher prices at the counter.
Instead of importing Europe’s price caps, Congress should focus on transparency and fairness in the PBM system—so patients, not middlemen, benefit from lower prices.
We can lower costs and protect innovation, but only if reforms reward competition, not control. Patients deserve savings that come from efficiency, not rationing.
Lu Jones, RN
Baton Rouge, LA— Today, Governor Landry issued the call to convene the Louisiana Legislature into an extraordinary session. The legislature will consider the election code, dates, deadlines, and plans for the 2026 election cycle. The special session will begin on October 23, 2025, and end no later than November 13, 2025. Call attached.
