Kennedy questions Bureau of Prisons on early release of criminals: “You don't have the slightest idea how many of them committed another crime and came back?”

“The director let 30,000 of these folks go and can't tell me today how many have come back. . . . It takes my breath away.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Colette Peters, the director of the Bureau of Prisons, about the recidivism rate associated with criminals released under the First Step Act.

Kennedy: “How many criminals have you released under the First Step Act?”

. . .

Peters: “We have about 30,000 individuals that have been released since the passage of the First Step Act.”

Kennedy: “All right, so you've released 30,000 criminals under the First Step Act, okay? . . . Before you released them, did you contact any of their victims to say, ‘We're about to let this guy out’?”

Peters: “Senator, it's my understanding that that notification happens through the U.S. Attorney's Office, but I will check into that and get back to you.”

Kennedy: “You don't know?”

Peters: “Senator, I don't.”

. . .

Kennedy: “Wow. Okay, of the 30,000 criminals you let free, how many of them have come back, have committed a crime again, hurt somebody else?”

Peters: “So, that number is one that we're still looking at as it relates to the recidivism rate for those that were released on the First Step Act.”

Kennedy: “You don't have any idea?”

Peters: “No, Senator.”

. . .

Kennedy: “So let me get this straight: The First Step Act was passed in 2018. This is 2024, am I right so far?”

Peters: “That's correct.”

Kennedy: “That's six years, and, in six years, you've let 30,000 criminals go, right?”

Peters: “That's correct.”

Kennedy: “And you don't have the slightest idea how many of them committed another crime and came back?

Peters: “I don't have that number in front of me, sir.”

Kennedy: “And you run the Bureau of Prisons?”

Peters: “That's correct.”

. . .

Kennedy: “You know, [we] were told that it would save money and it would be in the interest of public safety to release criminals from prison. I didn't vote for it, but the majority rules, and so Congress did it.

“And Ms. Peters, Director Peters at the Bureau of Prisons, and her colleagues released 30,000 criminals, all of whom are there for a reason, okay? They didn't just go to prison for a free toaster. They were there for a reason.

“And, so, her department let them go, and, after six years, we don't have the slightest idea. Not a single one of the 40,000 of her employees [knows] how many have committed a second crime and come back. So, how the hell are we supposed to figure out whether it worked?”

. . .

Kennedy: “The director let 30,000 of these folks go and can't tell me today how many have come back. . . . It takes my breath away.”

View full remarks here.

Kennedy speaks out against radical transgender activism: “We know this agenda is dangerous.”

“I am terrified that our country is mass-producing a generation of mutilated and sterilized young people because policymakers in our schools, in our cities, in our state capitals and in Washington are too afraid to stand up and say enough.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) spoke on the Senate floor against the radical medicalization of children who experience gender confusion. Kennedy explained that most children will outgrow gender confusion and condemned the activists who pressure parents into responding to often temporary gender confusion by subjecting their children to harmful drugs and surgeries.

Key excerpts from Kennedy’s remarks include: 

“Well before a child learns the difference between adjectives and verbs, activists in many government schools are teaching their pre-K students lessons on transgender pronouns—pronouns like ‘ze’ and ‘zir.’ Public libraries host ‘drag queen story time’ for children of all ages. . . . TikTok essentially functions as a how-to-transition guidebook.

“The issue of gender, Mr. President, has morphed from a topic that only involved the personal decisions of private adults into a movement—a movement that seeks to inject questions about gender and sexuality into every aspect of a child’s life with or without parental approval.”

. . .

“Many activists are comfortable allowing children to take sterilizing medications at 13 years of age, after a single appointment with a therapist—all because adults are supposed to trust children when they claim they’re a different gender.

“I’m very thankful to say that Louisiana is full of compassion and common sense, and we don’t do that. We know this agenda is dangerous, and we know it’s outrageous.”

. . .

“Sec. Hillary Clinton once famously said it takes a village to raise a child. What she meant was that it takes the federal government to raise a child. No, it doesn't.

“Kids need parents to succeed, and parents have the right to raise their children according to their values. Parents are here to protect kids from danger, from the kids’ own immaturity and from misguided government agents.”

. . .

“I am terrified that our country is mass-producing a generation of mutilated and sterilized young people because policymakers in our schools, in our cities, in our state capitals and in Washington are too afraid to stand up and say enough. . . . That’s why I was so proud of the Louisiana state legislature. The Louisiana state legislature passed HB 648. HB 648 protects Louisiana’s children and supports their parents. HB 648 makes it illegal to use puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery on children under the age of 18.”

. . .

“Nothing disturbs me, Mr. President, more than the notion that a child’s upbringing should be determined by some bureaucrat rather than the child’s parents, especially when those bureaucrats use the power of the government to maim children. It makes me want to throw up. It makes me want to reach for the sick bucket. Congress must do more to protect parents and their kids from the zealots of the transgender movement.”

Background:

• The population of transgender children in the United States nearly doubled between 2017 and 2020. In Louisiana, 13-to-17-year-olds are nearly three times more likely to say they identify as transgender than adults aged 25 to 64.

• Most young children outgrow their gender dysphoria. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, roughly 85% of children diagnosed with gender dysphoria at a young age did not remain dysphoric after adolescence.

• Many gender-confused children also suffer from mental health issues. Children who identify as transgender are up to 13 times more likely to have ADHD, depression or anxiety than non-transgender children. A study out of the United Kingdom found that 35% of the children who received gender treatment had moderate or severe autism.

• Many European countries have restricted the use of hormone treatments and surgeries on children. Most notably, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service shut down its transgender youth treatment center, the Tavistock Clinic, after an investigation revealed that the clinic had put young people “at considerable risk” of long-term mental distress.

• Still, many activists encourage parents to “affirm” their children’s gender dysphoria no matter how young their children may be. Activists also encourage parents to allow their children to receive “gender-affirming care,” including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries. These drugs and surgeries can inflict irreparable harm on children.

• Puberty blockers are hormone-based injections or implants given to children as young as 8 years old to delay the onset of puberty. Gonadotropin, the hormone used in puberty blockers, is the same hormone used to chemically castrate sex offenders. It can leave children with diminished bone density and harm their future fertility.

• Cross-sex hormones begin to transition children to appear more like the other gender. Boys take estrogen, which can cause infertility, blood clots and heart problems. Girls take testosterone, which can also cause infertility, male-pattern baldness and high blood pressure. Adults have given cross-sex hormones to children as young as 13 years old.

• Sex-reassignment surgeries, including mastectomies, phalloplasty and vaginoplasty, are largely irreversible. They can result in infertility and loss of sexual function. Activists have advocated for 15-year-old girls to access double mastectomies and 17-year-old boys to receive vaginoplasties.

• Activists claim that “gender reaffirming care” improves the mental health of children with gender confusion. However, a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that there is no significant reduction in mental health issues following hormone treatments or sex-reassignment surgeries.

• American parents have struggled to protect their children from these radical procedures. Parents in some states can lose custody of their children for refusing to abide by the transgender ideology. In Oregon, children as young as 15 years old can receive Medicaid-funded hormone treatments without their parents’ consent.

• Kennedy is a co-sponsor of the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act, a bill that would help parents defend themselves when radical bureaucrats attack them for refusing to comply with the transgender agenda. 

Read more about the Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act here.

View Kennedy’s full remarks here.

Sen. John Kennedy on Biden's Economic Policies

Any reputable economist who didn’t get his degree from Costco will tell you that Pres. Biden’s economic policies caused both inflation and shrinkflation. pic.twitter.com/TmmBfB4AhI

— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) February 28, 2024

Kennedy, Cotton challenge Biden admin’s plan to collect American investors’ personal data with amicus brief

“This unconstitutional plan jeopardizes investors’ data and requires them to pay higher fees. The appeals court should stop it before bad actors exploit the CAT to take advantage of Americans.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking and Judiciary Committees, joined Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and 20 other colleagues in filing an amicus brief in American Securities Association v. SEC, a case in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT).

The SEC’s CAT will collect all customer and order information for equity securities and listed options, including data that might be considered personally identifiable information.

Congress did not authorize the CAT, which leaves investors to pay higher costs for the program while it puts personal information, such as social security numbers and birth dates, at risk of being hacked.

“More than 158 million Americans invest their hard-earned savings in the stock market, and they trust that their personal information is secure. Despite concerns about recent cyberattacks at federal agencies, the Biden administration is moving forward with its Consolidated Audit Trail—without Congressional authorization. This unconstitutional plan jeopardizes investors’ data and requires them to pay higher fees. The appeals court should stop it before bad actors exploit the CAT to take advantage of Americans,” said Kennedy.

“The SEC never brought this proposal before Congress to request funds because the Biden administration knows the program is a gross overreach that would suck up the personal data of millions of law-abiding Americans. More than that, the SEC has shown it is incapable of safely storing sensitive data. This program needs to be killed before it begins,” said Cotton.

Background:

• In Nov. 2023, Kennedy penned an op-ed highlighting concerns regarding the SEC’s move to store investors’ personally identifiable information through the CAT.

• In July 2023, Kennedy introduced the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act to protect information that could reveal the identity of American investors.

Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) signed the brief along with 12 members of the House of Representatives.

The amicus brief is available here.

Kennedy denounces Biden administration’s attack on LNG: “President Biden is committing energy suicide”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), the ranking member of the Energy and Water Subcommittee on Appropriations, today spoke on the Senate floor to condemn the Biden administration’s pause on new and pending permits for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports. 

Kennedy detailed several Biden administration policies that have harmed America’s energy independence and argued that President Joe Biden’s hostility toward America’s domestic energy sector will hurt the U.S. economy, jeopardize national security and make life more expensive for Louisianians.  

Key excerpts from Kennedy’s remarks include:

“President Biden is committing energy suicide for America. Regrettably—and I mean that—regrettably, too many times in the past three years and on too many issues, we have seen President Biden act as a sock puppet for a faction of neo-socialist Americans who don't like our country, who think our country was wicked when it was founded and that it’s even more wicked today.

“This faction, which President Biden has supported far too often, thinks our country must be torn down and rebuilt, and, of course, they want to be the ones to rebuild it. Now this faction turned its sights, with the help of President Biden, on America’s hard-fought energy independence. President Biden just aided this faction in destroying America’s energy independence and committing energy suicide by declaring a moratorium on new gas terminals in America.

“Apparently, President Biden’s new policy is to give up our own oil and gas and buy the energy that we need from countries that hate us so they will have more money to buy weapons to try to kill us. Stupidity, Mr. President, stupidity should hurt more. I realize you can’t fix stupid, but you can vote it out.”

. . .

“Energy independence is America’s jackpot lottery ticket. Now, we’ve worked hard for it, but it’s our jackpot lottery ticket, but, for some reason, President Biden wants to light our winning numbers on fire.

“He is committing energy suicide. Did I mention that? At every turn, the Biden administration has taken steps to make it more difficult, more expensive and sometimes flat-out impossible to produce, transport and sell the energy products that we need to power America. These foolish policies—the latest of which is a moratorium on LNG—these foolish policies are killing American jobs. They’re killing American jobs, they’re driving up energy prices, they’re jeopardizing our national security and it needs to stop, Mr. President.”

. . .

“Liquified natural gas—it’s not complicated, America helped invent it. You just take natural gas—which is in its gaseous forms—and you cool it, turn it into a liquid, put it on a ship and you can send it all over the world. That’s how we kept Europe open after Putin cut off its oil and natural gas. It was a lifeline for our allies in Europe. It’s a lifeline for many of our friends in west Asia, and President Biden, before this moratorium, he promised our allies in Europe that they could rely on the United States for their LNG needs.

“Now, President Biden has chosen to stab America’s LNG producers and our allies in the back—not in the front, in the back—by prohibiting new LNG export terminals. This decision is going to kill dozens of multi-billion-dollar new terminal projects, including a project in Louisiana that we call Calcasieu Pass 2. . . . It would have brought thousands of good jobs to Louisiana and to America. It would have produced the energy to keep this country safe, to keep this country warm and to help our friends, but President Biden has put all those jobs and the terminal itself in jeopardy. Why? Politics. To appease that neo-socialist faction that I talked about that don’t even like our country.”

. . .

“Energy independence keeps America safe. It keeps America strong. It keeps America prosperous. . . . Louisianians do not want to rely upon the whims of our adversaries to keep our country running.

“We cannot let President Biden commit energy suicide to appease the radical left in the loon wing of his party. So, I ask my colleagues, Mr. President, to join me in pushing back against President Biden’s anti-energy agenda and his moratorium on liquified natural gas.”

Read Kennedy’s recent Wall Street Journal op-ed on LNG here.

View Kennedy’s full remarks here. 

Kennedy, Scott introduce bill to unlock U.S. LNG potential, buck Biden halt on exports

“Louisiana and many other states rely on the clean energy that LNG provides. We can’t allow the president’s Department of Energy to further jeopardize economic and geopolitical stability with its disastrous permitting pauses.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in introducing the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act to allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve or deny applications for the siting, construction, expansion or operation of facilities to export or import liquified natural gas (LNG).

Under current law, the Department of Energy (DOE) has the authority to approve or deny LNG exports, yet, under the Biden administration, the department is politicizing American energy production.

“At every turn, the Biden administration yields to the demands of radical climate extremists—and it is putting America’s jobs and national security at risk. Louisiana and many other states rely on the clean energy that LNG provides. We can’t allow the president’s Department of Energy to further jeopardize economic and geopolitical stability with its disastrous permitting pauses,” said Kennedy.

“President Biden’s move to halt American energy exports is pure politics. In fact, exporting U.S. natural gas would actually lower global emissions. President Biden is dead set on bowing to the far-left and making the U.S. and our allies more reliant on foreign adversaries like Russia. Instead, I’m fighting to unleash America’s abundant natural resources, bolster our energy independence and safeguard our national security,” said Scott.

Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) also cosponsored the legislation.

Background:

• On Jan. 30, Kennedy vowed to block President Biden’s nominees to the State Department and the Department of Energy until the administration stops its hostility towards LNG production.

• On Jan. 30, Kennedy and colleagues urged the administration to reverse its decision to pause permitting for LNG export facilities in the U.S., citing a threat to the industry. Louisiana's Calcasieu Pass 2 project is among the 17 proposed LNG terminals Biden's decision froze.

• On Jan. 18, prior to the Biden administration's decision to halt permitting for LNG export facilities, Kennedy warned DOE Secretary Jennifer Graham about the burdensome permitting process. 

• In April 2021, Kennedy wrote an op-ed outlining how Louisiana’s energy production could help meet the world’s demand for LNG.

Full text of the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act is available here.

Kennedy on Risk Rating 2.0: “FEMA lied”

“In my state, here's what the premiums have done: They said, ‘A lot of [your] people, Kennedy, they'll see it decreases.’ Terrebonne County . . . 305% increase. Another parish: 321%. Plaquemines Parish: 540%. FEMA lied.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today spoke in the Senate Banking Committee about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Risk Rating 2.0 program, which has dramatically raised flood insurance premiums for Louisianians.

Of the 5 million Americans who rely on the NFIP to protect their businesses and homes, roughly 500,000 are Louisianians.

Key excerpts from the senator’s remarks are below.

“[FEMA] lied. They said a million people of the 5 million people will see their rates go down. I haven't talked to a single person who's seen their rates go down. This is just an excuse to raise premiums, and they don't care. The whole purpose of the National Flood Insurance Program is to provide a product that people can afford.”

“In my state, here's what the premiums have done: They said, ‘A lot of [your] people, Kennedy, they'll see it decreases.’ Terrebonne County—we call our counties ‘parishes’—305% increase. Another parish: 321%. Plaquemines Parish: 540%. FEMA lied, and they're not going to do any better.”

“Right now, FEMA can raise the premiums 18% every single year, and they’re going to keep doing it because they don't care. They lied to the American people and my people, and they ought to hide their heads in a bag.”

In June 2023, Kennedy helped introduce the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act to reauthorize the NFIP for five years and cap annual policy premium hikes at 9%.

Background: 

• On Sept. 28, 2023 the Senate blocked Kennedy’s second attempt at passing his NFIP Extension Act of 2023 on the Senate floor. 

• On Sept. 13, 2023 the Senate blocked Kennedy’s NFIP Extension Act of 2023 from passing on the Senate floor. 

• In July 2023, Kennedy first introduced the NFIP Extension Act of 2023 to ensure that the program would not lapse on its expiration date. 

• In 2019, Kennedy’s National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2019 became law. 

• In 2018, Kennedy’s first National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act became law. 

• In addition, Kennedy has helped ensure that multiple continuing resolutions to fund the federal government have included an extension of the NFIP.

View Kennedy’s full remarks here.

Kennedy warns DOE Secretary Granholm that new rules will crush U.S. natural gas industry

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Ranking member of the Senate Energy and Water Subcommittee on Appropriations, today sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, urging the department to not limit U.S. exports of liquified natural gas (LNG) through enforcing unnecessary burdens in the permitting process.

“. . . the Department of Energy, through new guidelines and rulemakings, will crush a burgeoning U.S. industry that employs tens of thousands of Americans, provides cheap and reliable energy to millions, and is a vital instrument in weening the world off of dirty Russian energy,” the senator wrote.

Kennedy raised concerns that any attempt by the Biden administration to implement additional rulemaking in the permitting process would arbitrarily limit the country’s ability to utilize natural gas resources and that such actions would be a mistake. 

“The U.S. has a natural gas resource base that conservatively stands at close to 4,000 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. Let's put that resource to its best use to maintain our energy independence, to help our allies, to reduce emissions and to create good-paying jobs—instead of needlessly sidelining it,” Kennedy concluded.

Background:

• Louisiana’s LNG export terminals account for 63% of all U.S. LNG exports.

• The LNG industry employs 18,000 people in Louisiana.

• LNG contributes $4.4 billion to Louisiana’s economy.

The full letter is available here.

Please see Fox digital’s story featuring Kennedy’s reaction here and attached: Biden reportedly jams brakes on massive energy projects over climate impacts

Kennedy explains how Biden’s open border helps cartels and terrorists: “This is insanity.”

“Today, President Joe Biden’s failed border policies have wreaked havoc in every single corner of the United States, including Louisiana.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor, warning the Biden administration that terrorists, cartel members and sex offenders are exploiting the chaos at the border to enter our country illegally.

Kennedy urged President Biden to work with conservatives to secure the border and address this ongoing national security threat. 

Key comments from Kennedy include:

“You can cut the irony with a knife. After years of presenting themselves as ‘sanctuary cities,’ officials—many of them well intentioned—throughout the country learned in 2023 that the crisis at our border is not just a problem for southern states like Texas, Arizona and even my state. It’s an American crisis. Today, President Joe Biden’s failed border policies have wreaked havoc in every single corner of the United States, including Louisiana.

“According to one estimate, and it’s not the only estimate, but I think this is a very telling estimate—Louisianians pay an additional $4,613 an illegal migrant—that’s about $604 million per year—in state taxes because of illegal immigration. . . . That’s happening at a time when Louisiana families are also having to come out of pocket with an extra $800 per month to deal with inflation.”

. . .

“President Biden’s border policies are not just a human rights disaster, though they certainly are. But his policies have also provided the perfect cover for terrorist sympathizers, child sex offenders, for cartel associates to enter the United States illegally. All you have to do is mix in because nobody is checking anybody.

“The numbers that I’m about to give you will make you throw up. Border Patrol apprehended 169 members of the FBI’s terrorist watchlist attempting to cross the southern border illegally in 2023 alone. . . . That’s more than 10 times the number of potential terrorists that Border Patrol detained in the four years before President Biden took office.”

. . .

“We know what Mexico’s cartels have done. They have been exploiting our open border to terrorize Americans for years. Their weapon of choice is fentanyl. The cartels kill tens of thousands of U.S. citizens per year by working with China to flood our communities with fentanyl. That fentanyl comes from China, and it comes from Mexico. Louisiana lost more than 1,300 people—1,300 loved ones—to fentanyl poisoning in 2022 alone. The narco-terrorists flood our communities with poison and fill their coffers with as much as $1 billion per year.”

. . .

“These cartels, the members, they put migrants through hell as they march them across our southern border. Predators sexually assault an estimated four out of every five women. It’s unsurprising, then, many of the male migrants the cartels usher to the border are also known sex offenders. In just two months, Mr. President, Border Patrol agents in Texas caught 21 known child predators . . . attempting to enter the country illegally. Imagine how many we don’t know about. Border Patrol apprehended 284 sex offenders in fiscal year 2023 alone.” 

. . .

“The American people see the southern border like they see the front door of their home. Most Americans lock their front door at night. They don't do that because they hate everybody on the outside. Most Americans lock their front door at night because they love the people on the inside, and they just want to know who's coming in and out of their home—and that's all the American people want in terms of immigration.”

Kennedy’s full remarks are available here.

Kennedy: “We all know that human life is precious”

“Few things fill my heart as much as seeing young people travel from every corner of this wonderful country to defend the defenseless and give a voice to the voiceless. America could use more of your moral clarity and your courage.” 

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today released the following message addressing this year’s March for Life in Washington, DC, which many Louisianians and Americans attend:

 “When I was a kid growing up in Zachary—I remember it like yesterday—my dad would always say, ‘Son, you will never know love until you have a child. . . . It’s special.’

 . . .

 “My Dad was right. I found that out when God smiled on Becky and me and we got our son Preston when he was just a few days old.

 “That’s why it’s so sad that abortion remains a heartbreaking reality in our own country. Some Americans find it easier to ignore this evil than to work to overcome it, but you, all of you, have chosen to stand together to protect the life, the liberty, the happiness of countless unborn boys and girls.

 “Each year, you and your work renew my hope for our country’s future. You do. Few things fill my heart as much as seeing young people travel from every corner of this wonderful country to defend the defenseless and give a voice to the voiceless. America could use more of your moral clarity and your courage.

 “We all know that human life is precious, and it doesn’t matter whether that life is 82-years-old or 82-seconds-old. I pray that your voices will continue to bring about pro-life changes in America. . . . God bless you all, and may God bless the millions of unborn babies you’ve done so much to protect.”

 View Kennedy’s full remarks here.

Kennedy warns DOE Secretary Granholm that new rules will crush U.S. natural gas industry

“The U.S. has a natural gas resource base that conservatively stands at close to 4,000 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. Let's put that resource to its best use to maintain our energy independence, to help our allies, to reduce emissions and to create good-paying jobs—instead of needlessly sidelining it.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Ranking member of the Senate Energy and Water Subcommittee on Appropriations, today sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, urging the department to not limit U.S. exports of liquified natural gas (LNG) through enforcing unnecessary burdens in the permitting process.

“. . . the Department of Energy, through new guidelines and rulemakings, will crush a burgeoning U.S. industry that employs tens of thousands of Americans, provides cheap and reliable energy to millions, and is a vital instrument in weening the world off of dirty Russian energy,” the senator wrote.

Kennedy raised concerns that any attempt by the Biden administration to implement additional rulemaking in the permitting process would arbitrarily limit the country’s ability to utilize natural gas resources and that such actions would be a mistake.

“The U.S. has a natural gas resource base that conservatively stands at close to 4,000 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. Let's put that resource to its best use to maintain our energy independence, to help our allies, to reduce emissions and to create good-paying jobs—instead of needlessly sidelining it,” Kennedy concluded.

Background:

• Louisiana’s LNG export terminals account for 63% of all U.S. LNG exports.

• The LNG industry employs 18,000 people in Louisiana.

• LNG contributes $4.4 billion to Louisiana’s economy.

The full letter is available here.

Kennedy attempts to overcome Biden veto of resolution blocking invasive, woke CFPB rule

“Congress has already passed this common-sense resolution to safeguard the personal information of small business owners, and it’s wrong for a minority of senators to allow Pres. Biden to keep putting sensitive personal information at risk.”

WASHINGTON – The Senate today attempted to overcome President Joe Biden’s veto of Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval. The resolution would prohibit the Biden administration’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from enforcing its Dodd Frank Section 1071 small business data collection rule. The attempted veto-override earned 54 votes, failing to reach the two-thirds majority needed to advance.

The Senate originally passed Kennedy’s resolution of disapproval in October, and the House of Representatives passed it in December. 

“Common sense is illegal at the CFPB, yet some of my colleagues failed to protect the privacy of small business owners across America from the Biden administration’s woke, invasive rule. Congress has already passed this common-sense resolution to safeguard the personal information of small business owners, and it’s wrong for a minority of senators to allow Pres. Biden to keep putting sensitive personal information at risk,” said Kennedy.

Section 1071 requires covered financial institutions to collect certain personal information on small business loan applicants and report that to the CFPB. This information includes an applicant’s race, ethnicity and sex and whether the business is minority-owned, woman-owned or LGBT-owned. The CFPB may then make certain parts of that information public, including data that could be used to publicly identify the small business credit applicant.

Background:

• In June 2023, Kennedy introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval of the CFPB rule to implement Dodd Frank Section 1071, which amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

• Kennedy introduced the Transparency in CFPB Cost-Benefit Analysis Act to ensure that the CFPB does not establish regulations that would foist unreasonable costs or harms onto taxpayers, financial entities or consumers. 

• Kennedy introduced the Small LENDER Act to protect Louisiana’s small businesses’ access to capital. The legislation would block the Biden administration’s CFPB from requiring community banks and small lenders to collect and report social data—such as race, gender and ethnicity—from borrowers. 

The legislation is available here. 

Kennedy: American wages haven’t kept up with Biden-flation

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today explained on the Senate floor how Washington’s out-of-control spending under President Joe Biden has left Americans with lower real wages, soaring credit card debt and shrinking savings accounts.

“As a result of Bidenomics and inflation, in my state, the average family making $80,000 a year is going to have to pay an extra $800 a month because of inflation. That’s an extra $10,000 a year. . . . That’s happening right now to millions of Louisianians and millions of Americans. What are you going to do?”

. . .

“A pay raise doesn't work. It’s great to have, but inflation eats it up and then some. Well, ok, that family’s still got to find $10,000. What do you do? Well, you go borrow the money, and that’s what’s happening: Credit card debt. Buy now, pay later. Or other types of loans. Don’t just take my word for it. On the last numbers we have in the third quarter of this year, credit card spending was up 9% at Chase Bank. It was up 15% at Wells Fargo.”

. . .

“People are using credit cards. They are charging more and more, and they’re paying less and less on those credit cards. They’re getting deeper, deeper into the hole.

“What else are people doing in my state and every other state? They’re raiding their savings. If you look at the numbers, personal deposits are down 3% year-over-year at Chase Bank. What does that mean? It means people are raiding their savings accounts to deal with this inflation.”

. . .

“My point, Madam President, is that these actions that are taken in Washington, D.C. have real-life consequences for average, everyday American families on fixed incomes. . . . People are having to borrow, and people are having to raid their savings, and it is clearly a cancer on the American dream.”

Kennedy in The Ouachita Citizen: To raise real wages, President Biden’s New Year’s Resolution should be to rein in federal spending

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“To fix a problem, you have to get to the source, and Washington’s spending spree caused this inflation.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Ouachita Citizen explaining how Washington’s out-of-control spending helped fuel inflation that far outpaced real wage growth during the past two-and-a-half years. Kennedy urges President Joe Biden to work with fiscal conservatives to regain control of federal government spending in the new year.

Key excerpts from Kennedy’s op-ed include:

“If recent polling is any indication, the American people are hoping President Biden’s New Year’s resolution will be to stop promoting bad policies that drive up prices and lower their quality of life. 

“Some at the White House, however, believe the American people have nothing to complain about. For the last part of 2023, President Biden’s team has been wielding cherry-picked statistics about gross domestic product (GDP) growth or job numbers hoping to convince Americans not to believe their ‘lying eyes’—or their empty wallets. The Biden administration seems to think that if they celebrate ‘Bidenomics’ as if it were good policy, the American people will join the party.

“Unfortunately for President Biden, Americans may be poorer under his tenure, but they can still afford to pay attention. They’ve watched prices climb for two-and-a-half years, and they know wages aren’t keeping up.”

. . .

“Families deserve the full truth about the economy, and here it is: Most of these high prices are here to stay. The rate of inflation has slowed down—and that’s good news—but all that means is that prices aren’t rising quite as quickly as they did last year.

“To fix a problem, you have to get to the source, and Washington’s spending spree caused this inflation.”

. . .

“As January approaches, the Biden administration should make a simple New Year’s resolution: Work with fiscal conservatives in Congress to cut spending. That’s the only way working Americans will get consistent relief from the pain of rising prices.” 

Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.

KENNEDY: Biden as Popular as Herpes in Louisiana

In Louisiana, Pres. Biden is about as popular as herpes.

Why is that?

2 reasons:

1. The people of Louisiana are not stupid.

2. They think the Biden admin is. They think its stupidity runs from the river to the sea. pic.twitter.com/NkM1Eobd7e

— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) December 29, 2023

President signs into law Kennedy bill to require FCC to expand 5G access to rural Americans by releasing previously auctioned spectrum

“I’m grateful to see my bill signed into law so that more Americans have the tools they need to do their jobs and grow their businesses.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – President Joe Biden signed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (SALE) Act into law. The legislation will require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to release previously auctioned spectrum to expand 5G broadband access to rural communities. 

“Louisiana’s job providers depend on wireless communications as they support rural economies. My 5G SALE Act will provide crucial broadband access by giving the FCC the authority to finish transferring previously auctioned spectrum to companies that offer 5G coverage. I’m grateful to see my bill signed into law so that more Americans have the tools they need to do their jobs and grow their businesses,” said Kennedy. 

The Senate passed Kennedy’s legislation this September, and the House of Representatives passed Kennedy’s legislation earlier this December.

The 5G SALE Act will temporarily grant the FCC auction authority it needs to complete spectrum transfers, which will allow broadband services to provide greater 5G network coverage to Americans in rural areas.

Background:

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

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

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

Prior to the bill’s passage, Kennedy questioned FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing about the commission’s lapsed authority to transfer spectrum licenses already sold at auction.

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

Kennedy, Alphonse the alligator wish Louisianians a Merry Christmas

“I, along with my wife, Becky, my son, Preston, and our beloved dogs, Lily Grace and Charlie, want to wish you and your family peace and hope and joy during this Christmas season. God bless you all, and Merry Christmas—from both me and Alphonse!”

View Kennedy’s full remarks here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today looked back on another year shared with Louisianians and sent a special Christmas message to everyone in the state.

“God has blessed me in so many ways, but getting to call Louisiana ‘home’ is one of the blessings I love most,” said Kennedy, alongside Alphonse the alligator, who is also a native Louisianian.

“There is no question that no state can outmatch Louisiana during the holidays. None. Zero. Nada. Our people are merrier, our meals are tastier, our music is more joyful, and no one knows—no one—how to have more fun with the ones they love than the good people of Louisiana. Even when times are tough—and I know they’re tough right now for many Louisiana families—Louisianians always find a way to pull together and give thanks for the blessings in their lives,” he continued.

“Our people make everything good about Louisiana better.”

“So, I, along with my wife, Becky, my son, Preston, and our two beloved dogs, Lily Grace and Charlie, want to wish you and your family peace and hope and joy during this Christmas season,” said Kennedy.

“God bless you all, and Merry Christmas—from both me and Alphonse!”

Kennedy, Budget Committee Republicans urge Whitehouse to use hearings to address economic challenges

“We implore you to direct the Committee’s agenda to the impending budgetary and fiscal crisis facing our nation—issues at the heart of this committee’s jurisdiction. There’s no time to spare.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in urging committee chairman Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to hold hearings that address the nation’s economic challenges after two credit agencies, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings, reported a negative outlook on U.S. creditworthiness.

A Penn Wharton Budget Model study also found that the window to take corrective fiscal action is closing rapidly and that, once it closes, no amount of tax increases or spending cuts could avoid a government default.

“Our current national debt is $33.7 trillion. This is equivalent to over 123 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Moreover, we continue to add to our unprecedented national debt at a record clip. The United States Treasury Department recently reported that the federal government ran a fiscal year 2023 deficit of $1.7 trillion. At 6.3 percent of GDP, the FY 2023 deficit was larger than all but six deficits recorded since 1946. Furthermore, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that over the next decade deficits will persist at levels previously uncommon outside of war or recession—totaling nearly $19 trillion in deficit spending through 2033,” wrote the senators.

“Under your chairmanship, the Senate Committee on the Budget has dedicated significant time and attention to climate issues, holding 12 separate hearings on climate change this year alone. We implore you to direct the Committee’s agenda to the impending budgetary and fiscal crisis facing our nation—issues at the heart of this committee’s jurisdiction. There’s no time to spare,” they continued.

“Tough conversations on our nation’s fiscal health need to be had to preserve our nation’s economic strength. If we want to be the global leader in the economic marketplace, then we need to lead from the front with strong fiscal responsibility,” the lawmakers concluded.

Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) also signed the letter.

The full letter is available here.

Kennedy: Biden must show world U.S. stands with Israel

As you may have seen, Sen. Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor about the need for Pres. Biden to stand with Israel.

You don't need to read a treatise on the Middle East to know that only monsters—monsters with black hearts—would put a baby in an oven and flip on the switch, as one first responder reported. That's not nuance. That’s evil.

Kennedy, Merkley introduce bill to end involuntary facial recognition screenings, protect Americans’ privacy

“Every day, TSA scans thousands of Americans’ faces without their permission and without making it clear that travelers can opt out of the invasive screening. The Traveler Privacy Protection Act would protect every American from Big Brother’s intrusion.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in introducing the Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2023 to safeguard Americans from facial recognition screenings that the federal government is implementing at airports across the country. The bill would repeal the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) authorization to use facial recognition and prevent the agency from further exploiting the technology and storing traveler’s biodata. 

“Every day, TSA scans thousands of Americans’ faces without their permission and without making it clear that travelers can opt out of the invasive screening. The Traveler Privacy Protection Act would protect every American from Big Brother’s intrusion by ending the facial recognition program,” said Kennedy.

“The TSA program is a precursor to a full-blown national surveillance state. Nothing could be more damaging to our national values of privacy and freedom. No government should be trusted with this power,” said Merkley.

Despite the TSA calling its plan to implement facial scans at more than 430 U.S. airports voluntary, passengers are largely unaware of their ability to opt out. Moreover, TSA does not effectively display notices at its check points to inform travelers that they have such an option.

To rectify this, the Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2023 would:

• Require explicit congressional authorization in order for the TSA to use facial recognition technology in the future.

• Immediately ban the TSA from expanding its pilot facial recognition program.

• Require TSA to end its pilot facial recognition program and dispose of facial biometrics.

Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also cosponsored the legislation.

Text of the Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2023 is available here.