WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) in introducing the Senate companion to H.R. 7423, a resolution to designate the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 103 Benedette Street in Rayville, Louisiana, as the "Luke Letlow Post Office Building."

“Luke Letlow led an amazing life as a devoted Christian, husband, father and public servant. He dedicated his career to improving the lives of Louisianians, especially north Louisiana, and our state is very grateful for his life and contributions. Through the renaming of the post office in Rayville, I know Luke’s memory will live on for the years to come in Richland Parish,” said Kennedy.

Luke Letlow served Louisianians throughout his years of work in the congressional and gubernatorial offices of Bobby Jindal and later as the chief of staff to former Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.).

In 2020, Letlow was elected to represent Louisiana’s Fifth Congressional District but passed away from complications due to COVID-19 just five days before being sworn into office. He left behind his wife, Congresswoman Julia Letlow, and two children, Jeremiah and Jacqueline.

“Luke’s death at too young of an age due to COVID robbed his family, Louisiana, and our nation of a man who served others his entire professional life. This post office naming memorializes his work, his life, and the tragedy of COVID,” said Cassidy.

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) introduced the House’s resolution with the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Reps. Julia Letlow (R-La.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Garrett Graves (R-La.) and Troy Carter (D-La.). The House passed H.R. 7423 in a bipartisan vote.

Watch Kennedy’s remarks here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today spoke on Fox News and penned this op-ed explaining how several cities and states have abandoned their drug decriminalization policies to restore law and order. Kennedy argued that Congress should adopt stronger drug policies, including his Fairness in Fentanyl Sentencing Act.

 “Unless you get your news from NPR, you already knew that allowing people to buy fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin without consequences would end in pain and chaos for both drug users and their communities.

 “Woke cities and states throughout the country are now scrambling to reinstall policies to restore law and order by deterring drug use.”

 . . .

 “These drug policy reversals are becoming the rule, not the exception. Other cities and states throughout the country—including Washington, D.C., Washington state and Boston—have taken steps to enforce drug laws after years of lax policies brought their residents nothing but misery.

 “Addiction is horrible. But policymakers cannot allow their empathy for Americans with addiction to blind them to the dangerous reality of drugs like fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.

 “Drug overdoses killed an estimated 112,000 Americans in 2023—more than twice as many deaths as car crashes. Yet no sane lawmaker would legalize reckless driving. Heartbreaking stories in Oregon and San Francisco prove that deterrence must be part of the policymaking equation.”

 . . .

 “I don’t understand why some people seem wedded to the dumb-on-crime sentiments that San Francisco and Oregon have abandoned. The Fairness in Fentanyl Sentencing Act wouldn’t affect people suffering from addiction. It would only punish dealers for the hell they’re unleashing on too many innocent families. Still, a few of my colleagues have blocked every effort I’ve made to get this bill signed into law.

 “Overdose deaths don’t make cities more livable. Open-air drug use doesn’t make communities safer or cleaner. Fair, clear penalties help stop people from hurting themselves and their neighbors.

 “I hope more woke cities and states admit this and correct their dangerous policies before more Americans fall victim to drugs and stupidity.”

 Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.

 Watch his full interview here.

 Text of the Fairness in Fentanyl Sentencing Act is available here.

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning the Biden administration’s decision to halt shipment of American-made ammunition and weapons to Israel.

“Israel is fighting to protect its people from Iran and its proxies, but the Biden administration seems to think now is a good time to get weak in the knees. America should stand strong in support of Israel and get them the military supplies they need,” said Kennedy.

The resolution:

• Recognizes that Hamas murdered more than 1,200 innocent men, women and children and took more than 240 innocent civilians hostage in an unprovoked attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

• Recognizes that the U.S. is the largest supplier of military aid that Israel uses to defend itself from Iran and its proxies.

• Recognizes that 99% of the projectiles Iran launched were intercepted by Israel and its allies, using supplies provided in part by the U.S.

• Recognizes that the Biden administration has publicly claimed that “[c]onditioning aid has not been our policy” and “our commitment to Israel’s security . . . is ironclad.” 

• Recognizes that the Biden administration has taken actions in May 2024 to stop the shipments of weapons and ammunition to the Israeli military, which could embolden Hamas and other Iranian proxies.

• Condemns any decision the Biden administration makes to halt shipments of ammunition and weapons to Israel and demands that the administration continue to fulfill Israeli military aid requests.

• Reaffirms the importance of the U.S.-Israel partnership and upholds America’s commitment to Israel’s security.

Background:

• In Dec. 2023, Kennedy urged the Biden administration to continue American support for Israel until it succeeds in destroying Hamas.

• In Feb. 2024, Kennedy supported the End Iranian Terrorism Act to require President Biden to enforce sanctions on Iranian oil.

• In May 2024, Kennedy and other Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee authored a letter to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) calling for a Judiciary Committee hearing on violations of Jewish students’ rights and growing domestic support for terrorist organizations.

Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) cosponsored the resolution.

The full resolution is available here. 

Watch Kennedy question Su here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations and Banking Committees, today questioned acting Labor Secretary Julie Su about an independent report that found that “the FDIC has failed to provide a workplace safe from sexual harassment, discrimination, and other interpersonal misconduct.”

After confirming to Kennedy that she is “passionate” about protecting and supporting America’s employees and those at the FDIC, Su said that she had not seen the report outlining the years-long abuses at the agency, which has received extensive news coverage.

The new report documents “FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg’s reputation for having a temper, as well as at least one instance in 2008 of his having ‘castigated’ a senior FDIC executive.”

“This is just [as] egregious as I've ever seen and I suspect [as] you've ever seen. . . . I'm asking you what’s your plan? Are you going to call for Martin Gruenberg, who runs the place, to resign? He's been there since 2005. And one of two things are going on: If he says he didn't know about it, he's like a rock—only dumber. Or, he condoned this behavior. For the Biden administration, does ‘Me Too’ apply except at the FDIC? Is that what you're saying?” asked Kennedy. 

“Don’t you think you have a moral imperative to ask Mr. Gruenberg to resign, to quit?” he continued.

In response, Su did not call on FDIC Chair Martin Gruenbueg to resign. 

“I would say—I think you said—that a complaint had been made. . . . I'm happy to make sure that the [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] is aware that there is a case like this,” she said. 

Later, Kennedy spoke with Su again and asked, “You’re kind of waffling on me, like, ‘Well, I don't know what I'm going to do.’ Let me ask you this question because I'm going to run out of time: Are you or are you not going to call for Martin Gruenberg . . . and the senior leadership over there to resign?”

Again, Su declined to call on Gruenberg to resign or offer any steps that the Department of Labor would take to protect workers from abuses documented at the FDIC.

The unwillingness of President Joe Biden’s acting Labor Secretary to call for Gruenberg’s resignation is seemingly at odds with the president’s 2021 vow to fire any staffer who treated another colleague with disrespect “on the spot.” 

Background:  

• In Nov. 2023, Kennedy questioned Gruenberg at a Senate Banking Committee Hearing about reports indicating that the chairman had failed to address sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior within the agency. He called on Gruenberg to resign in light of the reports. 

• The May 2024 independent report found that: 

• “for far too many employees and for far too long, the FDIC has failed to provide a workplace safe from sexual harassment, discrimination, and other interpersonal misconduct.”

• “a patriarchal, insular, and risk-averse culture has contributed to the conditions that allowed for this workplace misconduct to occur and persist.”

• “a widespread fear of retaliation, as well as a lack of clarity and credibility around internal reporting channels, has led to an under-reporting of workplace misconduct over the years.”

• “Management’s responses to allegations of misconduct, as well as the culture and conditions that gave rise to them, have been insufficient and ineffective.”

• “To fully and effectively address this conduct and these conditions, we believe cultural and structural change is necessary.”Ju

• “according to the FDIC’s own public reporting, of the ninety-two harassment complaints made through its Anti-Harassment Program in the nine year period from 2015 to 2023, not a single one resulted in removal, reductions in grade or pay, or any discipline more serious than a suspension.”