WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today asked East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome for further details on how federal tax dollars addressed violence among juveniles in Baton Rouge’s most crime-ridden zip codes. His letter was in response to a report that the mayor-president released on the Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) program.
“Only 63 youths in Baton Rouge appear to have benefitted from $2 million in BRAVE expenditures between 2012 and 2016, according to media reports,” said Sen. Kennedy. “We could have bought each kid a car with that much money. Where did the money go? How was each kid’s life improved? These are serious questions that need to be addressed, especially considering that part of the money was spent on a public relations consultant and a cosmetology expert.”
Text of the letter:
August 9, 2017
The Honorable Sharon Weston Broome
East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President
222 Saint Louis St.
3rd Floor
Baton Rouge, LA. 70802
Dear Mayor-President Broome:
I recently wrote to you about the expenditure of federal taxpayer money in the Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) program. After reading the report you just released, I remain concerned.
BRAVE funds are supposed to be used to address violent juvenile crime in the 70805 and 70802 zip codes of Baton Rouge. Only 63 youths in Baton Rouge appear to have benefitted from $2 million in BRAVE expenditures between 2012 and 2016, according to media reports.
By my math, that’s more than $30,000 per youth. Please explain in detail how this money was spent, how the City-Parish is measuring the degree to which these kids were helped and the status of each juvenile today.
I also continue to have concerns about the “expedited” contracts entered into in order to hurriedly spend some of the remaining grant money. I believe there needs to be a complete accounting. Who selected these consultants? What process did your administration use to select them? Were other competing proposals and consultants considered? Did you use a competitive selection process? How was each consulting contract amount determined? What formal process is in place to measure the results of these consultants? What metrics were part of that process? Why does the program need a public relations consultant? Why does the program need a cosmetology expert given the short amount of time remaining before the grant expired?
Crime is an ever-growing problem in Baton Rouge, and our young people are caught in the crosshairs of it. Our law enforcement need every resource we can give them to fight crime and to help our young people. Our community officials and our taxpayers deserve answers on how the $2 million of BRAVE money was spent while helping only 63 of our kids.
Thank you in advance for your prompt response.
Sincerely,
John Kennedy
U.S. Senator
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WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today introduced the Targeting Child Predators Act. Sen. Kennedy introduced this bill with Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Ut.) and John Cornyn (R-Tx.). This bill was originally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Ron DeSantis (Fl.-06) and was passed by the House on May 22.
“I am proud to introduce the Targeting Child Predators Act in the Senate. This bill makes a simple, common sense change to our law that will give law enforcement officials more time to catch and stop child predators,” said Sen. Kennedy. “It is imperative that we give law enforcement every tool available to hunt these criminals down before more children are hurt, abused, and exploited.”
“I applaud Senators Kennedy, Hatch and Cornyn for standing up for vulnerable children by introducing the Targeting Child Predators Act in the Senate. This bill will give law enforcement the tools they need to find and prosecute child predators. The House has already passed the Targeting Child Predators Act, and I hope the Senate will similarly act swiftly,” said Rep. DeSantis.
Under current law, law enforcement often obtain the IP address of a suspected child predator and then subpoena Internet Service Providers (ISP) for the user information attached to the IP address. The ISP can then inform the suspected child predator of law enforcement’s request for their information. Once the suspect knows about the law enforcement inquiry, they often wipe their accounts clean and disappear. This bill amends current law to allow law enforcement to require that the ISP’s not tell the suspected child predator that their information was requested for a limited period of 180 days. This will enable law enforcement to more effectively prosecute criminals who take advantage of children.
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WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced that he has co-sponsored the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017. This bill invests in the long-term educational success of our nation’s veterans by eliminating the 15-year period a veteran has to use the G.I. Bill, giving them more time to use their benefits in their professional career. It also provides G.I. Bill eligibility for reservists undergoing medical care and full G.I. benefits for Purple Heart recipients regardless of their length of service.
“This bill invests in members of our military who have made countless sacrifices for our country by allowing a long term commitment for the education and well-being of our veterans,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Our veterans deserve the best experience they can get after their service, and I believe that eliminating the 15-year period in the original G.I. Bill from 1944 is essential in getting our veterans back into the workforce.”
For more information on the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 please click the following link here. If signed into law, the elimination of the 15-year limit on G.I. Bill usage would apply to members of the military whose separation date is January 1, 2013 or after. Separation dates before January 1, 2013 would still be subject to the 15-year delimiting date.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) issued the following statement after the latest vote on Obamacare repeal:
“The vote last night is not a loss for the Republican Party. It’s a loss for the American people. Obamacare has not worked. I made a promise to the people of Louisiana, and I kept that promise last night when I voted to repeal and replace Obamacare,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Forty-eight other Republicans stood with me, and I want you to know I will not quit until all Louisianans and all Americans have access to affordable health insurance through a health care delivery system that looks like somebody designed it on purpose.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) voted today in favor of a bill that adequately funds law enforcement, NASA and fisheries management while saving taxpayers more than $3 billion. The bill includes important provisions for Louisiana’s recreational fishing industries, the enforcement of immigration laws and southeast Louisiana’s role in space exploration.
The Fiscal Year 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act is $3.2 billion less than current spending levels.
“Nothing is more important to me than setting priorities and ending the government spending sprees,” said Sen. Kennedy. “This bill focuses on what is important, including strengthening our border security, investing in our fisheries and preserving Louisiana jobs vital to helping us delve into the pockets of deep space.”
Bill Highlights:
- $5 million for a multi-state partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service to examine red snapper fisheries management in the Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana plays an important role in this partnership.
- Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve red snapper stock assessments and increase recreational catch limits for recreational anglers. While all sectors have faced challenges in the Gulf, red snapper fisheries and recreational anglers have been especially impacted.
- Healthy funding for NASA that prioritizes important programs that support jobs in Louisiana. NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans will continue to work on the core stage of the rocket for the Space Launch Systems, as well as Orion, the crew capsule for the next generation of space flight. Michoud is integral to the broader mission of eventually sending astronauts to Mars.
- Puts an additional 65 immigration judges on the bench in order to cut through the backlog in pending cases due to heightened border enforcement efforts.
- Increases funding, by $5 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. Local law enforcement officers are essential to ensuring the safety of the public and play a critical role in preventing and responding to terrorist threats.
- Includes a provision that requires all current and potential recipients of grant funding through the Department of Justice to be compliant with all federal laws, which include adhering to our nation’s immigration laws.
- Includes a provision to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the first opportunity to take into custody and remove criminal illegal aliens. This will ensure that these dangerous individuals are not improperly released into our communities.
- $48.34 million to investigate and prosecute the sexual exploitation of children across the U.S.
- An additional $2 million to investigate trade law violations that are hurting American businesses.
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Sen. Kennedy (R-La.) Speaks On The Senate Floor About The Rising Costs Of Health Care Across The Nation
Jul 27 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate this afternoon to talk about the rising costs of health insurance. Full video of his remarks are below.
“Obamacare was sold as something that would solve America’s health care problems. Instead, we’ve seen costs soar more than 25%, and fewer and fewer insurance options available in the marketplace,” said Sen. Kennedy. “It is now clearer than ever that Obamacare has failed to live up to its promises. Americans should not be forced to buy insurance they don’t like at prices they can’t afford. We need more choice, more competition, less fraud, and a health care delivery system that puts patients and their doctors in charge, not Washington politicians and bureaucrats. Americans deserve better than Obamacare.”
Click the photo below to watch the floor speech:
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) is now a co-sponsor of The Wounded Officers Recovery Act, S. 1608. This bill will allow Capitol Police officers injured in the line of duty to receive benefits from the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund. Under the current rules, only families of officers who are killed can access that fund.
“The U.S. Capitol Police are critical to the safety of everyone who visits and works at the U.S. Capitol. They risk their lives simply by showing up for work,” said Sen. Kennedy. “This past June it was a godsend that they were there when a gunman decided to open fire on my friend and colleague Congressman Steve Scalise and others. Without those brave officers, a massacre would have occurred. We need to do everything we can for brave police officers, including Crystal Griner and David Bailey who stepped into the pathway of flying bullets that day.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) filed a series of amendments today to the Senate health care bill. Sen. Kennedy released the following statement along with a brief summary of the amendments.
“The American people need a health care system that looks like someone designed it on purpose,” said Sen. Kennedy. “The Senate health care bill as it stands today is far from perfect. However, it is better than the unmitigated disaster that is Obamacare. I submitted a series of amendments to the health care bill that will help provide better, more affordable and accessible care to all Americans.”
Senator Kennedy filed the following amendments:
- An amendment that reflects the spirit of the Medicaid Reform and Personal Responsibility Act of 2017 by requiring all states to implement a work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents who receive Medicaid funds. Exemptions from the work requirement include:
- pregnant women
- an individual who is under 19 years of age
- an individual who is a regular participant in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program
- an individual who is the sole parent or caretaker for a child under the age of 6 or a disabled child.
- an individual who is married or a head of household and has not attained 20 years of age and who
- (i) maintains satisfactory attendance at a secondary school or the equivalent; or
- (ii) participates in a job training program.
- An amendment to require emergency room doctors to be in the same network as their hospital so that patients do not wind up with unexpected, exorbitant medical bills.
- An amendment to require a better explanation in writing of the medical services that a patient received. Making the process more transparent will help patients verify the accuracy of their bills.
- An amendment to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a national strategy for reducing fraud, waste, abuse, and other improper payments in the Medicaid program.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today voted on a key procedural vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Sen. Kennedy released the following statement about his vote:
“Obamacare is a dismal failure. In the past eight years under the ‘Affordable’ Care Act, we have seen premiums around the country skyrocket. In Louisiana alone we have seen premiums increase 123%. Obamacare as we know it is not sustainable, it is not accessible, and it is nowhere near affordable. I made a promise to the people of Louisiana that I would repeal Obamacare given the chance. Today, I worked to fulfill that promise,” said Sen. Kennedy. “I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver a health care system to the American people that looks like it was designed on purpose.”
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WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced that Louisiana will receive more than $6.8 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for cancer prevention and control programs as well as maternal and child health services.
“I want to thank the U .S. Department of Health and Human Services for these funds,” said Sen. Kennedy. “This money plays a vital role in ensuring that doctors and health care providers have access to necessary tools to both prevent and treat cancer in Louisiana. I am also grateful for the funds directed towards medical programs that help mothers and children across our state.”
The grants are as followed:
- Louisianan State University HSC: $2,994,553.00
- Cancer Prevention and Control Programs for State, Territorial and Tribal Organizations
- Louisiana Departments of Health and Hospitals: $3,887,393.00
- Maternal and Child Health Services
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