Watch video here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) made the case today on the Senate floor for Germany—Europe’s economic leader—to increase its contribution to battling Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Currently, Germany’s spending to help Ukraine, measured by share of GDP, does not fall in the top 10 nations offering financial support to Ukraine.

Key excerpts from Kennedy speech include:

“Germany’s so-called strong support is more lamb than lion.”

“Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom have all outspent Germany by share of gross domestic product. Our neighbors in Canada have outspent Germany, too, both in raw dollars and by share of GDP.  And the same is certainly true of the American people. The American people have spent roughly double—double—what our friends in Germany have spent in Ukraine fighting for freedom, by share of gross domestic product.”

“ . . . Americans are wondering why the United States and Canada have dug deeper to deter Russian aggression than Germany has.”

“Germany is the economic leader of Europe. Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world. But, the fact is . . . that Germany is failing to pull its weight in Ukraine. And if we look back, Mr. President, on the past year, it’s very clear that Germany’s support of Ukraine has been heavy on words and short on action. And I hate to have to say that. Somehow, Germany’s leadership has lost the urgency it had when Putin began his march into Ukraine.”

“For several decades . . . Germany became increasingly reliant on Russia’s energy.  Germany appeared to believe, foolishly—naively, maybe is a better word—that its energy trade with Putin would yield friendship. Instead, it yielded dependency. . . . Putin knew that Germany’s energy dependency would make it a lot easier for him to march into Ukraine, not harder. Everybody knew it.”

“In the wake of Putin’s rapid invasion, Chancellor Scholz made big promises. He called it a turning point in German history. He said defense spending was going to increase to 2%. He said he was going to create an extra military fund valued at $107 billion. He said his military was going to increase by 30,000 women and men by 2025. I regret, Mr. President, that Germany’s urgency seems to have disappeared.

“Military spending has barely nudged above 1.5%, still short of the 2% commitment that Germany made to NATO. Germany did purchase 35 American F-35 fighter jets. You know when they’re going to be ready? 2027. And experts a lot smarter than me doubt Germany will reach its 30,000 promised new troops by the date it said it would. The truth is . . . since the invasion began, Germany has been slow to provide weapons to Ukraine.”   

“Even when offering up so little, the German chancellor demanded that the United States of America do more.”

“Promises to recruit more troops, spend more money, reinvigorate its Bundeswehr—they’re nice, but those are only words. Germany seems to acknowledge that the barbarians are at the gate. . . . So why aren’t our friends in Germany willing to act?”

“In every way, Putin poses a larger threat to Germany than he does to the United States. . . . Yet the United States of America, the people of this country, have outspent Germany seven times in helping our friends in Ukraine.”  

“If Germany wants to be a leader in Europe . . . it needs to lead. That starts with footing the bill for its own defense. . . . It starts with helping Ukraine. We’ve wasted a year, Mr. President. It’s long past time for our friends in Germany to step up and meet the defense promises it made when Putin invaded.”

Video of Kennedy’s remarks is here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) in filing a public comment letter with the Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) in filing a public comment letter with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) demanding that it enforce all conscience protections that Congress has passed into law all statutory conscience protections that Congress has passed into law.

The letter comes in response to the Biden administration’s proposed rule to eliminate and change certain conscience protections that currently protect medical professionals.

“Congress has enacted federal conscience statutes that govern HHS-funded programs to ‘protect the rights of individuals, entities, and health care entities to refuse to perform, assist in the performance of, or undergo certain health care services or research activities to which they may object for religious, moral, ethical, or other reasons.’ The proposed rule falls short of properly enforcing these laws as written and consistent with Congressional intent,” the lawmakers wrote.

“The Proposed Rule claims that ‘our health care systems must effectively deliver services—including safe, legal abortions—to all who need them in order to protect patients’ health and dignity.’ Leaving aside that the current Administration has focused immense attention on promoting and paying for abortion, including at times, in violation of federal and state law, such a claim will only lead to further diminution of conscience rights provided by Congress. It is unfortunate, but not surprising, that in the wake of the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, HHS has still prioritized abortion access over nearly anything else, including following and enforcing the law,” they continued.

“Instead of supporting proposed legislation like the Conscience Protection Act to allow victims of discrimination to also have their day in court, HHS is blocking possible legal remedy for victims of discrimination by dropping enforcement actions and clear mechanisms for investigation and enforcement, and making it harder for any further discrimination claims to be filed, investigated, and remedied,” explained the lawmakers.

Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) also signed the letter.

 Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) led the letter in the House of Representatives. 

The full letter is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today wrote to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler about protecting compensation due the victims of the Stanford Ponzi scheme.

“I am concerned about the potential amount of attorneys' fees that could be awarded as part of this settlement, which I believe could be excessive and unfair,” wrote Kennedy.

“Given the SEC’s role in overseeing financial institutions and ensuring that justice is served in financial matters, I am asking you to intervene and ensure that any potential attorneys’ fees in this settlement are fair and reasonable. It is important to remember that this money comes from the victims of the Stanford Ponzi scheme, many of whom are retirees from Louisiana and throughout the U.S. These individuals have already suffered significant financial losses who after all this time deserve to see a fair and just resolution to this matter,” he explained.    

Kennedy noted that this is a time-sensitive issue because some lawyers have already requested expedited compensation.  

The full letter is here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, introduced two bills to lower flood insurance premiums for Louisianians. The Risk Rating 2.0 Transparency Act would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to publish an explanation of how the agency is determining flood insurance prices under Risk Rating 2.0. The Flood Insurance Affordability Act would cap annual flood insurance premium increases. 

“The Biden administration is refusing to show lawmakers the new algorithm it uses to raise flood insurance premiums. Since millions of Louisianians depend on the NFIP to protect their homes from natural disasters, FEMA must come clean about why premiums are skyrocketing under Risk Rating 2.0. In the meantime, my bills would ensure fairer rates for the people of Louisiana,” said Kennedy.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) cosponsored the Risk Rating 2.0 Transparency Act.

“At a minimum, policyholders deserve to know exactly why their premiums cost as much as they do, especially when that rate is higher than previous years. From the start, FEMA has not been forthcoming with the public or Congress on how it developed the new flood insurance rate structure. This bill would ensure FEMA transparency surrounding Risk Rating 2.0, so homeowners aren’t left in the dark,” said Hyde-Smith. 

Under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0, Louisiana homeowners expect to see an estimated 122% increase in their flood insurance premiums.

The Risk Rating 2.0 Transparency Act would make FEMA responsible for creating an online data base for policyholders under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The database would provide information on premium rates and how FEMA sets those rates.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) cosponsored the Flood Insurance Affordability Act.

“Flood insurance is vitally important to Floridians and Americans living in coastal communities. People shouldn’t have to pay an arm and a leg to make sure they are protected. This legislation is common sense,” said Rubio.

The Flood Insurance Affordability Act would lower the statutory limit on annual premium increases on primary resident homeowners under Risk Rating 2.0 from the current limit of 18 percent to nine percent. 

 Background:

• In July 2022, following Kennedy’s questioning of experts, the senator and colleagues urged David Maurstad, the Senior Executive of the NFIP at FEMA, to explain the Risk Rating 2.0 pricing methodology for setting NFIP premiums and to publish that information online.
• In March 2022, Kennedy cosponsored the Flood Insurance Pricing Transparency Act to help policyholders in Louisiana understand how FEMA calculates flood insurance costs.
• In Feb. 2022, Kennedy urged President Joe Biden to stop the implementation of Risk Rating 2.0. 
• In Sept. 2021, Kennedy pressed FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to delay the implementation of Risk Rating 2.0.
• In June 2021, Kennedy questioned FEMA official David Maurstad about Risk Rating 2.0 at a Senate Banking Committee hearing and introduced the Flood Insurance Fairness Act to stop the Biden administration from unilaterally making changes to NFIP, including Risk Rating 2.0.
• In April 2021, Kennedy called on Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to hold a hearing to examine Risk Rating 2.0.

Full text of the Risk Rating 2.0 Transparency Act is available here. 

Full text of the Flood Insurance Affordability Act is here.