WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today introduced the Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now (RETURN) Act, which would require that teleworking Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees return to in-office work in order to remedy the growing backlog of unresolved tax returns.
“IRS employees continue to work from home in the face of an enormous tax return backlog and crippling inflation. My RETURN Act would ensure that these employees get back to the office so the IRS can finally get hardworking Americans their tax refunds,” said Kennedy.
The IRS is facing a backlog of more than 8 million tax returns from 2021. Prior to widespread teleworking, the backlog was approximately 1 million.
The IRS claims the backlog is partially due to the pandemic, which forced IRS employees to work from home. Ninety-one percent of the agency—totaling 72,403 IRS employees—teleworked in Fiscal Year 2021, despite mounting logistical shortcomings like increased hold times. Callers in 2022, for example, waited an average of 29 minutes to speak to an agent, up from 23 minutes in 2021. Additionally, Americans made 173 million phone calls to the IRS in 2022, but only 13 percent of callers actually reached an IRS representative.
This backlog persists despite a recent allocation of $80 billion to the IRS to hire additional agents.
The RETURN Act would require all IRS employees teleworking due to pandemic precautions to return to full-time, in-office work until the IRS Commissioner determines the backlog is resolved.
The bill would maintain telework options that existed for select circumstances prior to the pandemic and allow a five-day grace period after enactment to allow employees to transition back to the office.
Text of the RETURN Act is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $4,245,102 in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster aid grant for Louisiana.
“Hurricane Laura devastated the Lake Charles area. I’m thankful that this $4.2 million will help the Calcasieu school community recover from hurricane damage to the Pupil Appraisal campus,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $4,245,102 to the Calcasieu Parish School Board for repairs to the Pupil Appraisal campus related to Hurricane Laura.
Kennedy announces $2.9 million to New Orleans, Baton Rouge areas for Hurricanes Delta, Ida recovery
Jan 30 2023
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $2,894,206 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster aid grants for Louisiana.
“I’m grateful this $2.9 million will help fund New Orleans and Baton Rouge’s recovery from hurricane damage that our communities suffered,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $1,459,464 to the Dixie Electric Membership Corporation for infrastructure repairs related to Hurricane Delta.
- $1,434,742 to New Orleans Sewerage and Water for permanent restoration costs related to Hurricane Ida.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss) and dozens of other senators in introducing the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. This legislation would permanently stop the flow of federal funding for abortion by replacing the current restrictions with a single, government-wide standard that bars federal tax dollars from financing abortions.
“Politicians and bureaucrats have no business directing American tax dollars to fund abortion on demand. This bill offers a simple, lasting way to respect American taxpayers and protect unborn children,” said Kennedy.
“Most Americans do not want their hard-earned tax dollars being used for abortion-on-demand, but our current patchwork of regulations has brought years of uncertainty. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would simplify federal rules, ensuring that American tax dollars are never used for the destruction of innocent, unborn life,” said Wicker.
For more than 40 years, an inconsistent and haphazard set of policies has regulated federal funding for abortion. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would permanently restrict funding for elective abortion and elective abortion coverage. The bill would also protect current restrictions that the Hyde Amendment provides.
Full text of the bill is here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and colleagues in introducing the Stop the Nosy Obsession with Online Payments (SNOOP) Act, which would strike the Biden administration’s tax-code provision within the American Rescue Plan that requires third-party payment platforms to report businesses’ gross transaction volumes totaling more than $600 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
“President Biden’s administration is bent on weaponizing the IRS against hard-working, tax-paying Americans. Louisianians, and all Americans, are entitled to privacy, and Congress must stop unjustified tax policies that do little more than harass and track the personal finances of hardworking Americans,” said Kennedy.
“The Biden Administration has proven relentless in its attempt to invade the privacy of Americans’ lives and finances. It is regrettable that this Administration still insists on advancing their perilous and oppressive political agenda to the detriment of taxpayers’ privacy, heedless of the IRS’s failed track record of protecting Americans’ confidential data and the deep concern of the American people that they serve. Though Republican efforts to repeal these new requirements were ignored for two years, the Biden Administration took a politically-timed short-term step to save themselves from the consequences of their own actions, but merely delaying this intrusive provision is not enough; It is past time we stand up for our small business owners and put an end to this egregious and unwarranted overreach for good,” said Hagerty.
Prior to the American Rescue Plan, payment providers were only required to report information when a payee had over 200 commercial transactions per year that exceeded $20,000. As a result of the new provision, thousands of Americans will have to fill out 1099-Ks and provide their personal information to the IRS, despite the IRS’s poor history of safeguarding Americans’ personal data.
Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are also cosponsoring the legislation.
Kennedy, colleagues introduce bipartisan bill to help first responders cope with traumatic stress
Jan 24 2023
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing legislation to help first responders, police and 9-1-1 personnel cope with traumatic stress. The Fighting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Act of 2023 would establish mental health programs for those who provide life-saving services and often experience long-term mental health effects as a result.
“America’s first responders deserve our respect, our gratitude and our support. The Fighting PTSD Act would equip first responders with the resources they need to care for their own health while they serve Louisiana communities,” said Kennedy.
“In times of crisis, we count on first responders and dispatchers to deliver life-saving aid—often at their own exposure to tremendous risk. Beyond the physical scars, this essential service can also take a mental and emotional toll. This bill takes an essential step toward ensuring that the brave individuals who respond in critical situations have access to mental health services needed to manage stress, stay healthy and continue to serve our communities,” said Grassley.
Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are also cosponsoring the bill.
The full bill text is available here.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has earned an “A” rating for his commitment to protecting the lives of the unborn through his pro-life legislative record during the 117th Congress. The Susan B. Anthony List’s national scorecard recognizes lawmakers who have consistently championed life through their voting record and legislative leadership.
“Human life is precious, and that’s why I’ll continue to stand with Americans who are fighting to give a voice to the voiceless and defend the defenseless,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy has opposed using taxpayer money to fund abortions and voted against Democrats’ attempt to force states to legalize abortion up to the point of a child’s birth. He also helped lead an effort to defund Planned Parenthood.
Before the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Kennedy co-led the pro-life bicameral amicus brief in the case of June Medical Services v. Russo.
In addition, he has authored the Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act to protect the health of women and children and the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, which would make it a crime to abort a child based on his or her gender.
View Kennedy’s March for Life message here.
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $4,476,602 in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for Louisiana disaster aid.
“I’m glad to see this $4.5 million supporting Louisiana’s Department of Transportation and Development in its recovery from Hurricane Laura,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $4,476,602 to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for management costs related to Hurricane Laura.
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $25,165,912 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid.
“Louisianians are still recovering from Hurricane Laura’s damage, and this $25.2 million will help Calcasieu Parish and other areas of our state rebuild together,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $22,038,272 to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Laura.
- 3,127,640 to West Calcasieu Port to replace facilities in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.
MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $17,311,616 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid.
“This $17.3 million will support south Louisiana and other parts of the state as we recover from the damage Hurricanes Laura and Ida dealt,” said Kennedy.
The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $6,620,732 to the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Ida.
- $6,102,622 to the Calcasieu Parish School Board for repairs to the LeBlanc Middle School, which Hurricane Laura damaged.
- $1,651,957 to Houma Terrebonne Housing Authority for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Ida.
- $1,570,525 to the South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association for emergency protective measures related to Hurricane Ida.
- $1,365,780 to the Office of Risk Management for building repairs to McNeese University, which Hurricane Laura damaged.
