WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and Hakeem Jeffries introduced Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) bill, S.2896 the Justice Against Corruption on K Street (JACK) Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday. Sen. Kennedy originally introduced this bill with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), and the legislation passed in the U.S. Senate in August. The JACK Act would amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act to require lobbyists to disclose convictions of bribery, extortion, embezzlement, illegal kickbacks, tax evasion or money laundering. U.S. Reps. Biggs, Jeffries and Sen. Kennedy released the following statements:
“This idea is simple: If you have been convicted of a felony like bribery, extortion, embezzlement or tax evasion, you should have to disclose that when registering to become a lobbyist,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Corrupt lobbyists need to be brought into the sunlight, even if they’re wearing $6,000 suits. Political leaders and businesses need to know the backgrounds of those who are trying to influence public policy. These corrupt lobbyists are the worst kind of swamp creatures and they need a one-way ticket out of Washington.”
“This common-sense piece of legislation is another step forward in draining the Washington, D.C. swamp,” said Rep. Biggs. “There is no reason these individuals should be able to hide convictions for serious crimes like bribery, extortion, and embezzlement when lobbying Congress. These remissions foster corruption and the remedy is full transparency. I am pleased to work with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Senator John Kennedy, who introduced the bill in the Senate, and I look forward to the JACK Act becoming law.”
“We must clean up Washington and make it work for the people,” said Rep. Jeffries. “The JACK Act will boost transparency and accountability by requiring lobbyists to disclose any criminal convictions for bribery, money laundering, embezzlements or other related crimes. Corruption in this town is an American problem and we must come together in a bipartisan way to fix it.”
The bill’s title refers to Jack Abramoff, who was convicted of tax fraud and bribery. Jack re-registered as a federal lobbyist in 2017 and did not have to include his criminal history on his registration. The JACK Act will provide the public with much needed transparency and accountability over Congress’ actions.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced that he will travel to Japan and China this month for an official overseas trip with a congressional delegation for meetings on trade and energy issues.
In addition to Sen. Kennedy, the delegation includes other U.S. senators as well as U.S. representatives.
Meetings will be held with high-ranking officials in Japan and China to discuss bilateral trade and energy issues, including nuclear power development. Sen. Kennedy also will use the trip to promote Louisiana interests such as liquefied natural gas, seafood and rice.
In Japan, the delegation plans to meet with U.S. Ambassador to Japan William F. “Bill” Hagerty, Deputy Chief of Mission-U.S. Embassy Tokyo Joseph Young, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. In China, the delegation plans to meet with U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping, Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang, Vice Premier Liu He, Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi, Vice Minister of Agriculture Han Jun and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Guo Shengkun.
“This is an important trip that will give us the opportunity to represent U.S. and Louisiana interests to China and Japan at a pivotal time,” said Sen. Kennedy. “The White House is in the middle of trade negotiations with Japan and discussions with China. We need fair, bilateral trade agreements that keep costs down for American consumers while creating opportunities for American entrepreneurs. I plan to renew discussions about what Louisiana can offer as far as LNG and agricultural products.”
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Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) Condemns the Violent Attacks on American Political Figures on America’s Newsroom
Oct 25 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Fox News Channel’s America’s Newsroom today, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) discussed the recent attacks on prominent political figures. Sen. Kennedy expressed his apologies to all of those affected by the threats, and apologized to the American people for having to cope with these despicable attacks.
Click here or the image below to watch Sen. Kennedy’s interview.
Extending Apologies: “I think the responsible thing to say for leadership is how I feel. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what happened to the Clintons, and the Obamas, and Mr. Soros, and CNN, and now apparently Vice President Biden. I’m sorry for America. We shouldn’t have to go through this.”
Heated Political Rhetoric: “It’s too early to assess blame. I know that the political rhetoric in this country has been hot on both sides. Has that contributed to it? I don’t think it’s helped. We should probably all dial it down a notch. When you’re civil, it doesn’t mean that you agree with your colleagues; it means that you respect them. I’m just sorry this happened. There’s not much else you can say.”
“The rhetoric in our country is hot, and all sides are responsible for it.”
Trust in Our Law Enforcement: “The FBI is best law enforcement agency in all of human history. We’ll find this person, but until then it’s all speculation.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump this week thanking him for his proposal to cut spending by 5% across all federal agencies.
“The federal government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Our federal deficit is astronomically high at $779 billion the past fiscal year. Congress has lived off the taxpayer’s credit card for far too long, and the only things that have grown are the debt, the federal bureaucracy, and the appetite for more spending. The President’s initiative to cut federal agency spending is a good first step towards helping get our federal budget back under control.”
October 18, 2018
President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Trump,
I want to personally thank you for your strong leadership to save American taxpayer dollars by cutting federal spending across all agencies by 5%. This is precisely the type of commonsense spending reform that America desperately needs and expects from its leaders. The Congressional Budget Office reports that the $21 trillion national debt is and will continue to slow the growth of productivity and wages, doing considerable harm to our economy in the process. I am proud to see the Trump Administration taking historic action to put America’s fiscal house in order, and I remain fully supportive of those efforts.
I have recently taken action in the Senate to tackle Washington’s spending problem. Earlier this year, I supported your proposal to reign in federal agencies by imposing a pay freeze on federal bureaucrats. I also advocated for a simple 1% spending haircut across federal agencies that, despite being only a drop in the fiscal bucket, would have been an improvement over out of control spending. However, the Washington swamp runs deep as you well know, and Congress couldn’t even agree on these basic reforms.
I recognize that making these types of cuts may not be easy for some within the Administration, but I know how necessary they are for the health of our economy. I firmly believe that all three levels of government have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Your new 5% directive is a good start to fixing those problems. Please know that you have my enthusiastic support. Thank you for your service to America.
Sincerely,
John Kennedy
United States Senator
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Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) Announces $13 Million Grant from FEMA for Southside Elementary School
Oct 17 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) announced today that the Livingston Parish School Board received a $13 million grant from FEMA to fund the repair or replacement of six academic buildings at Southside Elementary School.
“The post-flooding recovery process is still ongoing in south Louisiana,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Grants like this from FEMA help speed up the process, and it will help get kids back into permanent academic buildings at Southside Elementary School.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today, announced the passage of his and U.S. Sen. Doug Jones’s (D-Ala.) legislation, S.2765 - RBIC Advisers Relief Act of 2018. This bill bolsters Rural Business Investment Companies (RBICs) by removing unnecessary compliance costs that distract from their important mission to provide capital to rural communities.
“Our rural businesses and entrepreneurs play an essential role in Louisiana’s economy. To ensure long-term stability for those job creators, we have to make sure they have access to capital,” said Sen. Kennedy. “That’s why the RBIC Advisers Relief Act of 2018 is so important. This bill reduces unnecessary compliance costs that hinder RBICs from accomplishing their mission.”
RBICs are licensed under the Rural Business Investment Program (RBIP), a venture capital program created as a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Small Business Administration. The RBIP was designed to promote economic development and job creation in rural communities by investing in companies involved in the production, processing and supply of food and agriculture-related products.
An unintended consequence of Dodd-Frank forced investment advisors to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission if they advised both an RBIC and a venture capital fund. Congress already fixed this burden for Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) in 2015. This bill offers the same crucial relief to RBICs.
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Sens. Kennedy and Cassidy Congratulate Michael Juneau on Confirmation to the Western District of Louisiana
Oct 11 2018
WASHINGTON D.C. –U.S. Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) issued statements today after the U.S. Senate confirmed Michael Juneau as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
“Mr. Juneau is a well-respected member of the legal community in Louisiana. He has ample experience and expertise in serving the citizens of Louisiana,” said Sen. Kennedy. “I want to congratulate Mr. Juneau on his confirmation, and I wish him the best of luck in his new position. He will serve the public well.”
“Michael is an extremely smart attorney who is eminently qualified to serve the people of the Western District,” said Sen. Cassidy. “I congratulate Michael and his family and look forward to seeing him get right to work.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Tammy Duckworth’s (D-Ill.) bipartisan Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act, S. 2679, passed favorably out of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee. The Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act aims to help veteran-owned small businesses cut costs and grow by giving them access to surplus federal property.
Surplus federal property includes office furniture, computers and other office supplies. Minority-owned and women-owned small businesses already have access to the federal surplus property program, and this bill will ensure that veteran-owned small businesses receive the same assistance.
“Small business owners are the backbone of our country, and we wouldn’t even have a country if it weren’t for veterans. Our veterans sacrificed so much for our country, and the least we can do is support them,” said Sen. Kennedy. “This federal surplus property program is already in place, so it only seems right that we should allow veterans to qualify for the program. ”
In addition to the Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act, Sen. Kennedy’s bill to extend the effective date of the sunset for collateral requirements for Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans, S. 3554, also passed through the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee today. This bill will extend a provision of the Recovery Improvements for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015 (RISE Act) that allowed SBA to increase the unsecured loan limit for physical damage loans under an SBA Agency declaration from $14,000 to $25,000 for one year. This legislation will provide relief to people recovering from disasters by getting them more money to begin the recovery process more quickly.
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