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WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $3,764,905 in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for Louisiana disaster aid. 

“Louisianians know the damage that flooding causes all too well. I’m grateful that this $3.8 million will help support upgrades to the Ascension Parish pump stations and levee system,” said Kennedy.

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

  • $3,764,905 to fund upgrades to the existing Marvin Braud Pump Station and levees.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) in introducing the Where Are The Terrorists Now Act, a bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide a monthly report to Congress disclosing the number of migrants on the FBI’s Terrorist Watchlist whom U.S. officials encounter at the southern border.

“The Biden administration continues to undermine our national security by ignoring the crisis at our border. More members of the FBI’s terror watchlist are sneaking into our country than ever before. If the Biden administration is going to forfeit its duty to protect American citizens, Congress needs to have transparency from the Department of Homeland Security so we can address the real terrorist threat open borders pose to American communities,” said Kennedy.

“There is an invasion at our southern border. Every day that the Biden Administration continues their open border agenda, Americans’ national security is at risk. Month after month, we have seen historic numbers of migrants on the FBI’s terror watchlist infiltrating our country’s border. The threat the individuals on this list pose to Americans’ safety is too great for us to do nothing,” said Marshall.

Under the Where Are The Terrorists Now Act, the DHS, in partnership with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, must provide Congress with a monthly report including:

  • The number of individuals who are on the terrorist screening database that border officials encounter.
  • Where each individual was encountered.
  • Why each individual is on the Terrorist Watchlist.
  • Any ties each individual has to a terrorist organization.
  • The individual’s nation of origin.
  • The individual’s criminal convictions.
  • How the individual traveled to the United States.
  • Where the individuals were detained, whether they are still detained, whether they have been deported, whether they have been transferred to another agency, and their known whereabouts if they have been released.
  • If the individual has been released, how DHS determined that the individual does not present a danger to the U.S.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) also co-sponsored the legislation.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

Watch Kennedy's comments here.

WASHINGTON – The Senate today passed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) amendment to an appropriations bill that would prevent veterans from losing their Second Amendment right to purchase or own firearms when they receive help managing their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. The amendment is based on the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act.

“Veterans who sacrificed to defend our Constitution shouldn’t see their own rights rest on the judgment of unelected bureaucrats—but right now, they do. My amendment would prevent government workers from unduly stripping veterans of their right to bear arms. Every veteran who bravely serves our country has earned VA benefits, and it’s wrong for the government to punish veterans who get a helping hand to manage those resources,” said Kennedy.

Under current law, the VA is required to send a beneficiary’s name to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) whenever a fiduciary is appointed to help a beneficiary manage his or her VA benefits.

Ultimately, VA employees decide whether veterans receive help from a fiduciary.

Kennedy’s amendment would prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting a veteran’s personal information through the VA fiduciary program to NICS unless a relevant judicial authority rules that the beneficiary is a danger to himself or others.

The amendment text is available here.

Kennedy’s full remarks are available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) released the following statement upon Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives: 

“Congratulations to my good friend Mike Johnson on becoming the Speaker of the House. My House colleagues have selected an outstanding leader to navigate an unprecedented time. Mike isn’t just a consistent conservative—he’s a courageous one. He loves God, his family, and his country more than anything, and he has devoted his life to serving them faithfully. American families share Mike’s Louisiana values, and they deserve his confident, principled leadership.” 

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, today joined Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and nine other Republican senators in a letter urging Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to investigate how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has utilized consumer payment systems to steal Americans’ private data.

“We are concerned with the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing efforts to expand its footprint in the United States’ financial system and the global payments market. The measures the CCP is taking undermine U.S. foreign policy, threaten Americans’ sensitive financial and consumer data privacy, and violate international trade practices,” the senators wrote.

The senators urged the Biden administration to evaluate the CCP’s unfair commercial practices toward U.S. companies and review potential U.S. sanctions gaps related to China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System.

They explained that China has infiltrated American payment networks through the proliferation of China UnionPay, the world’s largest payment network, which is currently accepted by 80% of U.S. merchants and 90% of automated teller machines.

“It is no secret that the CCP seeks to secure a global leadership role in the setting of financial standards and to reduce the world’s reliance on the U.S. dollar. . . . Furthermore, the Chinese government has increasingly required businesses to share their data with CCP officials, including sensitive financial data and personally identifiable information (“or PII”). China has a long history of using its financial system to advance its geopolitical interests, all while Chinese payments networks are not subject to the same regulatory oversight as U.S. payments networks,” the lawmakers stated.

“The risks to data privacy, cybersecurity, and financial stability must be accounted for and treated accordingly,” they added.

The senators also asked Yellen and Tai to review U.S. sanction authority to see how Congress could fill any potential gaps the CCP could exploit to harm U.S. businesses and access Americans’ data.

Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) also signed the letter.

The full letter is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the AI Labeling Act to protect Americans from scams involving artificial intelligence (AI). The legislation would make sure that individuals know when they are viewing content generated by AI and when they are interacting with an AI system. 

“AI is moving quickly, and so are the scammers who are using it to exploit unsuspecting Americans. Our bill would set an AI-based standard to protect U.S. consumers by telling them whether what they’re reading, seeing or hearing is the product of AI, and that’s clarity that people desperately need,” said Kennedy.

“People deserve to know whether or not the videos, photos, and content they see and read online is real or not. Our bill is simple—if any content is made by artificial intelligence, it should be labeled so that people are aware and aren’t fooled or scammed,” said Schatz.

Recent advancements in AI have made it extremely difficult for individuals to identify whether they are viewing or hearing content generated by people or by machines.

Scammers are using AI systems to generate scam messages and fake images in order to manipulate or exploit consumers. The bill targets text messages, audio content and video content that AI generates. 

The AI Labeling Act would:

  • Require that developers of generative AI systems include a clear and conspicuous disclosure identifying AI-generated content;
  • Make developers and third-party licensees take reasonable steps to prevent systematic publication of content without disclosures; and
  • Establish a working group of government, AI developers, academia and social media platforms to identify best practices to identify AI-generated content consistently and how best to disclose that to consumers.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $6,078,485 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid. 

“Hurricane Laura dealt southwest Louisiana a tough blow, but its people are as strong as ever. I’m glad to see this $6.1 million help Cameron Parish prepare for future storms by elevating at-risk structures,” said Kennedy.

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

  • $6,078,485 to Cameron Parish for the elevation of 25 flood-prone residential structures and resulting management costs.

 

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) in introducing the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act, which would prevent the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from limiting the sale of gas-powered vehicles.

“The Biden administration’s woke proposal to block the sale of gas-powered cars benefits Chinese manufacturing and hurts America’s industry. I’m proud to support the CARS Act to stop the EPA’s radical rule, which would make the American dream more expensive for millions of hardworking people in our country,” said Kennedy.

“Once again, the Biden Administration’s rule-making process is being used to push a radical green agenda and pick winners and losers. Americans deserve to have access to affordable, reliable vehicles fueled by American-made energy products.  However, the Biden EPA’s rule change would hurt everyday Americans while simultaneously helping China.  Consequences of rules and regulations such as these restrict consumer choice and raise costs for the average American family,” said Crapo. 

“The EPA cannot continue to pick winners and losers. This legislation ensures the Biden administration can’t prioritize their radical left agenda over affordable and reliable internal combustion engines.  I’ll always fight to protect Nebraskans’ ability to choose what is best for them and their families,” said Ricketts.

Background:

  • In Aug. 2022, the California Air Resources Board approved a measure requiring all new cars and light trucks to generate zero tailpipe emissions by 2035.
  • To enforce this measure, the state of California is required to secure a waiver from the EPA.
  • In April 2023, the EPA proposed new emission standards for cars and light trucks under the Clean Air Act, a potential first step toward the regulation of the internal combustion engine.

The CARS Act would prevent the EPA from implementing its proposed rule and would ban the agency from abusing the Clean Air Act to advance this agenda. The legislation would also require the agency to update any regulations since Jan. 1, 2021 that result in the limited availability of new vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine within two years.

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives.

Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Joe Manchin (R-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also cosponsored the legislation. 

Full text of the CARS Act is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and 28 colleagues in raising concerns with President Biden regarding his administration’s apparent attempt to add Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su to the presidential line of succession.

“We write today to express grave concerns with your Administration’s apparent belief that Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su is eligible to assume the office of President of the United States pursuant to the presidential line of succession as established by Congress in the Presidential Succession Act of 1947,” the senators wrote.

The Biden administration made the covert decision to promote Su, despite her lacking Senate confirmation to become Labor Secretary. It is illegal to include a nominee who has not been Senate-confirmed in the line of presidential succession.

“Despite that reality and Ms. Su becoming the longest-ever Cabinet nominee to await confirmation in a time when the same party controls the White House and the Senate, the White House has chosen to keep her in place as Acting Secretary of Labor on an indefinite basis and has also listed her on the White House website as a member of the Cabinet ‘[i]n order of succession to the Presidency,’” the lawmakers said.

“It is unimaginable to think that this Administration believes someone who has neither been duly elected nor confirmed by the Senate to the position of Secretary of Labor could be President of the United States. Suggesting that Ms. Su is eligible to be in the presidential line of succession is antithetical to our system of governance and the bedrock principles on which our Republic rest,” they continued.

In the letter, senators also called on President Biden to nominate a Labor Secretary who is capable of garnering sufficient bipartisan support for confirmation.

Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) also signed the letter.

The full letter is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today introduced the Concerns Over Nations Funding University Campus Institutes in the United States (CONFUCIUS) Act to prevent Chinese-backed Confucius Institutes on U.S. college campuses from suppressing students’ freedom of speech.

Confucius Institutes are education organizations funded and arranged by the People’s Republic of China. The institutes enroll more 9 million students around the world, including many in the United States. They spread false narratives about historical events such as the Tiananmen Square massacre. 

“The Chinese Communist Party is directly controlling Confucius Institutes on U.S. college campuses. These institutes promote the CCP’s propaganda and suppress students’ academic liberty. The CONFUCIUS Act would give American universities and schools control over these organizations so that campuses can safeguard our First Amendment rights and speak truthfully,” said Kennedy. 

Specifically, the CONFUCIUS Act would require Confucius Institutes to:

  • Protect academic freedom on the campus where the Confucius Institute is located,
  • Prohibit the application of any foreign law on any campus of the institution, and
  • Grant full control over what a Confucius Institute teaches, the activities it carries out, the research grants it gives and the individuals it employs to the college or university on which it is located.

This bill would prohibit federal government funding to colleges and universities that host Confucius Institutes and are not in compliance with the above provisions. The funding prohibition would only apply to funding directed to the college or university and would not include funding disbursed to students, such as Pell Grants.

The Senate passed the legislation unanimously in the 116th and 117th Congresses.

Background:

  • In May 2020, the College Republican National Committee and the College Democrats of America wrote a joint letter calling for the “immediate and permanent closure of all Confucius Institutes in the United States” due to their “concerns over the present state of academic freedom” and “the continued exploitation of liberal, democratic academic institutions by authoritarians.”
  • These institutes can threaten universities by withholding funding in order to achieve their objectives, such as regulating speech the Chinese government opposes. Universities forced to choose between losing funding or upholding free speech are often tempted to yield to an institution funded by a foreign government over the interests of free speech. This allows foreign governments like China’s Communist Party to exert influence over American schools (such as prohibiting the Dalai Lama from speaking on a campus) and even to apply Chinese Communist laws on U.S. soil.

Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) cosponsored the legislation.

The CONFUCIUS Act text is available here.