President Trump signs Kennedy resolution repealing rule targeting offshore energy production into law

“Burdensome regulations hurt oil and gas producers’ ability to provide affordable energy and jobs to Americans. I’m thankful to President Trump for taking handcuffs off energy producers by signing my resolution into law.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – President Donald Trump signed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval to reverse the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) rule that targeted oil and gas production in the outer continental shelf into law.

“Burdensome regulations hurt oil and gas producers’ ability to provide affordable energy and jobs to Americans. I’m thankful to President Trump for taking handcuffs off energy producers by signing my resolution into law,” said Kennedy.

Sen. Cindy-Hyde Smith (R-Miss.) cosponsored the resolution.

“President Trump promised to restore America’s energy might and by signing these resolutions of disapproval he helps Congress reset policy in a way that encourages offshore oil and gas production. This action also has greater staying power, as any future administration would find it more difficult to reinstate the misguided regulations imposed during the Biden years. I commend President Trump for signing this important congressional resolution of disapproval, and really appreciate the opportunity to be part of the signing ceremony,” said Hyde-Smith.

Rep. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) introduced the companion resolution in the House of Representatives. 

“This is a great day for American energy independence and for the hardworking men and women who power our nation. The Biden administration’s misguided rule was a disaster for our energy producers, driving up costs for families and making us more reliant on foreign adversaries. By overturning this rule, we are unleashing American energy and ensuring a stronger, more secure future. Mississippi’s energy workers and consumers deserve policies that support economic growth and energy security—not unnecessary government overreach. I thank President Trump for his strong leadership in signing this today and reaffirming our commitment to affordable and reliable American energy,” said Ezell.

Background:

• On Sept. 3, 2024, the Biden administration published a rule requiring all new oil and gas leaseholders on the outer continental shelf to submit an archaeological report to the BOEM before drilling or laying pipelines. The rule burdens lessees with conducting costly surveys for marine archaeological resources, such as shipwrecks or “cultural resources.”  

• This rule replaces BOEM’s long-standing policy of requiring oil and gas operators to conduct archaeological surveys only when there was a “reason to believe” that an archaeological resource may be present.

• The Biden administration admitted that this rule would harm small oil and gas producers most, writing, “100 percent of the increased Gulf of [America] compliance cost . . . would be borne by operators that are small entities.” Small and independent operators account for one-third of all oil production in the Gulf of America.

• On Feb. 4, 2025, Kennedy introduced his CRA joint resolution of disapproval to repeal the rule. This is one of more than 225 harmful regulations that the Biden administration levied against the oil and natural gas industry.

• On Feb. 25, 2025, the Senate passed Kennedy’s resolution. On March 6, 2025, the House passed the resolution. 

The full resolution is available here. 

Kennedy reacts to joint address to Congress: “President Trump has given us a blueprint”

“President Trump has given us a blueprint. Now, it's going to be up to Congress to ensure that these changes last. I'm going to do everything within my power to help permanently get rid of this wasteful spending, renew the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, rebuild our military and secure our border for generations to come.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today made the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s address to Congress.

“President Trump has given us a blueprint. Now, it's going to be up to Congress to ensure that these changes last. I'm going to do everything within my power to help permanently get rid of this wasteful spending, renew the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, rebuild our military and secure our border for generations to come.

“It’s only been six weeks, but the changes in Washington and throughout the country have been breathtaking. For example, arrests at the border have plummeted to the lowest levels in more than five years.

“President Trump and his team have also uncovered billions of dollars in wasteful spending—I call it spending porn—including the government’s erroneous payments to deceased people.

“In addition to cutting spending and securing the border, President Trump has also replaced hundreds of harmful executive orders from President Biden and issued new ones that will unleash American energy production and support economic growth.

“I think most Louisianians are thrilled to see some common sense return to Washington, D.C. I've said it many times: Common sense is illegal in Washington, D.C., so it's nice to have some of it for a change.”

Kennedy receives “A+” rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America for standing for life

“Life is God’s greatest gift, and I’m proud to help protect it from extreme, left-wing attacks. I’m grateful for this ‘A+’ rating, and I’ll keep fighting hard for Louisiana’s pro-life values in the Senate.”

Watch Kennedy’s comments 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 118th Congress.

The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s national scorecard recognizes lawmakers who have consistently championed life through their voting records and legislative leadership.

“Life is God’s greatest gift, and I’m proud to help protect it from extreme, left-wing attacks. I’m grateful for this ‘A+’ rating, and I’ll keep fighting hard for Louisiana’s pro-life values in the Senate,” said Kennedy.

During the 118th Congress, Kennedy co-sponsored bills to protect babies born alive after surviving an abortion, stop funding abortions overseas and block the government from using aborted babies’ tissue for research. In his roles on the Judiciary and Budget Committees, Kennedy defended pro-life states and highlighted the horrors of abortion.

Also in 2024, Kennedy joined amici briefs in support of an Idaho pro-life law under attack from the Biden administration and opposing the FDA’s efforts to make unsafe abortion pills available by mail.

Kennedy’s Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s scorecard is available here.

Kennedy on Bourbon Street attack: It’s “objective evil”

 “I did talk to the Secretary of Homeland Security a little while ago, and I told him that . . . we expect to put the full force and resources of the federal government behind this investigation.”

NEW ORLEANS – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) made the following statements surrounding the attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans today:

“For those people who don't believe in objective evil, all you have to do is look at what happened in our city early this morning.”

“I'm here because these are my people. I'm here because these are my people's friends. I'm here because there are a lot of Louisianians that are scared tonight. I don't want them to be. There's a lot of information going around. Some of it is actually true. Some of it isn't. 

“The federal government is now in charge of this investigation. By that, I mean the White House, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. . . . I did talk to the Secretary of Homeland Security a little while ago, and I told him that—with all the respect I could muster—that we expect to put the full force and resources of the federal government behind this investigation.”

“Here's what I want to ask from the federal government: Catch these people. Catch these people, and then tell the American people the truth. . . . After we get to the bottom of this, they need to tell the American people the truth, and the people of New Orleans the truth, and the people of America the truth.”

View Kennedy’s full remarks here.

Kennedy highlights simple way to save taxpayer dollars: “Stop sending the money to dead people”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) explained how much money the federal government has wasted in payments to dead Americans in a speech on the Senate floor. Kennedy called on his colleagues to support his bill, the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased Americans Act, to help the federal government prevent improper payments to dead Americans.  

Key excerpts from the speech are below:

“I want to talk about dead people and the fact that they're getting money from the federal government. In fiscal year 2023 alone—this is just one year—our government sent $1.3 billion—not $1.3 million—we sent $1.3 billion in checks to dead people.”

. . .

“We need to go pass this bill. I mean, this makes no sense whatsoever. . . . You don't have to be Euclid to figure out that this is just fraud. It's abuse. It's low-hanging fruit, and it's so easily solved.

“All we have to do is direct the Social Security Administration on a permanent basis—not a three-year trial basis, on a permanent basis—to start sharing the list of dead people with the Department of Treasury and everybody else in the federal government who wants it. And then everybody's on the same page, and we know who's deceased, and we can stop sending the money to dead people who cash the checks.”  

Background: 

• Kennedy and Carper's Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act became law in December 2020. The bill mandates the sharing of the Social Security Administration's Death Master File with the Department of the Treasury’s Do Not Pay working system for three years. The three-year exchange runs from December 27, 2023 to December 27, 2026.

• The federal government sent $1.3 billion to dead people in fiscal year 2023 alone, according to the Office of Management and Budget. From 2004 to 2022, the federal government spent roughly $2.9 trillion on improper payments, including payments to deceased Americans. 

• In 2021, Kennedy wrote this op-ed for CNBC sounding the alarm on billions of dollars in erroneous payments made by the government to deceased Americans. 

• In 2019, Kennedy questioned U.S. Government Accountability Office Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro about improper payments to deceased people. 

Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.

Full text of the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act is available here.

Kennedy urges Pres. Biden to oppose U.N. plastics agreement harmful to Louisiana manufacturing

“Any agreement that includes provisions harmful to American manufacturing and jobs, or that unnecessarily drives up the costs to American consumers of food, electronics, vehicles, and other critical products, will not receive Senate ratification . . .”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and colleagues in writing President Joe Biden to reject the United Nations (U.N.) Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee’s global plastics pollution agreement, which would harm Louisiana and America’s manufacturing development.

“We write to express great concern that just as talks at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) enter their final phase, the administration has changed the U.S. negotiating positions to address plastic pollution. It is unfortunate the administration appears to have succumbed to pressure from extremist environmental activists and now supports constraints on manufacturing and the development of target lists that identify chemicals and plastic products to be banned around the world in the potential treaty. We will not support a treaty that proposes global lists to restrict the production or use of chemicals, plastics, or plastic products or that requires new domestic authority,” the senators wrote. 

“Throughout the negotiating process, the United States positioned itself to broker an agreement that not only seizes upon a historic opportunity to end plastic pollution in the environment, but one that also bolsters American manufacturing by supporting innovative new product designs and recycling technologies. Such an agreement could usher in a beneficial ‘circular economy’ for plastics. This last-minute change in U.S. policy could sabotage years of positive collaboration and progress in brokering a treaty that ends plastic pollution, unlocks innovation, and, importantly, that could be ratified by the U.S. Senate,” they continued.

The senators also explained that the agreement would commit the U.S. to domestic policy changes that could affect federal and state laws, and, for that reason, should be submitted to the Senate for advice and consent under Article II of the Constitution

“Any agreement that includes provisions harmful to American manufacturing and jobs, or that unnecessarily drives up the costs to American consumers of food, electronics, vehicles, and other critical products, will not receive Senate ratification . . . With the final round of negotiations taking place later this year, we recommend you focus on securing a treaty that the U.S. can actually join, one that will result in a lasting solution to end plastic pollution, and one that would strengthen our innovative economy,” they concluded.

Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also signed the letter.

The full letter is available here.

Kennedy on Fox News: It's the 4th anniversary of the biggest lie the Biden-Harris administration ever told. It's only gotten worse.

“President Biden and Vice President Harris argue that they are just trying to protect democracy. Yet they have done all they can to prevent citizens from hearing the truth about their administration. That itself is anti-democratic. And it is immoral.” 

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed for Fox News detailing how the Biden-Harris administration has lied to the American people in the four years since Hunter Biden’s laptop first surfaced. Kennedy argued that the Biden-Harris administration’s continued effort to censor the American people is anti-democratic and immoral. 

Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:

“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a casual relationship with the truth. They told us that they aren’t trying to ban gas stoves, that our president’s abilities aren’t in decline, and that the border isn’t open. They called these conspiracy theories. It appears we are going to have to get some new conspiracy theories because all the old ones turned out to be true. 

“Monday marks the fourth anniversary of the biggest lie the Biden-Harris administration told: that Mr. Hunter Biden’s laptop was not real.”

. . .

“It’s three weeks until the election. While some seem to have learned, the Biden-Harris administration has only doubled down.”

. . .

“Democracy only works when we can say what we believe. You are not free if you cannot say what you think. And no one can cast an informed vote when those in power censor relevant information. The American people know that the best way to correct misinformation is with more and better information, not censorship.

“President Biden and Vice President Harris argue that they are just trying to protect democracy. Yet they have done all they can to prevent citizens from hearing the truth about their administration. That itself is anti-democratic. And it is immoral.” 

Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here. 

Kennedy commends Louisianians for their strength during Hurricane Francine: ‘My people are tough as a pine knot’

“My people are tough as a pine knot, but they're also compassionate—and we made it through.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) spoke on the Senate floor to praise the people of Louisiana for their perseverance during Hurricane Francine. Kennedy also explained what types of federal aid Louisiana will receive to help facilitate cleanup efforts in the state.

Key remarks from Kennedy include:

“I am sorry to report that last week my people in Louisiana were hit by yet another hurricane: Hurricane Francine. It was a Category 2. It was right on the line between a Category 1 and a Category 2. We had winds of 100 miles an hour. We had nine to 10 inches of rain. We had a vicious storm surge.

“My people did what they always do: They got ready for it, they reacted to the storm with grace and with pressure. My people filled sandbags, and we checked on our neighbors and we listened to our local officials. We said prayers for our first responders. My people are tough as a pine knot, but they're also compassionate—and we made it through.

“Some have said, ‘Well, compared to past hurricanes, Francine was not as bad as some in the past.’ And that's true. It could always be worse, but that is cold comfort for the thousands of Louisianians who sustained damage from that storm surge and those ferocious winds and that rain.

“And I want to assure my people that, as we have in the past, we will persevere, and we will make it through. I have never, in my years in the Senate, voted against providing relief for any of our sister states and my fellow senators who have asked for it, who have been the victim of a natural disaster—and I never will.

“That's the first role of government is to protect people and property. And I will never vote against aid for one of our sister states that, through no fault of its own, is struck by nature. I say that because I will be asking the American people to help Louisiana one more time. We won't ask for a penny more than we need. The help that I will seek will be in the form of personal assistance and housing, for example, infrastructure assistance and mitigation grants.

“I want to thank President Biden, Governor Landry, with whom I toured by helicopter the damage last week. Governor Landry asked for a disaster declaration for the president, and President Biden was quick to agree. I want to thank him for that.”

Watch Kennedy’s full speech here. 

Senate passes Kennedy-backed bill to make Biden-Harris admin’s DHS disclose catch-and-release data

“Louisianians and all Americans deserve total transparency about who is in their communities. For that reason, the House should bring this bill to the president’s desk quickly.”

WASHINGTON – The Senate unanimously passed the Southern Border Transparency Act, which Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, helped introduce.

The bill, which Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) led, would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to issue reports detailing how it is handling illegal aliens seeking entry along the southern border. 

“Vice President Harris was tasked with addressing immigration, and under her and Pres. Biden’s watch, millions of illegal immigrants have been released into our country by DHS. Louisianians and all Americans deserve total transparency about who is in their communities. For that reason, the House should bring this bill to the president’s desk quickly,” said Kennedy.

The Biden-Harris administration uses tools such as parole to drive down apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border and avoid removing foreign nationals who enter the country illegally.  

“The Biden-Harris administration has gone to great lengths to hide the ball when it comes to levels of illegal immigration, but the American people deserve to know exactly how many migrants are being released into the country and exactly on what terms. This is the most basic of transparency measures—just the facts, that’s all we’re looking for,” said Cornyn.

The bill would require the DHS to report on the: 

• Number of migrants paroled at each port of entry (POE), broken down by nationality and demographics.

• Number of migrants paroled in each Border Patrol sector, broken down by nationality and demographics.

• Number of migrants apprehended at each POE.

• Number of migrants apprehended in each Border Patrol sector.

• Number of petitions for parole received and granted by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the total number of aliens paroled into the U.S., broken down by nationality and demographics.

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Hawley (R-Mo.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) also cosponsored the legislation.

Bill text of the Southern Border Transparency Act is available here.

Sen. John Kennedy Gives Statement on Hurricane Francine

I flew home early yesterday to be with the people of Louisiana as we ride out Hurricane Francine.

We’ll get through this together. pic.twitter.com/GaTKDRioXM

— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) September 11, 2024

We've secured an emergency declaration from FEMA ahead of Hurricane Francine's landfall. Becky and I are praying for Louisianians as we all prepare for this storm. https://t.co/c5hCMrDcMX

— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) September 11, 2024

Kennedy in the Ouachita Citizen: Failed Biden-Harris border policies leave Louisiana less safe

“They opened the border in hopes of getting more votes, and they left Louisianians and Americans to fend for themselves against the most vicious criminals lurking among the masses.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today penned this op-ed in the Ouachita Citizen arguing that the failed border policies of the Biden-Harris administration have left Louisianians less safe. Kennedy detailed several examples of crime in Louisiana that could have been prevented by a secure border.

Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:

“Some of the most violent gangs in the world are looking for new turf, and the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policies have made the United States a destination.

“All over the country, law enforcement officers are responding to crimes committed by members of foreign criminal organizations such as El Salvador’s MS-13 and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gangs. These men are the worst of the worst, and some have already begun to appear in Louisiana.”

. . .

“From day one, President Biden and his border czar Kamala Harris have embraced the radical policies of the loon wing of their party, and they rolled out the welcome mat for more than 10 million unvetted foreign nationals to enter the United States.

“They promised to give health care coverage to illegal immigrants during their campaigns. They made illegal immigration easier with nearly 300 executive orders during their first year in office. They ended Title 42. They destroyed the Remain in Mexico policy. They disparaged our border patrol officers. They gave migrants phones, flights and hotel rooms. I could go on.

“Someone writing a how-to guide for illegal immigrant recruitment couldn’t have dreamed up this bad policy playbook.”

. . .

“It’s hard not to conclude that the Biden-Harris administration created this mess intentionally. They opened the border in hopes of getting more votes, and they left Louisianians and Americans to fend for themselves against the most vicious criminals lurking among the masses.

“Louisianians have had enough of the Biden-Harris administration’s border betrayal, and they won’t forget it.”

Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.

Kennedy on third anniversary of Afghanistan withdrawal: Biden-Harris admin “delivered terrorists biggest win in years”

“Neither President Biden nor Vice President Harris has ever apologized. Not once. As we reflect on this anniversary, I want to remind the American people and the people of the Louisiana that this devastating withdrawal didn't have to happen. . . . We didn't need to lose those 13 brave men and women. We didn't need to abandon our military base and give American Black Hawks to the Taliban, who want to kill Americans, who want to hurt us the entire time we're dying and then want to drink our blood out of a boot.”

Watch Kennedy’s statement here:

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today issued the following statement on the third anniversary of the Biden-Harris administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. The ill-advised withdrawal left 13 American service members dead and countless Americans stranded under Taliban-rule. The Biden-Harris administration’s withdrawal also allowed the Taliban to gain control of more than $7 billion of U.S. military equipment which included Humvees, attack aircraft, drones and small arms.

“It is a sad day for many American veterans and their families. Today marks three years since the Biden-Harris administration's botched withdrawal—botched withdrawal—from Afghanistan. What an embarrassment. 

“Thirteen of our bravest men and women died that day—Americans. Several more troops sustained injuries, and the thousands of American veterans who fought so valiantly in Afghanistan had to witness the Biden-Harris administration make a mockery of their hard work by leaving the country in chaos.

“Neither President Biden nor Vice President Harris has ever apologized. Not once. As we reflect on this anniversary, I want to remind the American people and the people of Louisiana that this devastating withdrawal didn't have to happen. It did not have to happen. We didn't need to lose those 13 brave men and women. We didn't need to abandon our military base and give American Black Hawks to the Taliban, who want to kill Americans, who want to hurt us the entire time we're dying and then want to drink our blood out of a boot.

“None of that had to happen. This all happened because of stunning incompetence. . . . [T]his was caused by the stunning incompetence of the Biden-Harris administration, and that's just a fact. President Biden and Vice President Harris ignored every single warning from their top generals, and they announced to the world that we'd be out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11th.

“They knew it was a bad idea. They had to. And they did it anyway. They ignored those who knew better, and, by ignoring those who knew better, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris delivered these terrorists their biggest win in years—in years. . . . 

“[W]hat they did makes me want to heave. I am so sorry for the pain this chaotic withdrawal caused to our brave veterans and to the American people. They deserve better. We all deserve better, and, on this issue, President Biden and Vice President Harris should hide their heads in a bag.”

View Kennedy’s full statement here.

Kennedy in the American Press: Biden-Harris administration’s anti-energy policies terrible for Louisiana

“Apparently, President Biden and Vice President Harris would rather see LNG exported from the Kremlin than Louisiana.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, penned this op-ed in the American Press detailing how the Biden-Harris administration’s anti-energy policies have harmed Louisiana. Kennedy also explained how he has helped push back against these damaging policies.

Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:   

“If there were a contest to design the worst possible energy policies for Louisiana, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris would win by a mile.

“Their administration’s breathtakingly dumb energy agenda is killing Louisiana jobs, driving up prices, and draining America’s emergency fuel reserves.

“In January, for example, the Biden-Harris administration followed the advice of TikTok activists and paused all new permits for liquified natural gas (LNG) export terminals. The permit prohibition has jeopardized several Louisiana facilities and thousands of jobs, including those at the Calcasieu Pass 2 export terminal in Cameron Parish.

“The LNG permit pause also makes it more difficult for our allies to get American natural gas. Under this administration’s watch, Russia recently surpassed the United States to become the European Union’s top LNG supplier. Apparently, President Biden and Vice President Harris would rather see LNG exported from the Kremlin than Louisiana.”

. . .

“My work in Congress will help mitigate some of the damage the Biden-Harris administration has caused in Louisiana, but the best way to get out of this hole is to stop digging.

“Louisianians and indeed all Americans are beginning to understand that the voting booth is the only place they can go to restore common sense and stop the Biden-Harris administration’s awful energy policies.”

Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.

Kennedy, Rubio: “Dictator Nicolás Maduro has once again stolen a presidential election”

“To no one’s surprise, dictator Nicolás Maduro has once again stolen a presidential election. However, what the narco-regime will never steal is the Venezuelan people’s desire to return to democracy and live in freedom after decades of tyranny.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) along with Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Michael Bennett (D-Colo.) and Reps. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.), Jenniffer González-Colón (R-P.R.), María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in releasing a joint statement regarding authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro’s illegitimate claim of victory in Venezuela’s presidential election.

The senators’ statement is below:

“To no one’s surprise, dictator Nicolás Maduro has once again stolen a presidential election. However, what the narco-regime will never steal is the Venezuelan people’s desire to return to democracy and live in freedom after decades of tyranny. We must prioritize uniting the free world in rejecting these sham election results and securing the release of the more than 300 Venezuelans that remain arbitrarily detained in torture centers as political prisoners.

“The Maduro dictatorship is experiencing an internal fracture, and members of the dictatorship know their status quo, which is filled with incompetence, is no longer sustainable. There is massive discontent in the streets of Venezuela, and everyday citizens have stood in support of opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez. Let there be no doubt: the countries and international organizations backing this fraud of unimaginable proportions must be held accountable, as should members of the narco-regime and its ‘National Electoral Council.’”

According to reporting, “independent exit polling and partial results” suggest “González captured twice as many votes as Maduro.” Despite these reports and international concern, Maduro declared victory on Monday.

Background:

• In February, in retaliation to U.S. sanctions, the Maduro regime halted the deportation of Venezuelans who came into America illegally.

• Kennedy introduced the No Dollars for Dictators Act to prevent taxpayer money from flowing to perpetrators of genocide and state sponsors of terrorism, including Nicolás Maduro.

• Kennedy has repeatedly called on the Biden-Harris administration to unleash American energy production so that the U.S. does not need to rely on foreign adversaries, including Venezuela, for oil.

Kennedy statement on Israel, Netanyahu address

“Hamas is working with Iran, and Iran is hellbent on developing a nuclear weapon and pointing it at America and our allies. . . . America needs to keep supporting Israel as it destroys Hamas and working with Israel to defeat Tehran’s terrorism and its evil aspirations definitively. I’m thankful that Prime Minister Netanyahu came to join us in that effort today.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today released the following statement upon attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech was exceptional. Unfortunately, mere months after the October 7 massacre, some people in Washington still seem confused about why America supports Israel. Too many people—many of whom descended on the Capitol today—still apparently believe in diversity, equity, inclusion and the right to kill Jews. That bloodlust has never been—and will never be—what most Americans believe.

“Louisiana still understands that the debased people who slaughtered more than 300 young people at a peaceful music festival are the bad guys. The odious men who raped women next to the bodies of their dead friends don't deserve to be on this planet. The evil we saw unfold when Hamas butchered Israeli civilians is indefensible. And we all saw it.

“Hamas terrorists brutalized thousands of people, including Americans. Hamas is still holding eight Americans in Gaza. We believe five of our fellow citizens being held there are still alive. President Biden and Vice President Harris need to bring them home, and every day until then they need to condemn the Hamas terrorists who have murdered, kidnapped and abused our fellow Americans

“Israel has both the right and the responsibility to defend itself. This world will be a safer place for Americans and Israelis alike when Hamas ceases to exist.

“Let's not forget that Hamas are the wicked people who are using civilians as human shields. Hamas are the bloodthirsty people who dug up their people’s water pipes to turn them into rocket launchers.

“The truth is that the Palestinian people, the people of Gaza and the Israeli people all suffer because of Hamas. The truth is that Hamas brutalized Israeli citizens and then ran home to hide behind their women and children, using them as human shields.

“The only way to stop the cycle is to eliminate Hamas. Hamas doesn't want a permanent cease fire. After all, they had that on October 6. Hamas wants America, Israel and every decent person on earth to let them catch their breath so that they can reload and take aim again at innocent Americans and Israelis.

“Hamas is working with Iran, and Iran is hellbent on developing a nuclear weapon and pointing it at America and our allies. Iran is the author of chaotic, senseless suffering across the Middle East, and Tehran wants nothing more than to annihilate Israel and take its terrorism global. America needs to keep supporting Israel as it destroys Hamas and working with Israel to defeat Tehran’s terrorism and its evil aspirations definitively. I’m thankful that Prime Minister Netanyahu came to join us in that effort today.”

Sen. John Kennedy on Resignation of Secret Service Director

Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation is welcome but overdue.

This is only the beginning of accountability for an incredible failure to protect a former president and leading candidate for that office.

— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) July 23, 2024

Kennedy to Louisianians following assassination attempt on Pres. Trump: “The American people deserve answers” and “We’ll figure this out together”

“. . . the American people deserve answers to that, but let's wait and get the facts. . . . We'll figure this out together. In the meantime, let’s all respect each other’s humanity.” 

Watch Kennedy’s full statement here.

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today made the following statement regarding the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa.

“Why? That's what most Americans are asking themselves today, ‘Why did President Trump almost lose his life?’

“First, there aren’t words in English, it seems to me, to describe how horrible the attempt on President Trump's life was. I know it could’ve been worse, but it was really, really bad. And, inevitably, Americans today, as I said, are asking themselves, ‘Why?’

“Look, America hasn't been happy for a while, and this crosses all political spectrums. It costs more to live in our country today. Many people on both sides of the political spectrum are upset about the open border. Crime is . . . still bad. People are scared. They see the rise of China and the rise of Iran and the rise of Russia, and they instinctively know that [those regimes’] domination creates a world that's not safe for democracy or America. And this has led to disagreement in our politics. That disagreement is inevitable.

“It's been especially sharp because I think it reflects two things: It reflects the unhappiness that I've talked about, but it also reflects the fact that all Americans, they care deeply about their families, and they care deeply about their country.

“I don't have an answer for why, but what I will respectfully suggest is that we wait and try to figure out why together. Don't make assumptions. Don't jump to conclusions. I've already heard some people saying, ‘Well, the shooter was left-wing,’ or ‘the shooter was a right-winger,’ or ‘it was all political.’ We just don't know. Maybe he wasn’t left-wing or right-wing. Maybe he was just a broken wing. Maybe he was a nut. Maybe he was mentally ill.

“I've also seen people pointing fingers at our government officials about how could they have allowed this to happen. Well, the American people deserve answers to that, but let's wait and get the facts.

“So, I just wanted to say that—it was in my head and on my heart—to the people of America and the people of Louisiana: We'll figure this out together. In the meantime, let’s all respect each other’s humanity.”

Sen. Kennedy continues to pray for the loved ones of Corey Comperatore, who attended the rally with his family and died while protecting his wife and daughter.

“Becky and I are praying for the family of the attendee who died this evening at Pres. Trump’s rally as well as for the quick recovery of all others who are injured. Political violence has no place in America,” said Kennedy Saturday as he thanked God for protecting Pres. Trump and others that evening.

Watch Kennedy’s statement here.

Kennedy wishes Louisianians a Happy Fourth of July

“We have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to be proud of this July Fourth.” 

Watch Kennedy’s remarks here.   

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today wished Louisianians and all Americans a Happy Independence Day.

Kennedy’s full statement is below:

“The United States of America is star-spangled awesome. The United States of America is the greatest country in all of human history, and the whole world knows it. When was the last time you heard of someone trying to sneak into China? The whole world wants to come here.

“We have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to be proud of this July Fourth. So, I hope you'll join Becky, Preston and me in celebrating this extraordinary country this Fourth of July. Have a safe and happy Fourth. God bless America.”

View Kennedy’s full statement here.

Kennedy: Sometimes Washington doesn’t understand real America

“Sometimes we get it wrong in Washington, Mr. President, in terms of our perceptions of what's going on in real America.”  

Watch Kennedy’s speech here. ­

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) spoke on the Senate floor about how informed Louisianians are and how they get their news.

Key remarks from Kennedy include:

“Every time I leave Washington, D.C., and go back home to America, I am reminded of how parochial Washington, D.C., can be—how removed it can be, how unaware it can be. 

“We often hear people in this city, where our Capitol sits, say, ‘Well . . . the American people just don’t understand.’ ‘The American people’—you often hear—‘just don't know what they’re talking about. They don't know what we know. They don’t read the news. They don't keep up like we do.’” 

. . .

“So, recently, Mr. President, I conducted a poll [to] test that point of view. . . . About 70% of my people in Louisiana, Mr. President, follow the news every single day.”

. . .

“Thirty-nine percent of the people in Louisiana—70% of whom follow the news every single day—get their news from cable TV.

“Another 21.1% get their news from morning and evening broadcast television—not cable—local television news and national television news.”

. . .

“Twenty-seven percent of my people get their news primarily from the internet.”

. . .

“Radio news is also important in my state. Seven percent of my people . . . listen to radio news as their primary source of news.”

. . .

“Only 4% of my people receive their news today from newspapers.”

. . .

“Sometimes we get it wrong in Washington, Mr. President, in terms of our perceptions of what's going on in real America.”

Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.

Kennedy condemns Democrat attack on SCOTUS: “I do not believe most of my colleagues think this bill is about ethics.”

 “I do not believe that we should try to undermine the integrity of the institution of the Supreme Court of the United States because we're unhappy with one of its opinions.”

 Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) helped block the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023, a Democrat bill that would erode the Supreme Court’s independence, threaten the constitutionally mandated balance of powers and surrender the power of the judicial branch to bureaucrats.

Kennedy’s remarks are below:

“I do not believe most of my colleagues think this bill is about ethics. This bill is about abortion. In June of 2022, the United States Supreme Court decided the Dobbs case. It returned the issue of abortion to the American people through their states. 

“While the Supreme Court was deliberating that case, my colleague and my friend, Senator Schumer went over to the Supreme Court, and, on the steps of the Supreme Court building—I was there; I remember it like it was yesterday—this is what Senator Schumer said, I quote, ‘I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh’—not ‘Justice Gorsuch,’ not ‘Justice Kavanaugh’—‘I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you,’ Senator Schumer said, ‘if you go forward with these awful decisions,’ close quote.

“What we’re seeing today with this legislation, in my opinion—but most senators agree with me—is part of the promised whirlwind, and I do not believe that we should try to undermine the integrity of the institution of the Supreme Court of the United States because we’re unhappy with one of its opinions.”

Watch Kennedy’s full remarks here.