Kennedy, Scott introduce bill to unlock U.S. LNG potential, buck Biden halt on exports

“Louisiana and many other states rely on the clean energy that LNG provides. We can’t allow the president’s Department of Energy to further jeopardize economic and geopolitical stability with its disastrous permitting pauses.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in introducing the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act to allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve or deny applications for the siting, construction, expansion or operation of facilities to export or import liquified natural gas (LNG).

Under current law, the Department of Energy (DOE) has the authority to approve or deny LNG exports, yet, under the Biden administration, the department is politicizing American energy production.

“At every turn, the Biden administration yields to the demands of radical climate extremists—and it is putting America’s jobs and national security at risk. Louisiana and many other states rely on the clean energy that LNG provides. We can’t allow the president’s Department of Energy to further jeopardize economic and geopolitical stability with its disastrous permitting pauses,” said Kennedy.

“President Biden’s move to halt American energy exports is pure politics. In fact, exporting U.S. natural gas would actually lower global emissions. President Biden is dead set on bowing to the far-left and making the U.S. and our allies more reliant on foreign adversaries like Russia. Instead, I’m fighting to unleash America’s abundant natural resources, bolster our energy independence and safeguard our national security,” said Scott.

Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) also cosponsored the legislation.

Background:

• On Jan. 30, Kennedy vowed to block President Biden’s nominees to the State Department and the Department of Energy until the administration stops its hostility towards LNG production.

• On Jan. 30, Kennedy and colleagues urged the administration to reverse its decision to pause permitting for LNG export facilities in the U.S., citing a threat to the industry. Louisiana's Calcasieu Pass 2 project is among the 17 proposed LNG terminals Biden's decision froze.

• On Jan. 18, prior to the Biden administration's decision to halt permitting for LNG export facilities, Kennedy warned DOE Secretary Jennifer Graham about the burdensome permitting process. 

• In April 2021, Kennedy wrote an op-ed outlining how Louisiana’s energy production could help meet the world’s demand for LNG.

Full text of the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act is available here.

Kennedy on Risk Rating 2.0: “FEMA lied”

“In my state, here's what the premiums have done: They said, ‘A lot of [your] people, Kennedy, they'll see it decreases.’ Terrebonne County . . . 305% increase. Another parish: 321%. Plaquemines Parish: 540%. FEMA lied.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today spoke in the Senate Banking Committee about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Risk Rating 2.0 program, which has dramatically raised flood insurance premiums for Louisianians.

Of the 5 million Americans who rely on the NFIP to protect their businesses and homes, roughly 500,000 are Louisianians.

Key excerpts from the senator’s remarks are below.

“[FEMA] lied. They said a million people of the 5 million people will see their rates go down. I haven't talked to a single person who's seen their rates go down. This is just an excuse to raise premiums, and they don't care. The whole purpose of the National Flood Insurance Program is to provide a product that people can afford.”

“In my state, here's what the premiums have done: They said, ‘A lot of [your] people, Kennedy, they'll see it decreases.’ Terrebonne County—we call our counties ‘parishes’—305% increase. Another parish: 321%. Plaquemines Parish: 540%. FEMA lied, and they're not going to do any better.”

“Right now, FEMA can raise the premiums 18% every single year, and they’re going to keep doing it because they don't care. They lied to the American people and my people, and they ought to hide their heads in a bag.”

In June 2023, Kennedy helped introduce the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act to reauthorize the NFIP for five years and cap annual policy premium hikes at 9%.

Background: 

• On Sept. 28, 2023 the Senate blocked Kennedy’s second attempt at passing his NFIP Extension Act of 2023 on the Senate floor. 

• On Sept. 13, 2023 the Senate blocked Kennedy’s NFIP Extension Act of 2023 from passing on the Senate floor. 

• In July 2023, Kennedy first introduced the NFIP Extension Act of 2023 to ensure that the program would not lapse on its expiration date. 

• In 2019, Kennedy’s National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2019 became law. 

• In 2018, Kennedy’s first National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act became law. 

• In addition, Kennedy has helped ensure that multiple continuing resolutions to fund the federal government have included an extension of the NFIP.

View Kennedy’s full remarks here.

Kennedy warns DOE Secretary Granholm that new rules will crush U.S. natural gas industry

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Ranking member of the Senate Energy and Water Subcommittee on Appropriations, today sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, urging the department to not limit U.S. exports of liquified natural gas (LNG) through enforcing unnecessary burdens in the permitting process.

“. . . the Department of Energy, through new guidelines and rulemakings, will crush a burgeoning U.S. industry that employs tens of thousands of Americans, provides cheap and reliable energy to millions, and is a vital instrument in weening the world off of dirty Russian energy,” the senator wrote.

Kennedy raised concerns that any attempt by the Biden administration to implement additional rulemaking in the permitting process would arbitrarily limit the country’s ability to utilize natural gas resources and that such actions would be a mistake. 

“The U.S. has a natural gas resource base that conservatively stands at close to 4,000 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. Let's put that resource to its best use to maintain our energy independence, to help our allies, to reduce emissions and to create good-paying jobs—instead of needlessly sidelining it,” Kennedy concluded.

Background:

• Louisiana’s LNG export terminals account for 63% of all U.S. LNG exports.

• The LNG industry employs 18,000 people in Louisiana.

• LNG contributes $4.4 billion to Louisiana’s economy.

The full letter is available here.

Please see Fox digital’s story featuring Kennedy’s reaction here and attached: Biden reportedly jams brakes on massive energy projects over climate impacts

Kennedy explains how Biden’s open border helps cartels and terrorists: “This is insanity.”

“Today, President Joe Biden’s failed border policies have wreaked havoc in every single corner of the United States, including Louisiana.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor, warning the Biden administration that terrorists, cartel members and sex offenders are exploiting the chaos at the border to enter our country illegally.

Kennedy urged President Biden to work with conservatives to secure the border and address this ongoing national security threat. 

Key comments from Kennedy include:

“You can cut the irony with a knife. After years of presenting themselves as ‘sanctuary cities,’ officials—many of them well intentioned—throughout the country learned in 2023 that the crisis at our border is not just a problem for southern states like Texas, Arizona and even my state. It’s an American crisis. Today, President Joe Biden’s failed border policies have wreaked havoc in every single corner of the United States, including Louisiana.

“According to one estimate, and it’s not the only estimate, but I think this is a very telling estimate—Louisianians pay an additional $4,613 an illegal migrant—that’s about $604 million per year—in state taxes because of illegal immigration. . . . That’s happening at a time when Louisiana families are also having to come out of pocket with an extra $800 per month to deal with inflation.”

. . .

“President Biden’s border policies are not just a human rights disaster, though they certainly are. But his policies have also provided the perfect cover for terrorist sympathizers, child sex offenders, for cartel associates to enter the United States illegally. All you have to do is mix in because nobody is checking anybody.

“The numbers that I’m about to give you will make you throw up. Border Patrol apprehended 169 members of the FBI’s terrorist watchlist attempting to cross the southern border illegally in 2023 alone. . . . That’s more than 10 times the number of potential terrorists that Border Patrol detained in the four years before President Biden took office.”

. . .

“We know what Mexico’s cartels have done. They have been exploiting our open border to terrorize Americans for years. Their weapon of choice is fentanyl. The cartels kill tens of thousands of U.S. citizens per year by working with China to flood our communities with fentanyl. That fentanyl comes from China, and it comes from Mexico. Louisiana lost more than 1,300 people—1,300 loved ones—to fentanyl poisoning in 2022 alone. The narco-terrorists flood our communities with poison and fill their coffers with as much as $1 billion per year.”

. . .

“These cartels, the members, they put migrants through hell as they march them across our southern border. Predators sexually assault an estimated four out of every five women. It’s unsurprising, then, many of the male migrants the cartels usher to the border are also known sex offenders. In just two months, Mr. President, Border Patrol agents in Texas caught 21 known child predators . . . attempting to enter the country illegally. Imagine how many we don’t know about. Border Patrol apprehended 284 sex offenders in fiscal year 2023 alone.” 

. . .

“The American people see the southern border like they see the front door of their home. Most Americans lock their front door at night. They don't do that because they hate everybody on the outside. Most Americans lock their front door at night because they love the people on the inside, and they just want to know who's coming in and out of their home—and that's all the American people want in terms of immigration.”

Kennedy’s full remarks are available here.

Kennedy: “We all know that human life is precious”

“Few things fill my heart as much as seeing young people travel from every corner of this wonderful country to defend the defenseless and give a voice to the voiceless. America could use more of your moral clarity and your courage.” 

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today released the following message addressing this year’s March for Life in Washington, DC, which many Louisianians and Americans attend:

 “When I was a kid growing up in Zachary—I remember it like yesterday—my dad would always say, ‘Son, you will never know love until you have a child. . . . It’s special.’

 . . .

 “My Dad was right. I found that out when God smiled on Becky and me and we got our son Preston when he was just a few days old.

 “That’s why it’s so sad that abortion remains a heartbreaking reality in our own country. Some Americans find it easier to ignore this evil than to work to overcome it, but you, all of you, have chosen to stand together to protect the life, the liberty, the happiness of countless unborn boys and girls.

 “Each year, you and your work renew my hope for our country’s future. You do. Few things fill my heart as much as seeing young people travel from every corner of this wonderful country to defend the defenseless and give a voice to the voiceless. America could use more of your moral clarity and your courage.

 “We all know that human life is precious, and it doesn’t matter whether that life is 82-years-old or 82-seconds-old. I pray that your voices will continue to bring about pro-life changes in America. . . . God bless you all, and may God bless the millions of unborn babies you’ve done so much to protect.”

 View Kennedy’s full remarks here.

Kennedy warns DOE Secretary Granholm that new rules will crush U.S. natural gas industry

“The U.S. has a natural gas resource base that conservatively stands at close to 4,000 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. Let's put that resource to its best use to maintain our energy independence, to help our allies, to reduce emissions and to create good-paying jobs—instead of needlessly sidelining it.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Ranking member of the Senate Energy and Water Subcommittee on Appropriations, today sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, urging the department to not limit U.S. exports of liquified natural gas (LNG) through enforcing unnecessary burdens in the permitting process.

“. . . the Department of Energy, through new guidelines and rulemakings, will crush a burgeoning U.S. industry that employs tens of thousands of Americans, provides cheap and reliable energy to millions, and is a vital instrument in weening the world off of dirty Russian energy,” the senator wrote.

Kennedy raised concerns that any attempt by the Biden administration to implement additional rulemaking in the permitting process would arbitrarily limit the country’s ability to utilize natural gas resources and that such actions would be a mistake.

“The U.S. has a natural gas resource base that conservatively stands at close to 4,000 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. Let's put that resource to its best use to maintain our energy independence, to help our allies, to reduce emissions and to create good-paying jobs—instead of needlessly sidelining it,” Kennedy concluded.

Background:

• Louisiana’s LNG export terminals account for 63% of all U.S. LNG exports.

• The LNG industry employs 18,000 people in Louisiana.

• LNG contributes $4.4 billion to Louisiana’s economy.

The full letter is available here.

Kennedy attempts to overcome Biden veto of resolution blocking invasive, woke CFPB rule

“Congress has already passed this common-sense resolution to safeguard the personal information of small business owners, and it’s wrong for a minority of senators to allow Pres. Biden to keep putting sensitive personal information at risk.”

WASHINGTON – The Senate today attempted to overcome President Joe Biden’s veto of Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval. The resolution would prohibit the Biden administration’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from enforcing its Dodd Frank Section 1071 small business data collection rule. The attempted veto-override earned 54 votes, failing to reach the two-thirds majority needed to advance.

The Senate originally passed Kennedy’s resolution of disapproval in October, and the House of Representatives passed it in December. 

“Common sense is illegal at the CFPB, yet some of my colleagues failed to protect the privacy of small business owners across America from the Biden administration’s woke, invasive rule. Congress has already passed this common-sense resolution to safeguard the personal information of small business owners, and it’s wrong for a minority of senators to allow Pres. Biden to keep putting sensitive personal information at risk,” said Kennedy.

Section 1071 requires covered financial institutions to collect certain personal information on small business loan applicants and report that to the CFPB. This information includes an applicant’s race, ethnicity and sex and whether the business is minority-owned, woman-owned or LGBT-owned. The CFPB may then make certain parts of that information public, including data that could be used to publicly identify the small business credit applicant.

Background:

• In June 2023, Kennedy introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval of the CFPB rule to implement Dodd Frank Section 1071, which amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

• Kennedy introduced the Transparency in CFPB Cost-Benefit Analysis Act to ensure that the CFPB does not establish regulations that would foist unreasonable costs or harms onto taxpayers, financial entities or consumers. 

• Kennedy introduced the Small LENDER Act to protect Louisiana’s small businesses’ access to capital. The legislation would block the Biden administration’s CFPB from requiring community banks and small lenders to collect and report social data—such as race, gender and ethnicity—from borrowers. 

The legislation is available here. 

Kennedy: American wages haven’t kept up with Biden-flation

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today explained on the Senate floor how Washington’s out-of-control spending under President Joe Biden has left Americans with lower real wages, soaring credit card debt and shrinking savings accounts.

“As a result of Bidenomics and inflation, in my state, the average family making $80,000 a year is going to have to pay an extra $800 a month because of inflation. That’s an extra $10,000 a year. . . . That’s happening right now to millions of Louisianians and millions of Americans. What are you going to do?”

. . .

“A pay raise doesn't work. It’s great to have, but inflation eats it up and then some. Well, ok, that family’s still got to find $10,000. What do you do? Well, you go borrow the money, and that’s what’s happening: Credit card debt. Buy now, pay later. Or other types of loans. Don’t just take my word for it. On the last numbers we have in the third quarter of this year, credit card spending was up 9% at Chase Bank. It was up 15% at Wells Fargo.”

. . .

“People are using credit cards. They are charging more and more, and they’re paying less and less on those credit cards. They’re getting deeper, deeper into the hole.

“What else are people doing in my state and every other state? They’re raiding their savings. If you look at the numbers, personal deposits are down 3% year-over-year at Chase Bank. What does that mean? It means people are raiding their savings accounts to deal with this inflation.”

. . .

“My point, Madam President, is that these actions that are taken in Washington, D.C. have real-life consequences for average, everyday American families on fixed incomes. . . . People are having to borrow, and people are having to raid their savings, and it is clearly a cancer on the American dream.”

Kennedy in The Ouachita Citizen: To raise real wages, President Biden’s New Year’s Resolution should be to rein in federal spending

 ­

“To fix a problem, you have to get to the source, and Washington’s spending spree caused this inflation.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Ouachita Citizen explaining how Washington’s out-of-control spending helped fuel inflation that far outpaced real wage growth during the past two-and-a-half years. Kennedy urges President Joe Biden to work with fiscal conservatives to regain control of federal government spending in the new year.

Key excerpts from Kennedy’s op-ed include:

“If recent polling is any indication, the American people are hoping President Biden’s New Year’s resolution will be to stop promoting bad policies that drive up prices and lower their quality of life. 

“Some at the White House, however, believe the American people have nothing to complain about. For the last part of 2023, President Biden’s team has been wielding cherry-picked statistics about gross domestic product (GDP) growth or job numbers hoping to convince Americans not to believe their ‘lying eyes’—or their empty wallets. The Biden administration seems to think that if they celebrate ‘Bidenomics’ as if it were good policy, the American people will join the party.

“Unfortunately for President Biden, Americans may be poorer under his tenure, but they can still afford to pay attention. They’ve watched prices climb for two-and-a-half years, and they know wages aren’t keeping up.”

. . .

“Families deserve the full truth about the economy, and here it is: Most of these high prices are here to stay. The rate of inflation has slowed down—and that’s good news—but all that means is that prices aren’t rising quite as quickly as they did last year.

“To fix a problem, you have to get to the source, and Washington’s spending spree caused this inflation.”

. . .

“As January approaches, the Biden administration should make a simple New Year’s resolution: Work with fiscal conservatives in Congress to cut spending. That’s the only way working Americans will get consistent relief from the pain of rising prices.” 

Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.

KENNEDY: Biden as Popular as Herpes in Louisiana

In Louisiana, Pres. Biden is about as popular as herpes.

Why is that?

2 reasons:

1. The people of Louisiana are not stupid.

2. They think the Biden admin is. They think its stupidity runs from the river to the sea. pic.twitter.com/NkM1Eobd7e

— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) December 29, 2023

President signs into law Kennedy bill to require FCC to expand 5G access to rural Americans by releasing previously auctioned spectrum

“I’m grateful to see my bill signed into law so that more Americans have the tools they need to do their jobs and grow their businesses.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – President Joe Biden signed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (SALE) Act into law. The legislation will require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to release previously auctioned spectrum to expand 5G broadband access to rural communities. 

“Louisiana’s job providers depend on wireless communications as they support rural economies. My 5G SALE Act will provide crucial broadband access by giving the FCC the authority to finish transferring previously auctioned spectrum to companies that offer 5G coverage. I’m grateful to see my bill signed into law so that more Americans have the tools they need to do their jobs and grow their businesses,” said Kennedy. 

The Senate passed Kennedy’s legislation this September, and the House of Representatives passed Kennedy’s legislation earlier this December.

The 5G SALE Act will temporarily grant the FCC auction authority it needs to complete spectrum transfers, which will allow broadband services to provide greater 5G network coverage to Americans in rural areas.

Background:

In 2022, the FCC auctioned off roughly 8,000 licenses to grant companies access to America’s broadband spectrum. These licenses are the only way companies can legally use the radio waves that deliver 5G to customers. These wavelengths are therefore highly valuable.

During the period between when companies paid for their licenses and when the FCC should have parceled the licenses out, Congress failed to reauthorize the FCC’s ability to auction off licenses altogether. The FCC left each company that bought spectrum in that auction waiting to receive its transfer. Despite payments being complete, the FCC said it no longer had the authority to grant those licenses. 

Kennedy’s legislation granted the FCC a one-time, temporary authority to issue licenses purchased in auctions that were held before March 9, 2023 (when the FCC’s Congressional authorization ended).

Prior to the bill’s passage, Kennedy questioned FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing about the commission’s lapsed authority to transfer spectrum licenses already sold at auction.

Full text of the 5G SALE Act is available here.

Kennedy, Alphonse the alligator wish Louisianians a Merry Christmas

“I, along with my wife, Becky, my son, Preston, and our beloved dogs, Lily Grace and Charlie, want to wish you and your family peace and hope and joy during this Christmas season. God bless you all, and Merry Christmas—from both me and Alphonse!”

View Kennedy’s full remarks here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today looked back on another year shared with Louisianians and sent a special Christmas message to everyone in the state.

“God has blessed me in so many ways, but getting to call Louisiana ‘home’ is one of the blessings I love most,” said Kennedy, alongside Alphonse the alligator, who is also a native Louisianian.

“There is no question that no state can outmatch Louisiana during the holidays. None. Zero. Nada. Our people are merrier, our meals are tastier, our music is more joyful, and no one knows—no one—how to have more fun with the ones they love than the good people of Louisiana. Even when times are tough—and I know they’re tough right now for many Louisiana families—Louisianians always find a way to pull together and give thanks for the blessings in their lives,” he continued.

“Our people make everything good about Louisiana better.”

“So, I, along with my wife, Becky, my son, Preston, and our two beloved dogs, Lily Grace and Charlie, want to wish you and your family peace and hope and joy during this Christmas season,” said Kennedy.

“God bless you all, and Merry Christmas—from both me and Alphonse!”

Kennedy, Budget Committee Republicans urge Whitehouse to use hearings to address economic challenges

“We implore you to direct the Committee’s agenda to the impending budgetary and fiscal crisis facing our nation—issues at the heart of this committee’s jurisdiction. There’s no time to spare.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in urging committee chairman Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to hold hearings that address the nation’s economic challenges after two credit agencies, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings, reported a negative outlook on U.S. creditworthiness.

A Penn Wharton Budget Model study also found that the window to take corrective fiscal action is closing rapidly and that, once it closes, no amount of tax increases or spending cuts could avoid a government default.

“Our current national debt is $33.7 trillion. This is equivalent to over 123 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Moreover, we continue to add to our unprecedented national debt at a record clip. The United States Treasury Department recently reported that the federal government ran a fiscal year 2023 deficit of $1.7 trillion. At 6.3 percent of GDP, the FY 2023 deficit was larger than all but six deficits recorded since 1946. Furthermore, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that over the next decade deficits will persist at levels previously uncommon outside of war or recession—totaling nearly $19 trillion in deficit spending through 2033,” wrote the senators.

“Under your chairmanship, the Senate Committee on the Budget has dedicated significant time and attention to climate issues, holding 12 separate hearings on climate change this year alone. We implore you to direct the Committee’s agenda to the impending budgetary and fiscal crisis facing our nation—issues at the heart of this committee’s jurisdiction. There’s no time to spare,” they continued.

“Tough conversations on our nation’s fiscal health need to be had to preserve our nation’s economic strength. If we want to be the global leader in the economic marketplace, then we need to lead from the front with strong fiscal responsibility,” the lawmakers concluded.

Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) also signed the letter.

The full letter is available here.

Kennedy: Biden must show world U.S. stands with Israel

As you may have seen, Sen. Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor about the need for Pres. Biden to stand with Israel.

You don't need to read a treatise on the Middle East to know that only monsters—monsters with black hearts—would put a baby in an oven and flip on the switch, as one first responder reported. That's not nuance. That’s evil.

Kennedy, Merkley introduce bill to end involuntary facial recognition screenings, protect Americans’ privacy

“Every day, TSA scans thousands of Americans’ faces without their permission and without making it clear that travelers can opt out of the invasive screening. The Traveler Privacy Protection Act would protect every American from Big Brother’s intrusion.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in introducing the Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2023 to safeguard Americans from facial recognition screenings that the federal government is implementing at airports across the country. The bill would repeal the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) authorization to use facial recognition and prevent the agency from further exploiting the technology and storing traveler’s biodata. 

“Every day, TSA scans thousands of Americans’ faces without their permission and without making it clear that travelers can opt out of the invasive screening. The Traveler Privacy Protection Act would protect every American from Big Brother’s intrusion by ending the facial recognition program,” said Kennedy.

“The TSA program is a precursor to a full-blown national surveillance state. Nothing could be more damaging to our national values of privacy and freedom. No government should be trusted with this power,” said Merkley.

Despite the TSA calling its plan to implement facial scans at more than 430 U.S. airports voluntary, passengers are largely unaware of their ability to opt out. Moreover, TSA does not effectively display notices at its check points to inform travelers that they have such an option.

To rectify this, the Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2023 would:

• Require explicit congressional authorization in order for the TSA to use facial recognition technology in the future.

• Immediately ban the TSA from expanding its pilot facial recognition program.

• Require TSA to end its pilot facial recognition program and dispose of facial biometrics.

Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also cosponsored the legislation.

Text of the Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2023 is available here. 

Kennedy on diabetes in Louisiana: “We have a solution: Insulin”

“. . . diabetes costs America $327 billion a year . . . we know the problem, and we know the costs, and we have a solution: insulin”

Watch Kennedy’s full remarks here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) spoke on the Senate floor about the need to make insulin less expensive for Americans who suffer from diabetes by passing the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which Kennedy and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) introduced.

The senator’s remarks also highlight findings from his and Warnock’s bipartisan report titled, “Insulin Deserts: The Urgency of Lowering the Cost of Insulin for Everyone.” The report states that there are 813 counties in America which are “insulin deserts,” places where 16% or more of the population is uninsured and 10% or more of the population has diabetes.

Key quotes from Kennedy’s remarks are below.

“In my state, 44% of my people are affected by diabetes directly, 14% are diabetic, another 30% are pre-diabetic, and Louisiana is not the only state with those kinds of numbers. Diabetics account for $1 of every $4 spent—one out of every $4 spent—on health care in the United States of America. Think about that.

“The average cost of hospitalization for a diabetic—which, if they can't pay for it, ultimately, we all pay—the average cost of hospitalization for diabetic patients is from $8,400 to $23,000 a year.

“And, medical costs, if you look beyond the quality-of-life issue and the moral issue of just helping people who are sick, if you look at it in terms of dollars and cents, diabetes costs America $327 billion a year—that's in medical costs and lost work and wages and lost productivity. So, we know the problem, and we know the costs, and we have a solution: insulin.”

. . .

“Insulin doesn't cost that much to make, and I don't begrudge the companies who sell insulin. I don't begrudge them making a profit, but it is bone-deep-down-to-the-marrow stupid for us to allow someone, whose diabetes can be managed by taking insulin, not to take that insulin because they can't afford it. That's immoral, and that makes no sense in terms of dollars and cents costs to the rest of the American people.

“And, Raphael and [my] bill would address that. It would say, ‘If you have private insurance, great, but if you don't have any insurance at all, if you're uninsured—and a lot of Americans become uninsured every year, maybe they don't stay uninsured, but they become uninsured—and you're diabetic, we're going to cap your out-of-pocket costs at $35 per 30-day supply. So, you have no excuse not to take your insulin to address your diabetes.’

“It’s the right thing to do. It's the smart thing to do, and, Raphael and [my] bill is paid for. We're not suggesting we go out and borrow more money.”

The Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023 would:

Require private group or individual plans to cover one of each insulin dosage form (i.e., vial, pen) and insulin type (i.e., rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting or long-acting) for no more than $35 per month.

Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to reimburse qualifying entities for covering any costs that exceed $35 for providing a 30-day supply of insulin to uninsured patients.

Be fully paid for by an offset, so it will not add to the deficit.

Watch Kennedy’s full remarks here.

Kennedy encourages school choice expansion in Louisiana: “Take children out of failing schools.”

“Parents should be allowed to take their children out of failing schools and put them in schools that can help those children thrive and certainly do better. It's not complicated.”

Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today spoke on the Senate floor to commend school choice as a path to success for Louisiana students and families.

Key comments from Kennedy’s remarks include:

“I regret to say, Mr. President, that roughly half of my students in Louisiana, in grades K through three, are not reading at the grade-level. Half. Only one-third of my kids in grades three through 12 are at grade-level in the four subjects that the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program, we call it the LEAP, tests.

“In fact, we have, in Louisiana, 24 school systems—24—in which fewer than a quarter of our students—fewer than a quarter—have proficient LEAP exam scores.

. . .

“The truth is that pre-K to 12 education in America and in Louisiana was in trouble well before the pandemic, and we all know that. Yet leaders in many states remain hesitant, to say the least, to change anything—anything—about our public school system.”

. . .

“The fact is—the unhappy fact, the miserable fact—is that too many of our schools in America and in Louisiana are failure factories. They're failure factories where violence is common and learning is rare.

“But, there are a few states that are bucking the status quo, and they’re doing it, in part, by adopting school choice programs. And, so far, they've seen a lot of success. Now, school choice programs . . . can take many different shapes, but they all boil down to one thing, one foundational principle: Parents should be allowed to take their kids out of failing schools.

“Parents should be allowed to take their children out of failing schools and put them in schools that can help those children thrive and certainly do better. It's not complicated. You know, American parents today, they can go to the grocery store, and they can choose from 40 different—maybe more, but certainly 40—different breakfast cereals to feed their child in the morning.

“But, in many states, those parents have absolutely no control over which school their child can attend. . . . And, there's little that most parents—too many parents—can do to change that, even though it is patently absurd to force children to attend failing schools when parents could enroll those kids, and invest the money that pays for their education, in better schools.”

. . .

“I believe as much as I'm standing here that America's future and Louisiana's future can be better than our present, and it can be better than our past—but not if we don't improve our schools, and no one is coming to save our schools in Louisiana but ourselves.”

Kennedy explains why wages are falling under Bidenomics: “They haven’t kept up with inflation”

“The average wage of the average American has gone down after inflation. . . . workers have actually lost ground. Workers today—in Nov. of 2023—are actually making less per hour after inflation than they were in Feb. 2021.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today detailed how real wages have fallen for Americans because of the persistent inflation under Pres. Joe Biden. Kennedy noted that weekly wages, when adjusted for inflation, have decreased 3.9% since President Biden’s first full month in office.

Key comments from Kennedy’s remarks include:

“Pres. Biden’s inflation—which is man-made, and that man’s name is Joe Biden—is costing my people, the average Louisiana family, $806—not a year—a month! Eight-hundred-and-six dollars a month. That's $9,700 a year. Now imagine, if you were making $55,000 a year and you've got to come out-of-pocket with an extra $9,700 a year.”

. . .

“What [Americans] care about is prices going down, and that’s de-inflation, and we do not have de-inflation. The point I'm trying to make is: We're stuck with these high prices. If they get inflation down to zero, those prices are not going down.”

. . .

“Since Pres. Biden has been in office, consumer goods in the United States of America are up 17%.”

. . .

“The average wage of the average American has gone down after inflation. . . . The appropriate way to look at wage increases is not to look at the raw or the aggregate increase—[it’s] looking at the increase after inflation.

“And if you take all the average wage increases in the United States of America, and you look at the average inflation in the United States of America, workers have actually lost ground. Workers today—in Nov. of 2023—are actually making less per hour, after inflation, than they were in Feb. 2021.”

Kennedy’s full remarks are available here.

Kennedy statement on Johnson’s becoming House Speaker

“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.”

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.”

Kennedy on Education Board: I'm Embarrassed

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today criticized the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) for proposing lower graduation standards for high school students in Louisiana. Under the new standards, students would be eligible to graduate even if they fail the state’s Graduate Exit Exam several times. 

Key comments from Kennedy’s remarks include:

“This is a massive step back. This is an announcement to the rest of America that Louisiana has given up, that our kids are not smart enough, they’re not good enough—even when we give them second or third chances to be able to get a ‘D’ on the Graduate Exit Examination. As a result, we have got to give them a special extra points project so they can get a diploma that’s not really a diploma.

“The people behind this ought to hide their heads in a bag. Our kids are better than that. Every one of my kids in Louisiana can learn. Sometimes they need a little bit longer, but it’s not going to do them any good to give them a diploma that they can’t read.”

“This rule change is going in front of the Louisiana legislature for an oversight hearing in the Senate Education Committee and the House Education Committee. I hope that either the Senate or the House—and hopefully both—will say no.”

Kennedy’s full remarks are available here.

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