Mike Kennedy

Electoral integrity

Criminal justice

Fiscal policy

Healthcare

Education

Economy and labor

Environment and energy

Immigration

National security and foreign policy

Civil rights and liberties

Social policy

Technology and data

Civil liberties and government power

Government accountability and transparency

Infrastructure and public investment

Kennedy stated that Americans are worried and angry about the cost of living in America, attributing the inflation to federal government spending initiated by President Biden during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kennedy explained that Congress spends approximately $30 billion annually to pay private companies to capture carbon dioxide to prevent its release into the atmosphere, and stated that under Louisiana law, property owners should have the right to refuse companies from drilling wells to inject captured carbon dioxide beneath their property.

Kennedy requested that the name of the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Moreno) be added as a cosponsor of S. 478, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting certain information to the Department of Justice for use by the national instant criminal background check system.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor to explain why he believed the United States was right to conduct military operations in Iran, citing concerns about Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missile production.

Kennedy discussed inflation, stating that it had decreased from 9 percent to 3 percent under current policy, and described recently passed tax legislation as having increased average tax refunds by approximately 11 percent.

Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026 — This bill gives the President tools to protect American assets and enforce consequences against Western Hemisphere allies that seize U.S. property by restricting their vessels from U.S. ports.

Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act — This bill allocates federal spending to the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, representing a direct government expenditure that affects the overall budget.

Kennedy introduced a resolution that would change Senate rules to withhold senators' salaries during government shutdowns until the shutdown ends.

Kennedy discussed his personal philosophy regarding free will and government regulation, examined the nutritional content of popular Starbucks coffee drinks, and paid tribute to his colleague Connor Domingue who was leaving to take a job in Louisiana State government.

Kennedy asked for the yeas and nays on the Olson nomination.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor regarding the Chagos Islands, describing their strategic importance to the United States military, the history of their ownership by the United Kingdom, and Mauritius's lawsuit against the UK at the International Court of Justice.

Kennedy spoke in the Senate about welfare fraud in Minnesota, stating that approximately $9 billion in taxpayer money meant for the poor has been lost to fraud, with most of the 90 people charged being of Somali descent, and noted that the fraud was centered around Medicaid.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor about U.S. savings bonds, explaining how EE savings bonds work as loans to the Federal Government and describing their characteristics, including how a $1,000 investment would double to $2,000 over 20 years.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor about a $1 billion welfare fraud scheme discovered by federal prosecutors over a 5-year period centered in the Somali community in Minnesota, noting that 59 people had been convicted, 86 charged, and 78 of those charged were of Somali ancestry.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor about inflation and disinflation, explaining that inflation decreased from 9 percent to 3 percent under the current administration and proposing tax reform, regulatory reform, and healthcare system redesign to increase incomes for American people.

Kennedy requested that Senator McCormick from Pennsylvania be added as a cosponsor of S. 478, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting certain information to the Department of Justice for use by the national instant criminal background check system.

Kennedy announced he would bring two bills before the Senate the next day: the No Shutdown Paychecks Act, which would withhold congressional pay during a shutdown with no reimbursement, and the Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act, which would escrow congressional pay during a shutdown to be paid after the government reopens.

Kennedy introduced a resolution pursuant to the Congressional Review Act to overturn a rule by the Department of the Interior regarding barred owl management strategy in Washington, Oregon, and California.

Kennedy is listed as a co-sponsor of Senate Resolution 449, which designates the week beginning October 12, 2025, as "National Wildlife Refuge Week."

Kennedy stated that the government shutdown is based on politics rather than policy, and identified Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez as the leader of the socialist wing of the Democratic Party who is running the shutdown effort.

Kennedy stated he knew of no further debate on the Wright nomination.

Kennedy requested unanimous consent to grant floor privileges to seven interns from his office until July 16, 2025.

Kennedy spoke in support of President Trump's rescission package requesting Congress cut the federal budget by approximately $9 billion, characterizing it as one-tenth of 1 percent of the overall Federal budget and praising the President's efforts to reduce government spending.

Kennedy asked for the yeas and nays on the Gould nomination vote.

Kennedy discussed Russia's economy, Vladimir Putin's leadership, the war in Ukraine, and stated that Putin would only end the war if he felt it was in his personal interest.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor questioning Russia's absence of support for Iran during recent events, noting that despite their historical partnership, Putin refused to provide military assistance when Iran requested help.

Kennedy presented charts and data on reading and math skills among American students since the Department of Education's establishment in 1979, stating that scores have not improved appreciably in decades despite increased federal funding.

Kennedy moved to proceed to Calendar No. 69, S.J. Res. 13, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of a rule submitted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency relating to the review of applications under the Bank Merger Act.

Kennedy described a newsletter published by New York City public schools that contained a link to a "Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit" containing anti-Semitic content and instructions for boycotting pro-Israel organizations.

Kennedy joined Mr. Cassidy and other senators in submitting Senate Resolution 159 to honor the life of former Louisiana Senator John Bennett Johnston, Jr.

Kennedy explained that countries impose tariffs for two reasons: national security and protecting domestic industries, using examples of semiconductor equipment sales to China and a hypothetical comparison of Louisiana and Alabama king cake prices to illustrate how tariffs function.

Kennedy stated that he knew of no further debate on the nomination and asked for the yeas and nays on the Makary nomination.

Kennedy spoke about federal land management and the national debt, arguing that the government's 620 million acres of federally-owned land should be better monetized to generate income and help address the $36.5 trillion national debt.

Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 42) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to "Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Certification Requirements, Labeling Requirements, and Enforcement Provisions for Certain Consumer Products and Commercial Equipment"; providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 61) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing"; and providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 11) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management relating to "Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources". — This bill enables Congress to exercise its constitutional oversight power by allowing votes to disapprove specific federal agency rules, reinforcing legislative checks on executive branch regulatory authority.

Kennedy moved to proceed to Calendar No. 15, S.J. Res. 11, a resolution providing for congressional disapproval of a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rule relating to protection of marine archaeological resources.

SPUR Act — This bill advances small business economic opportunity by requiring federal agencies to track and report on contracts awarded to underrepresented small business owners, including veterans and disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

Kennedy spoke about the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, explaining its creation in 1967 and its distribution of approximately half a billion dollars annually to local television and radio stations.

Midnight Rules Relief Act — This bill allows Congress to more easily overturn multiple regulations at once, which could reduce executive branch regulatory power but may also weaken the detailed scrutiny each regulation would normally receive.

Midnight Rules Relief Act — This bill allows Congress to more easily overturn multiple regulations at once, which could reduce executive branch regulatory power but may also weaken the detailed scrutiny each regulation would normally receive.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor about President Trump's audits of federal spending and made comparisons between Republican and Democratic positions on various policy issues including immigration, education, sports, and foreign policy.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor regarding the Department of Government Efficiency, explaining that President Trump's appointment of Elon Musk to review federal spending line by line fulfilled a campaign promise and asserting that reviewing spending requires auditing agencies.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor about a memorandum issued by the Office of Management and Budget dealing with spending, comparing the current reaction to it with the lack of reaction to President Obama's refusal to enforce certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 471) to expedite under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and improve forest management activities on National Forest System lands, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, and on Tribal lands to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (S. 5) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have been charged in the United States with theft, and for other purposes. — This bill would streamline environmental reviews to speed up forest management projects aimed at reducing wildfire risk through vegetation removal and forest thinning on public and tribal lands.

MAPWaters Act of 2025 — This bill advances environmental stewardship by improving public access to information about federal waterways, which can help people better utilize and care for these natural resources.

Hershel Woody Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act — This bill directs federal resources toward constructing a public monument on the National Mall, representing a public investment in commemorative infrastructure.

Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act — This bill would make it easier to deny entry to and deport immigrants convicted of or admitting to certain violent crimes, particularly those involving women and children.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide special rules for the taxation of certain residents of Taiwan with income from sources within the United States. — This bill would create a special tax rule for certain Taiwan residents earning U.S. income, potentially reducing federal tax revenue from this specific group.

POWER Act of 2025 — This bill enables federal funding for utilities to combine power restoration with hazard mitigation improvements, increasing public investment in infrastructure resilience.

Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 — This bill restricts transgender girls and women from participating in school sports programs consistent with their gender identity, which some view as protecting opportunities for cisgender women while others view as limiting the civil rights and liberties of transgender students.

Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 — This bill restricts transgender girls and women from participating in school sports programs consistent with their gender identity, which some view as protecting opportunities for cisgender women while others view as limiting the civil rights and liberties of transgender students.

Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act — This bill advances government accountability by requiring federal agencies to publicly disclose detailed information about disaster assistance spending on a regular basis.

Kennedy joined Mr. Cruz and eight other senators as a cosponsor of S. 83, a bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide enhanced penalties for convicted murderers who kill or target America's public safety officers.

Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act — This bill requires FEMA to study ways to reduce paperwork burdens on disaster applicants while reporting its findings to Congress, which increases oversight and transparency in federal disaster assistance processes.

Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure Act — This bill advances government accountability by requiring a publicly-funded company to disclose executive compensation details to Congress and the public.

Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act — This bill would protect Americans from prosecution by the International Criminal Court and use sanctions to deter foreign cooperation with ICC investigations, asserting U.S. sovereignty in national security matters.

Laken Riley Act — This bill would require immigration authorities to detain immigrants arrested for certain theft-related crimes and allow states to sue the federal government over immigration enforcement decisions.

House roll call vote

Kennedy requested unanimous consent to consider S. 4772 and explained that the National Flood Insurance Program was set to expire at midnight, describing its current problems under Risk Rating 2.0 while noting it was better than the alternative of no federal flood insurance program.

Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor about the federal government sending $1.3 billion in checks to deceased people in fiscal year 2023 and stated that the Social Security Administration refuses to share its Death Master File with other federal agencies that distribute payments.

Kennedy spoke about government waste, specifically addressing the Department of Treasury's holding of 95 million unredeemed and fully matured savings bonds valued at $38 billion that should be returned to taxpayers.

Kennedy rose to speak in solemn remembrance of William Noel "Billy" Lawless, an Irish Senate member and immigration activist.

Kennedy spoke in support of H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, stating that the legislation fixes loopholes that cut benefits for public workers such as teachers, firefighters, postal workers, and police officers by repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset.

Kennedy is listed as a cosponsor of Senate Resolution 892, which designates the week beginning October 13, 2024, as "National Wildlife Refuge Week."

Kennedy co-sponsored S. Res. 892, a resolution designating the week beginning October 13, 2024, as "National Wildlife Refuge Week."

Kennedy thanked the Bloomberg Foundation for spending $30 to $40 million over the past couple of years to help high-achieving students from low-income families access top colleges, and noted that while the initiative had limited success with digital outreach, the Foundation learned that in-person contact through high school guidance counselors would be more effective.

Kennedy rose to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Polish Cadets of Buffalo, New York, an organization founded in 1899 that emphasizes athletics, military training, and Polish heritage preservation.

Kennedy recognized the 20th anniversary of the Arab-American Community Center for Economic and Social Services of WNY and celebrated the passage of the Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act.