JOHN KENNEDY

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., went viral after he quizzed a Biden judicial court nominee on legal questions during a highly publicized nomination hearing.

Kato Crews, President Biden nominee for district judge in Colorado, was stumped by questioning from Sen. John Kennedy over a legal procedure called a 'Brady motion.'

House GOP will introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution in an effort to block the Biden administration's new rule tightening regulations on pistol stabilizing braces.

Congress is trying to figure out how best to respond to the abrupt failure of two U.S. banks.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told "Fox News Sunday" that the only way to improve President Biden’s nearly $7 trillion budget proposal is with a "shredder."

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., dissected Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's response to questioning during a Senate committee hearing on 'The Faulkner Focus.'

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., on Wednesday pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland to explain his controversial 2021 memo regarding threats to school board members.

Sen. John Kennedy said Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are 'hard men' who are willing to 'cheat' and 'steal' to gain power for Russia and China.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., joins "Your World" to discuss how America's support for Ukraine has impacted its relationships with China and Russia.

Sen. John Kennedy. R-La., echoes bipartisan calls from lawmakers for President Biden to address the American people on multiple incursions in U.S. airpsace.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., responds to the Biden administration downing four 'objects' flying in U.S. airspace, calling on the president to give answers to the American people.

President Biden's nominee for a federal judgeship in Washington state is facing scrutiny for what critics call a lack of legal knowledge and experience.

The Beatles landed in the United States for the first time on this day in history, Feb. 7, 1964. America's love affair with the Fab Four from Britain has never ended.

Sen. John Kennedy criticized President Biden over his comments on what Republicans want to do with Medicare on "The Story," adding that Biden is the only American who thinks the country's going in the right direction.

Sen. John Kennedy caught the media's attention for grilling one of President Biden's judicial nominees, but Kennedy has scorched judicial nominees from both sides of the aisle.

Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy questioned whether there was a concerted effort to conceal the classified documents in President Biden's possession from the public.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., reflects on how the Biden administration is handling the southern border crisis amid the president's visit to Mexico on "Jesse Watters Primetime."

Louisiana's Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy told supporters on Wednesday that he will not run for governor in October.

Sen. John Kennedy reacted Wednesday to New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's climate change-themed box office bomb, on Fox News' 'Hannity'.

Dana Douglas has been confirmed to be 5th Circuit's first Black woman judge. Douglas was nominated to the appeals court to replace Judge James Dennis, who is retiring.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) was a part of Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s final campaign push on Sunday afternoon, two days before the runoff vote between him and sitting Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock (D). While Walker himself had a number of odd things to say over the weekend, it looks like fake folksy Kennedy was intent on adding his voice to the bizarre chorus.

When John Fetterman goes to Washington in January as one of the Senate’s new members, he’ll bring along an irreverent style from Pennsylvania.

The European Space Agency is considering the 'Solaris Initiative' plan to collect solar energy in orbit and beam electricity back to Earth.

Both of Louisiana's U.S. senators say they have considered running for governor in 2023 and will announce their decisions soon.

A week after securing his reelection to the U.S. Senate, Republican Sen. John Kennedy said Monday that he is “giving serious consideration” to entering the 2023 Louisiana governor's race. In a statement, Kennedy said he will be announcing “soon” whether he will run for governor or not. Current Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, is unable to seek a third consecutive term due to term limits — opening a huge opportunity for Republicans to take control of the state’s highest ranking position.

GOP Sen. John Kennedy offers some Pelican State wisdom on "Jesse Watters Primetime" about what's really behind the crime surge in major cities across America.

The Senate has taken major action to address climate change by ratifying an international agreement that compels the United States and other countries to limit use of hydrofluorocarbons.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., accused President Biden of lying to the American people over the border crisis on 'The Faulkner Focus' as the migrant surge rages on

"The water's not going to clear up in Washington until we get the pigs out of the creek, and no one is coming to save us but ourselves," Kennedy said.

Jabin Botsford/Pool via ReutersFor years, Democrats have watched Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell deploy ultra-partisan legislative tactics to outmaneuver them on everything from fiscal cliff negotiations to filling a Supreme Court seat.But this week, Senate Republicans may have gotten a taste of their own medicine—and it didn’t go down smoothly.On Wednesday, McConnell and 13 Republicans joined with all Democrats to pass a sweeping bill investing in U.S. high-tech manufacturing, a major

Legislation introduced at the federal and state levels aims to help local news publications through tax credits and antitrust policy.

New legislation in the Senate requires the Justice Department to establish guidelines for the federal Bureau of Prisons and state correctional systems to notify the families of inmates if their loved one has a serious illness, a life-threatening injury or if they die behind bars.

Chief Justice John Roberts, in ordering an investigation into an “egregious breach of trust” in the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion, has tasked a relatively unknown court official to carry out what could be one of the most high-profile investigations in decades.

A newly formed Disinformation Governance Board remains shrouded in secrecy a week after the Biden administration’s announcement of the new effort was met with widespread criticism.

Pope Francis has made key appointments in his newly reformed Vatican bureaucracy

Pope Francis has made key appointments in his newly reformed Vatican bureaucracy.

Pope Francis made key appointments in his newly reformed Vatican bureaucracy Saturday, naming new deputies for the doctrine office and confirming the highest-ranked woman in the Holy See as the No. 2 in the development office. The appointments are some of the first since Francis last month issued his long-awaited overhaul of the Vatican Curia, or bureaucracy, which acts as the central government for the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church. Francis promoted Irish Monsignor John Kennedy to head the discipline section of the newly named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles clergy sexual abuse cases.

Some mentioned body parts. Some cited chromosomes. Others didn't want to talk about it at all.

The Senate on Tuesday agreed to consider the nomination of Lisa Cook for a position on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors on a 50-49 party-line vote.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen G.

'Let her answer!': Lindsey Graham draws frustrated outbursts after repeatedly interrupting Ketanji Brown Jackson

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson faced down a barrage of Republican questioning about her sentencing of criminal defendants on Wednesday, as her history-making bid to join the Supreme Court veered from lofty constitutional questions to attacks on her motivations as a judge.

Legislation introduced at the federal and state levels aims to help local news publications through tax credits and antitrust policy.

The CBS News correspondent says standing up to Putin's lawless violation of another country's sovereignty – an attack on the values of self-determination and freedom – is a test of American ideals and morals.

If the U.S. Senate confirms Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson she will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson's opposition to President Joe Biden's judicial nominee in Wisconsin has surprised Democrats and is providing the latest test to the Senate tradition of letting home state senators block district court judges from advancing.

Congress is delving into a showdown between telecommunications and airline interests over the rollout of new, high-speed wireless service that raised concerns about interference with key equipment on planes. (February 3)

Democrats are hoping to move swiftly with the Supreme Court confirmation process once President Biden chooses a nominee. But the party's slim majority and concerns about COVID could interfere. CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane has more from Capitol Hill.

Democrat Gary Chambers Jr. is running to unseat Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy. Chambers follows in the footsteps of other politicians who have used attention-grabbing ads to up their name recognition.

The Democrat said in the ad that he wants to "destigmatize the use of marijuana," a pathway to legalization and "forgive those arrested due to outdated ideology."

The U.S. Senate’s only Black Republican is putting forth what he characterizes as a positive response to partisan rhetoric on race that he’s best-positioned to rebut.

Sen. John Kennedy asked a Biden judicial nominee whether crimes should be forgiven if they are committed in the name of social justice and did not receive a yes or no answer despite asking nine times.

The Senate is moving ahead with a fast-track plan for raising the debt limit.

President Joe Biden says Saule Omarova’s nomination to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will be withdrawn.

The Senate has passed a stopgap spending bill that avoids a short-term shutdown and funds the federal government through Feb. 18 after leaders defused a partisan standoff over federal vaccine mandates.

The federal government could be heading for a temporary shutdown.

Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said the Biden administration seeks to "tax unrealized gains on inherited property" on its divine mission to appease the nation's "wokers."

An initial proposal to redraw Georgia’s congressional districts appears to give Republicans a better chance of winning a suburban Atlanta congressional district now held by Democrat Lucy McBath, but raises a number of other questions.

The Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners.

President Joe Biden has met with Democrats from the House and Senate as Congress works to bridge party divisions over his big $3.5 trillion “build back better” agenda.

The House has approved legislation to fund the government, suspend its borrowing limit and provide federal disaster and refugee aid.

Depending on your age, you get a different question about recent historical events.

After much delay, senators have unveiled their $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.

The Senate has further advanced a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan with a bipartisan group of senators helping it clear one more hurdle Friday.

A debate over communion for the second Catholic US president renews questions of religion and politics.

Reporter and book editor Peter L.W. Osnos recalls the history he witnessed.

The new Florida law lets the state fine social media platforms that ban users, as many did to former president Donald Trump.

The horror of Jan. 6 has been reduced from a stunning assault on American democracy to another political fight.

The two players in the most important relationship in Washington finally are ready for a face-to-face meeting.

Republican leaders are signaling no willingness to embrace President Joe Biden’s ideas for a massive infrastructure investment.

Florida lawmakers worked into the night Thursday to approve new limits on mail ballots and drop boxes along with fresh sanctions on social media.

Progressives are looking for their next big win now that the COVID-19 relief bill has been signed into law.

Progressives are looking for their next big win now that the COVID-19 relief bill has been signed into law.

The Treasury Department is working with the International Monetary Fund to help provide up to $650 billion in currency aid to countries hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic.

While Democrats argued that recent massacres show the need for more stringent gun control measures, Republicans said that proposed legislation to expand background checks wouldn't necessarily prevent violence. The two bills are the first significant gun control measures passed in Congress since President Biden took office. The other would close the so-called "Charleston loophole," which allows some gun sales to go through before background checks are completed. In brief remarks on Tuesday, Mr. Biden also urged the Senate to pass these two gun control bills. Speaking to reporters before the committee hearing, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal expressed hope that the time to pass more stringent gun control is finally approaching.

Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's pick to be attorney general, answers questions from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Garland will now inherit a Justice Department embattled by a turbulent era under Trump, who insisted that the attorney general and the department must be loyal to him personally, battering the department’s reputation. In the last month of Trump's presidency, Attorney General William Barr resigned after refuting Trump's false claims that widespread electoral fraud had led to his defeat. Ad“Let’s hope our incoming attorney general applies that no-nonsense approach to the serious challenges facing the Department of Justice and our nation,” McConnell said. “So I very much want to be the kind of attorney general that you’re saying I could become, and I’ll do my best to become that kind of attorney general.”___Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

The Senate on Thursday approved by unanimous consent — without a roll-call vote — a bill that would increase oversight on Confucius Institutes, China-funded cultural centers that operate on university campuses. According to Human Rights Watch, Confucius Institutes "are Chinese government-funded outposts that offer Chinese language and culture classes." "This bill would give colleges and universities full control over their resident Confucius Institutes and restore freedom of thought on their campuses." In turn, nearly 22 Confucius Institutes have closed since the act's passage, according to Human Rights Watch. "Most agreements establishing Confucius Institutes feature nondisclosure clauses and unacceptable concessions to the political aims and practices of the government of China."

Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's pick to be attorney general, answers questions from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Monday to advance the nomination of Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general. The committee voted 15 to seven in favor of Garland's nomination at a meeting on Monday afternoon. The committee’s vote puts him on track for a quick confirmation, potentially within days. AdThe committee’s top Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said he also intends to support Garland’s nomination.

The label of Haaland as a "radical" by Republican lawmakers is getting pushback from Native Americans. The exchange, coupled with descriptions of the Interior secretary nominee as “radical” — by other white, male Republicans — left some feeling Haaland is being treated differently because she is a Native American woman. “As much as I would love to see a Native American be on the president’s Cabinet, I have concerns about her record. Critics also have targeted Vanita Gupta, an Indian American and Biden’s pick to be associate attorney general, and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as Health and Human Services secretary. That was seen in Haaland's response when asked about her motivation to be Interior secretary.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, on the fourth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. – Trashed on social media and censured by Louisiana Republicans, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy described himself Wednesday as “at peace” with his vote to convict former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial and dismissed the scorching GOP backlash he's received. Ad“I’ve received comments from folks who are Republican who object to the vote,” Cassidy said. They've called for Republicans to ban Cassidy from their events, and several local Republican groups have joined the executive committee of the state GOP in condemning Cassidy's vote to convict Trump. Asked whether his vote to convict Trump could damage his chances of reelection in 2026, Cassidy replied: “It is six years off, but that's immaterial.

“To meet this moment, we need strong federal leadership," Becerra said at the first of two hearings on his nomination. AdAppearing before the Senate health committee, Becerra seconded President Joe Biden’s goals of 100 million vaccine shots in his first 100 days, increased coronavirus testing, ramped-up DNA mapping of the virus to track worrisome mutations and reopening schools and businesses. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the ranking Republican on the health committee, left no doubt that Becerra faces tough scrutiny. California took pride in viewing itself as the resistance to Trump, and Becerra embodied that ethos. AdLack of medical experience doesn't disqualify a nominee for HHS secretary, though it can be a plus.

The second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump began Tuesday. – Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana joined Democrats in voting against ending Donald Trump's impeachment trial Tuesday, a surprise reversal that Cassidy said was a response to the former president's lawyers doing “a terrible job” of arguing their case. Cassidy was among six Republican senators who sided with Democrats on the question of whether a former president can be tried after leaving office. The Louisiana senator's position was a switch from January, when he voted to end the proceedings on the grounds that they were unconstitutional. The Republican Party of Louisiana quickly issued a statement Tuesday criticizing Cassidy for his vote and praising Louisiana's junior GOP senator, John Kennedy, for voting against moving ahead with the impeachment trial.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)WASHINGTON – Housing secretary nominee Marcia Fudge told senators Thursday that she would take “extraordinary actions” to prevent people from losing their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fudge championed homeownership as a classically American “ticket to the middle class” and endorsed federal financial assistance to expand the ranks of minority homeowners. And we are in extraordinary times,” said Fudge, speaking remotely from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. Fudge also endorsed direct federal financial assistance to help prospective minority homeowners with the down payment on a mortgage. When Kennedy asked her directly whether she believed Republicans cared about Black Americans, Fudge tersely answered, “I do, some, yes.”Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, defended Fudge.

The GOP already faces a difficult Senate map in 2022, when 14 Democratic-held seats and 20 Republican ones will be on the ballot. That includes at least two open seats that Republicans will be defending because of the retirements of GOP Sens. One of those lawmakers, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, is the new chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a post that makes him the public face of the Senate Republican fundraising efforts. But two senior Republican strategists involved in Senate races say the cumulative effect of the companies' decisions could have a bigger impact. That puts more pressure on the NRSC and the leading Senate Republican outside group, Senate Leadership Fund, to cover the difference.

Some Republican lawmakers were in the midst of raising objections to the results on his behalf when the proceedings were abruptly halted by the mob. Together, the protests and the GOP election objections amounted to an almost unthinkable challenge to American democracy and exposed the depths of the divisions that have coursed through the country during Trump’s four years in office. Before dawn Thursday, lawmakers completed their work, confirming Biden won the presidential election. In the aftermath, several Republicans announced they would drop their objections to the election, including Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who lost her bid for reelection Tuesday. Some House lawmakers tweeted they were sheltering in place in their offices.

It is unclear just what the Republican senators will do, but the process could drag into the night as the two chambers will have to consider each objection individually. In 2017, several House Democrats challenged Trump’s win, but Biden, who presided at the time as the vice president, swiftly dismissed them to assert Trump’s victory. And more than a dozen Republican senators have said they will not support the effort. Facing the criticism from many in his own party, Cruz has attempted to put a finer point on his challenge. The commission remains his focus, he has said, not to undo the election results, even though that would be the practical effect of a successful objection.

Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials — Republican as well as Democratic in state after state — and courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators' challenge. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan — have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election. Cruz's coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results.

Of the more than 50 lawsuits the president and his allies have filed challenging election results, nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. Other prominent former officials also criticized the ongoing attack on election results. Cruz's coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. The convening of the joint session to count the Electoral College votes has faced objections before. States choose their own election officials and draft their election laws.

The energy and climate provisions, supported by lawmakers from both parties, were hailed as the most significant climate change law in at least a decade. “Make no mistake,'' he said, the new legislation "will soon be some of the most significant climate solutions to pass out of Congress to date.'' Marty Durbin, a senior vice president at the Chamber of Commerce, called the package — the first major energy bill in more than a decade — “truly historic” and among the most significant action Congress has ever taken to address climate change. The bill will not only address climate change, but also "promote American technological leadership and foster continued economic growth,'' Durbin said. The dramatic if gradual reduction of HFCs in particular “will bring significant climate relief relatively quickly,'' said Matt Casale, director of environment campaigns for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

This hearing took a more measured tone than the last in the Commerce Committee , where several Democrats noted their opposition to the hearing itself, as it was timed right before the election. Still, at Tuesday's hearing, the senators' questions continued to reflect a stark division in their viewpoints on content moderation. Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey wrapped up their second Senate testimony in a month mostly unscathed and with little indication of imminent changes for their businesses. Republican lawmakers on the committee repeatedly hammered the CEOs with questions about censorship and potential bias in their algorithms and content moderation decisions. Twitter does this by letting users select to see tweets in chronological order, rather than based on Twitter's algorithm.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Unable to block President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Sen. Kamala Harris used three days of confirmation hearings this week to remind voters of the stakes of the Nov. 3 election and how Democratic nominee Joe Biden would govern differently if he were in the White House. Known for her tough questioning of Trump's nominees, Harris took a lower key approach and avoided sparring matches with Republicans. Her messaging was muted in part because she appeared via video conference from her office, not the Senate hearing room, due to coronavirus concerns. “Democrats are wise not to play into their hand.”Republicans took note of the disciplined approach by Harris and the Democrats. GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, who was next in line for questioning after Harris on Wednesday, asked Barrett a series of questions meant to rebut Harris.

On Wednesday, pressed at her confirmation hearing by Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Barrett framed acknowledgment of manmade climate change as a matter of policy, not science. Scientists say climate change is a matter of established fact and that the damage is mostly caused by people burning oil, gas and coal. Acknowledging and dealing with climate change are politically laden issues. "I’ve read about climate change,” Barrett answered. “And you have some opinions on climate change that you’ve thought about?” Kennedy asked.

President Donald Trump indicated that Rushing is on his short list of four or five nominees to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the U.S. Supreme Court. Born in 1982 and the mother of a toddler, she'd be the first millennial serving at the Supreme Court, where the current youngest justice, Neil Gorsuch, is 15 years older. But as an appellate specialist while in private practice at the Williams & Connolly law firm in Washington, Rushing filed scores of briefs with the Supreme Court. Circuit Court of Appeals. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia in March 2019.

The committee's support would move Shelton's nomination to the full Senate, which would have until the end of the year to confirm or reject it. Late Monday, Sen. John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, said he would support Shelton's nomination, essentially guaranteeing that she would win the votes of all 13 GOP senators on the committee. Toomey said he would support Shelton after she had reassured him that she would not seek to lower the value of the dollar. Since Shelton's hearing in February, the coronavirus pandemic has plunged the U.S. economy into its worst downturn since the Depression. In addition to Shelton, Trump has nominated Christopher Waller, research director at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, for a second vacancy on the seven-member Fed board.

(AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson, File)ATLANTA John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died. Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain. If necessary, Im prepared to go to jail.In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.

ATLANTA Georgia state senators want to give broad protections to businesses and others from being sued if someone blames them for contracting COVID-19. The bill came forward after Senate leaders spurned a narrower measure intended to be something of compromise between business groups and plaintiff lawyers. They noted that the earlier version also allowed someone to win a lawsuit if the business displayed gross negligence. Kennedy argued against the gross negligence standard. It says, Hey folks, you better get ready for the lawsuits.The Georgia Chamber of Commerce and others have called for a lawsuit shield.

Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON Senate Republicans could vote as soon as next week on proposed policing changes, an abrupt shift of GOP priorities in an election year as the party rushes to respond to nationwide protests over the deaths of black Americans in interactions with law enforcement. The emerging legislative package, along with President Donald Trump's executive actions announced Tuesday, are perhaps the most ambitious law enforcement changes considered by Republicans in decades. A Republican familiar with the planning but unauthorized to discuss it said voting could happen as soon as next week. We are at the point in the United States where we are at a crossroads, Booker said during a floor speech. Scott's proposal, set to be released Wednesday, shifts money into police training and sets up an officer accreditation system and database of conduct.

The bill, sponsored by Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy, would require companies to certify that "they are not owned or controlled by a foreign government." Alibaba, an e-commerce giant based in China, saw its U.S.-listed shares fall more than 2% on the news. Though the law could be applied to any foreign company that seeks access to U.S. capital, lawmakers say the move to strengthen disclosure requirements is aimed principally at Beijing. "The Chinese Communist Party cheats, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act would stop them from cheating on U.S. stock exchanges," Kennedy, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, wrote Tuesday afternoon on Twitter. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission, is the nonprofit body that oversees audits of all U.S. companies that wish to raise money in the public markets.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., on Monday asked Attorney General William Barr to deny requests from infamous Ponzi schemers Bernie Madoff and R. Allen Stanford for early prison release due to the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus has swept through the U.S. prison system, infecting thousands of inmates and guards. Twenty-two federal inmates have died from the virus, the BOP says. He expanded that order on April 3 to include more federal inmates. Kennedy told Barr that he is "concerned that it is only a matter of time" before Stanford, 70, asks for early release from his 110-year sentence.