John Kennedy
U.S. Senator for LA
RepublicanSenate
Positions last updated Oct 12, 2026
- In Congress since
- 2017
- Years served
- 10
- Age
- 74
- Current term ends
- Jan 3, 2029
Source: Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress (via the public congress-legislators dataset). Photo: official congressional portrait.
Where their record lies
Between the typical Democratic and typical Republican record
Close to the typical Republican record
John Kennedy's record sits 100% of the way from the typical Democratic record to the typical Republican record.
Built from 6 topics that divide the parties. It describes a record of votes and statements, not a person. How this is calculated.
Their record by topic
Further from the center means more agreement with the quiz statement
Each point averages how John Kennedy votes and what they say on that topic. A topic with no data is left out, not drawn as neutral. The sources are in the sections below.
Where they stand
Each topic is a statement from the quiz. "Agree" means their votes or words line up with it.
Health care
“The federal government should guarantee health coverage for every American.”
Votes: Strongly disagree|Says: No data
Taxes & spending
“Lowering taxes matters more than expanding government services.”
Votes: Strongly agree|Says: Strongly agree
Immigration
“Border security should be the top priority in immigration policy.”
Votes: Strongly agree|Says: Agree
Climate & energy
“The federal government should require cuts to carbon emissions, even if energy costs rise.”
Votes: Disagree|Says: Disagree
Guns
“Federal law should require background checks on all gun sales, including private sales.”
Votes: Neutral or unsure|Says: No data
Abortion
“Abortion law should be decided by each state, not the federal government.”
Votes: No data|Says: Disagree
Education
“Public school funding should follow students to the school their family chooses, including private schools.”
Votes: Agree|Says: Strongly agree
Foreign policy
“The U.S. should keep providing military aid to its allies abroad.”
Votes: Strongly agree|Says: Agree
Votes on key bills
The final vote on each bill Scope tracks (not every vote they have cast). Newest first.
S. 1071: National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026
Voted yesSenate vote, Dec 17, 2025 · Counts toward: Foreign policy
H.R. 1: 2025 budget law (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act): tax cuts, Medicaid and border spending
Voted yesSenate vote, Jul 1, 2025 · Counts toward: Education, Health care, Taxes & spending, Immigration
S. 5: Laken Riley Act (2025)
Voted yesSenate vote, Jan 20, 2025 · Counts toward: Immigration
H.R. 815: National security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan (2024)
Voted yesSenate vote, Apr 24, 2024 · Counts toward: Foreign policy
H.R. 5376: Inflation Reduction Act (2022)
Voted noSenate vote, Aug 7, 2022 · Counts toward: Climate & energy, Health care
Show 3 more votes
S. 2938: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022)
Voted noSenate vote, Jun 24, 2022 · Counts toward: Guns
H.R. 1319: American Rescue Plan Act (2021)
Voted noSenate vote, Mar 6, 2021 · Counts toward: Health care
H.R. 1: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017)
Voted yesSenate vote, Dec 2, 2017 · Counts toward: Taxes & spending, Education
Source: House Clerk and Senate roll-call records via Congress.gov. For every vote they have cast, see GovTrack.
Words versus votes
Pro preview · free for nowNo topic where votes and statements point in opposite directions (5 topics compared).
A difference is a prompt to look closer, not proof of anything. Votes come from a short list of tracked bills; statements come from speeches, press releases and bills they put their name on. See the evidence for each topic.
Campaign money
$11.9 million raised in the 2025-2026 cycle
For the 2025-2026 election cycle, through Sep 30, 2026. Who funds a campaign can shape who a member listens to, though it does not decide how they vote.
- Raised
- $11.9 million
- Spent
- $8.3 million
- Cash on hand
- $0
Where the money came from
- Small donors (under $200 each)39%
- Larger individual donors50%
- Political action committees (PACs)1%
- Other10%
Source: Federal Election Commission filings · see top donors on OpenSecrets.
What they work on
37 bills written, 120 signed onto. Top topic: International Affairs
In the current Congress they have written 37 bills and signed on to 120 more. A bill someone writes shows what they want to change.
Topics of the bills they wrote
- International Affairs8
- Crime and Law Enforcement7
- Education5
- Environmental Protection4
- Health4
Most recent bills they wrote
- S. 5423: Support Our Educators Act of 2026 (Sep 17, 2026)
- S. 478: Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act of 2025 (Sep 16, 2026)
- S. 5085: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to apply inflation adjustments to the additional hospital insurance... (Jul 22, 2026)
- S. 5084: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to apply inflation adjustments to the base amount and adjusted base... (Jul 22, 2026)
- S. 4512: Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2026 (May 13, 2026)
Source: Sponsorship records from Congress.gov; each bill links to its page there.
Committees
4 committees: Senate Committee on Appropriations; Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs...
Committees study and rewrite bills before the full chamber votes.
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittees: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Department of Defense; Energy and Water Development; Department of Homeland Security; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Subcommittees: Economic Policy; Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection; Securities, Insurance, and Investment
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittees: Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights; Border Security and Immigration; Privacy, Technology, and the Law; the Constitution
Source: Committee rosters from the congress-legislators dataset (built from the House and Senate committee pages, as of 2026-10-12). Each committee name links to its official page.
Career in Congress
2017 to present
- 2017 to presentU.S. Senate, LARepublican
Contact and learn more
Office phone, website, message form and where to read more
Contact their office
- Official website
- Send a message
- Phone: 202-224-4623
- Washington office: 437 Russell Senate Office Building
- X (Twitter)
Read more about them
- Official biography (Congress) (Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress)
- GovTrack (Votes, bills and ideology scores)
- OpenSecrets (Who funds them)
- Ballotpedia (Background and elections)
- Wikipedia (Encyclopedia article)
Source: Contact details from the member's official pages, via the congress-legislators dataset. Outside sites are not run by Scope.
The evidence, topic by topic
Every position links to the votes, quotes and bills it was built from
Health care
How they vote
Strongly disagree (-2)
Calculated from 3 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14.Roll call on billRoll call on billWhat they say
No data
Taxes & spending
How they vote
Strongly agree (+2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.What they say
Strongly agree (+2)
Based on 3 cosponsored bills, 4 floor speechs related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
“We extended the 2017 tax cuts--no small feat in itself.”
“Do you want businesses not to expand? Tax the hell out of them so they don't have any money to reinvest in their business.”
cosponsored bill: S 213: Main Street Tax Certainty Actcosponsored bill: S 615: Chemical Tax Repeal Actfloor speech: One Big Beautiful Bill (Executive Calendar)floor speech: One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Executive Calendar)cosponsored bill: S 587: Death Tax Repeal Act of 2025floor speech: One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Executive Calendar)“if we pass the bill, it will represent the largest tax decrease in the history of our country.”
Immigration
How they vote
Strongly agree (+2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on billWhat they say
Agree (+1)
Based on 2 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 84: Sarah's Lawcosponsored bill: S 3584: Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk DrivingClimate & energy
How they vote
Disagree (-1)
Calculated from 1 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14.What they say
Disagree (-1)
Based on 4 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: SJRES 45: A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relacosponsored bill: SJRES 46: A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relacosponsored bill: S 3713: No Climate Treaties Act of 2026cosponsored bill: SJRES 12: A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relaGuns
How they vote
Neutral or unsure (0)
Calculated from 1 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on Bipartisan Safer Communities ActWhat they say
No data
Abortion
How they vote
No data
What they say
Disagree (-1)
Based on 2 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 6: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Actcosponsored bill: S 3667: Life at Conception Act of 2026Education
How they vote
Agree (+1)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.What they say
Strongly agree (+2)
Based on 1 cosponsored bill, 1 floor speech related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: SRES 587: A resolution designating the week of January 25 through January 31, 2026, as "National School Choice Week".floor speech: One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Executive Calendar)“Why shouldn't we give parents--moms and dads--choices for their kids' education? We are doing that with the school choice portion of this bill.”
Foreign policy
How they vote
Strongly agree (+2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.What they say
Agree (+1)
Based on 1 sponsored bill, 1 cosponsored bill related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 4065: STAND with Taiwan Act of 2026sponsored bill: SRES 421: A resolution urging the executive branch and leaders of the G7 and the European Union to seize sovereign assets of the Russian Federation under the jurisdiction of members ofRevision history
50 recorded changes
- Foreign policy (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): 0 to 0Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -1 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): 0 to 0Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): 0 to 0Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -1 to -1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): 0 to 0Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): 2 to 2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (statement): 1 to 1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (statement): 1 to 1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (statement): -1 to -1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Abortion (statement): -1 to -1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (statement): 2 to 2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): 1 to 2Status changed: needs_review to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (statement): 1 to 2Status changed: needs_review to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Abortion (statement): created at -1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (statement): created at -1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Guns (vote): 0 to 0Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Health care (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -1Status changed: needs_review to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
