(DCNF)—Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said Thursday on Fox News that he expects the government shutdown to drag on for days as bipartisan negotiations remain stalled in the Senate.
Democrats vowed Thursday to keep the government shut down, saying that reopening it too soon could damage the party’s brand after their sweeping election wins earlier in the week. Appearing on “The Ingraham Angle,” Kennedy predicted the shutdown could stretch another week or two and said he’s run out of options after repeatedly voting to reopen the government while Democrats continue blocking those efforts.
“I think we’re going to be shut down at least 10 more days, maybe two weeks, maybe longer than that. And I don’t know what else to do. I’ve voted 14 times to open up government. They’ve voted 14 times to keep it closed down,” Kennedy told host Laura Ingraham. “And all they ever do is talk and stamp their little feet and keep government shut down and blame up.”
Kennedy said he entered the week optimistic after hearing some colleagues predict the impasse could end by Thursday or Friday, but those hopes faded quickly.
“I watched this weekend where some of my colleagues said, ‘We’ll be out of the shutdown by Thursday, by Friday.’ They were very confident. So I entered the week optimistic, and some of my Republican colleagues are meeting with the Democrats. In fact, most members of the Senate are running around like ants in a sugar bowl, like a bunch of headless chickens,” Kennedy said. “But in my opinion, we’re nowhere near getting out of this shutdown.”
Kennedy dismissed claims that moderate Democrats are ready to break ranks and support a deal to reopen the government, saying he’s not convinced by their promises.
“The Democrats, supposedly we were told today at lunch that we’re going to have a vote tomorrow and that the so-called moderate Democrats have come together and they’re going to support us. I think they’re still stamping their little feet,” Kennedy said. “I don’t believe they will support us. And I’ve never believed any of this stuff. Around here, it’s not what you say, it’s what you do that shows what you believe, and everything else is just cottage cheese.”
Republicans proposed ending the shutdown by moving forward with three full-year spending measures and opening talks on reinstating laid-off federal employees, but their plan leaves out the issue of expiring Obamacare subsidies, Politico reported. Ongoing negotiations have deepened divisions among Democrats, with several lawmakers refusing to support reopening the government unless the final deal guarantees an extension of the enhanced Obamacare subsidies, a measure that both House Speaker Mike Johnson and President Donald Trump supported.
The Trump administration has begun redirecting tariff revenue to fill the funding gap for the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. It has also allocated roughly half of the money needed to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program running through November.
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