Government Shutdown Update

On Monday, Republican Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana stated that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will eventually need to find a way to end the current government shutdown.

The shutdown continues after Schumer supported a Republican spending bill early Wednesday morning. During an appearance on the show “Kudlow,” Kennedy claimed that the closure isn’t about policy or Schumer’s standing in his party.

He noted, “In the end, Senator Schumer approached six or eight of his Democratic colleagues and urged them, ‘Please support me. Vote to reopen it. I may have to criticize you, but I need a deal.’ It can be tricky, especially if it doesn’t appear genuine. He’s in a tight spot, and it doesn’t seem he’s facing any revolt within his ranks.”

Kennedy mentioned that Schumer is trying to cater to what he referred to as the Democratic “moonwing,” even while recognizing they might not fully support him. He opined, “This shutdown isn’t about policy; it’s about politics. Senator Schumer is essentially attempting to win over the far-left of the Democratic party, which won’t happen. It would be smarter for him to follow the lead he took in March and keep the government functioning.”

On Friday, Kennedy took the matter to the Senate floor, accusing Democrats of holding the government hostage and restoring funding for what he termed as questionable foreign projects. He remarked that amendments had already been stripped away, but the far-left faction remains threatening to prolong the shutdown unless their funding demands are met.

Kennedy highlighted Democrats’ calls for the reinstitution of spending that Republicans had already cut, including funding for Palestinian media, Pride Parades, and overseas sterilization efforts as areas they wish to revive.