Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) accused Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) of moving too cautiously in talks with Democrats to prevent a September government shutdown, predicting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) cannot deliver a deal.
Kennedy Questions Thune’s Bipartisan Shutdown Strategy
“I love John Thune. He’s my leader. He’s got a big brain. He’s better looking than me. But I think he’s just being too cautious,” Kennedy said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Kennedy said Thune was wasting limited Senate time negotiating with Schumer and argued that progressive Democrats would prevent the New York senator from compromising.
“They already want to give Schumer a bathrobe, a popsicle and an early bedtime, and have him retire,” Kennedy said. “I don’t think Chuck can agree with us. I think he’s going to shut down the government.”
The House last week passed a stopgap bill 220-205 that would maintain current agency funding through Dec. 4, acting unusually early ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline. Most legislation requires 60 Senate votes, meaning Republicans need Democratic support.
Thune has asked Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) to prepare a “bipartisan and clean continuing resolution” extending funding beyond the November election.
SAVE Act Divides Republicans And Democrats
Kennedy and other conservatives instead want lawmakers to advance President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act, requiring photo identification and documentary proof of citizenship for federal voting. Democrats argue the bill could disenfranchise eligible voters.
“We need to go back to having an election day, not an election month,” Kennedy said. “That, to me, is what the SAVE Act is all about, and I think we can pass it.”
Trump has intensified pressure on Thune after making the election bill his top congressional priority. The standoff has already prompted Schumer to accuse Trump of “cheerleading” a September shutdown.
Trump Pressure Raises Stakes Before Deadline
House Republicans have explored attaching the measure to a defense policy bill and using budget reconciliation, which could permit passage by a simple Senate majority. Reuters reported that strong Democratic resistance leaves the bill facing an uncertain path.
The dispute follows a lengthy Department of Homeland Security shutdown earlier this year, when Trump rejected an off-ramp unless funding aligned with the SAVE America Act.
Photo courtesy: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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