Senator Kennedy Criticizes Democrats Over Government Shutdown
On the Senate floor, Republican Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana addressed what he described as a list of funding projects he’d like to reclaim before Democrats agree to reopen the federal government. The discussion follows Senate Democrats blocking a bipartisan suspension funding bill, resulting in a shutdown extending into next week, with only a minimal number of bipartisan supporters.
Kennedy accused Democrats of “taking the government hostage,” insisting that millions earmarked for what he called “useless foreign projects” should be reconsidered. He mentioned that lawmakers had already removed various budget provisions.
“We’ve already cut all media funding from the Affordable Care Act,” Kennedy said. “Now there are new demands. For instance, Congress member Ocasio-Cortez and some other members from the socialist faction were very upset about this.” He acknowledged their feelings but seemed to suggest they needed to understand the changes made.
Kennedy pointed out that Democrats are pushing to restore expenditure items that Republicans have eliminated, including:
- Over $4 million for LGBTQ initiatives in Uganda
- $3.6 million for cooking and dance workshops aimed at male sex workers in Haiti
- $500,000 for purchasing an electric bus in Rwanda
- $6 million to support Palestinian media
- Over $833,000 for a transgender training program in Nepal
- $300,000 for a Pride Parade in Lesotho
- Nearly $900,000 for mentorship and social media initiatives in Serbia
- $3 million for circumcision and sterilization programs in Zambia
“We’ve removed these funds, but they insist we need to return them for a more accountable government,” Kennedy continued. He emphasized that the current impasse highlights different priorities, with Republicans wanting to negotiate the complete budget only after funding has lapsed.
“This is really what the fight comes down to. We’re negotiating a budget with our Democratic counterparts, but time has run out. The deadline was Tuesday at midnight. What we wanted—and still want—is to keep negotiating,” he added. “We’re looking for a temporary agreement to keep the government funded for another six weeks, that’s all we’re asking for.”
In the Senate, only Kentucky Senator Rand Paul voted against a funding measure intended to keep the government running until November 21st. The effort failed with a vote of 54-44, marking the fourth time Democrats have sought to extend the shutdown.
Some left-leaning groups, like Moveon, are reportedly campaigning to encourage Democrats to dismiss bipartisan agreements and maintain the shutdown as a strategy. However, a few Democrats, including Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, have expressed concerns about withholding government funds until Republicans concede to a $1.5 trillion healthcare provision.
