Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) offered a scathing and colorful assessment of the ongoing government shutdown, now on Day 29, describing the political infighting as a “soap opera” he would title “As the Stomach Turns.”
Appearing on CNN’s the “Arena,” Senator Kennedy suggested that the continued inability to resolve the standoff is why “the aliens lock their doors when they fly past Earth.”
The Louisiana Republican was clear that the shutdown will not end until “enough senators take their egos out back and shoot them.”
Kennedy placed a significant portion of the blame on his Democratic colleagues, specifically criticizing Senator Schumer’s initial proposal, calling it a “big ask.”
Kennedy argued that the request—which he estimated at “1.5 trillion” and included a desire to “gut” the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—was so extreme it became impossible for the majority leader to “get back off that limb.”
With negotiations stalled, Kennedy expressed profound pessimism about a quick resolution: “I do not see an offramp. I just, I don’t.”
The Senator emphasized that the core issue remains a broken healthcare system, citing that “the premiums on the Affordable Care Act are going through the roof.” He stressed the need for Congress to address the underlying flaws, stating, “We need to fix it or start over and do something else.”
Kennedy also touched on the pressure point of SNAP benefits, acknowledging that the growing impact on essential services “will turn up the pressure,” which he viewed as potentially “a good thing in terms of getting it settled.”
He suggested several Republican ideas being discussed to fix the ACA, including:
- Association health plans
- Bringing back high-risk pools
- Allowing high-deductible, non-long-term health insurance for healthy, young people
He concluded by equating the current political climate to an immature fight, saying, “We’re kind of like kids now in the back of a minivan fighting. And it’s not a good look.”
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