Sen. John Kennedy (R‑La.) said on Sunday that he would support a plan to reopen the federal government even if it did not include funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
What Kennedy Proposed
- Kennedy told Trey Gowdy on “Sunday Night in America” that Republicans should accept a Democratic offer to reopen government all at once — except for ICE funding within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
- He argued that after reopening the government, Republicans could pass a separate budget for ICE using the Senate’s reconciliation process, which does not require Democratic votes.
“We can do it without any Democratic votes… Certainly the Democrats are welcome to join us. We can do it with all Republican votes,” Kennedy said.
He referenced the strategy Republicans used to pass their “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”
Why He Thinks This Matters
Kennedy said the current partial government shutdown is unnecessarily dragging on and causing deep problems, including:
- TSA agents — part of DHS — are going unpaid, leading them to consider calling out sick or leaving for other jobs.
- Long airport security lines due to staffing shortages.
- General low morale among DHS workers who aren’t being paid.
Kennedy used a colorful metaphor to emphasize his point:
“What we’re doing right now is a Great Dane‑sized whiz down the leg of every employee at TSA and everybody else at DHS who should be paid.”
His View on the Political Stalemate
Kennedy argued that Democrats are unlikely to vote for any spending bill that includes ICE funding, because many in their party “want to abolish it.” He believes Republicans should stop giving speeches and instead take action to reopen the government.
He estimated that the government could be reopened within seven days if this approach were followed.
