Summary
- GOP blames Schumer, Democrats for prolonging shutdown.
- Accuse Schumer of caving to far-left spending demands.
- Schumer said shutdown situation politically improves daily for Democrats.
For Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, there's no end in sight.
"It's like the game room in a mental hospital. That's what the Senate is like right now,"
Kennedy said Sunday on "One Nation with Brian Kilmeade."
"I'm prepared to just stay shut down. I'm sorry for all the pain it's causing."
Both Kennedy and House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., lamented Sunday that the side effects of the shutdown are going to be painful for the American people.
They also accused Schumer of putting his own self-interests above the country's well-being.
"Our military's not going to be paid for a while,"
Kennedy noted.
"Really, the pain that it's causing the American people breaks my heart, but I don't know what else to do. They [Democrats] basically want us to repeal the one big, beautiful bill and spend $1.5 trillion, and… we can't just give the loon wing of the Democratic Party, $1.5 trillion… I'm not going to vote to do it."
Appearing on "Sunday Night in America," Scalise echoed other Republicans who have argued that Schumer is refusing to cave out of fear for his political future.
"Chuck Schumer's fear… is the far left, it's the AOC wing of the party. In fact, our polls show AOC would beat Chuck Schumer in a primary, and that seems to be all he cares about: his political future,"
Scalise said.
"He surely doesn't care about the lives of American families, our soldiers, our men and women in uniform who will not get paychecks next week because of this crazy move to shut down the government by Schumer."
Additionally, Scalise contended that while American troops and families are facing missed paychecks, Democrats had obstructed the House-passed budget plan in order to advance what he called "a wish list" of unrelated spending, including new programs and support for noncitizens.
Meanwhile, Schumer and a number of his Democratic colleagues maintain that the closure is the fault of Republicans.
"IT’S MIDNIGHT. That means the Republican shutdown has just begun because they wouldn’t protect Americans’ health care. We’re going to keep fighting for the American people,"
Schumer posted on social media as the shutdown began.
The government shutdown reached its thirteenth day on Monday, and as both chambers continue to be mired in a partisan impasse on priorities and spending, there is no apparent end in sight.
What concessions Republicans are demanding to end the shutdown?
Republicans insist Democrats approve the stopgap spending measure passed by the House, which funds government operations mostly at current levels through November 21, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate broader budget agreements.
GOP leaders refuse to agree to Democratic demands to extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits and Medicaid funding, which Democrats prioritize to prevent insurance premium increases.
Republicans seek to maintain tighter control over federal spending, reject large spending increases, and oppose expansions in social benefit programs.