Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., is urging President-elect Donald Trump to intervene and “control” the Republican caucus as a large interim spending bill and partial government shutdown loom over Washington.
Kennedy told Fox News on Thursday that Trump is the only person capable of reining in the GOP, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., needs his support to get things done in Washington.
“There’s one person that can control the Republican caucus in the United States House of Representatives right now, and that’s Donald J. Trump,” he explained on “Fox & Friends.”
“Could that change?” Sure, but Speaker Johnson can’t [manage the caucus]. It is apparent that he has been unable to do so. It is not his fault. I’m not sure anyone could, but he can’t get all of the Republicans in the House to back the bill, and he’ll have to do so without Democratic support.”
“I think President Trump could,” he said. “And I hope he’ll consider coming to Washington.”
As of Thursday, the United States’ national debt – a measure of what taxpayers owe to the country’s creditors – stood at $36,189,345,826,140.62, with the figure rapidly increasing. A $2 trillion deficit is also projected by 2025.
Kennedy urged the president-elect to meet with Speaker Johnson and incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to draft a new “skinny C.R. [continuing resolution]” that is more digestible to conservatives who criticized the bill’s extravagant spending.
“Let’s face it, he’s the president now,” Kennedy remarked of Trump, who won’t take office until January 20. “It’s not President Biden.”
“If the president wants to do something about the debt ceiling, we must find out what it is and include it in the package. Mike will need assistance from the president to sell it in the House. Speaker Johnson’s issue is that, on the Republican side, he has a lot of free-range hens. I’m not criticizing them, but they walk off and Mike can’t capture them all by himself,” he explained.
The conservative resistance forced lawmakers to rethink their strategy for moving forward.
Elon Musk, President-elect Trump’s nomination to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was likewise opposed to the plan in its current form, even asking for senators who backed it to lose their seats.
Trump’s transition team also produced a joint statement from Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance criticizing the initial version of the agreement.
Kennedy stated that he too considered the law as worrisome.
“It’s a multiple vehicle pile-up,” he informed me.
“As soon as I saw the bill, I knew there would be trouble. “The thing was the size of a Costco.”
