Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., listens during a Senate hearing in Washington, Sept. 13, 2022. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He said he expected Democrats would maintain a united front against a short-term spending extension on Friday.
"I have been told that the Democrats who've been negotiating with us are going to all vote no to proceed to the bill. That is an accommodation to their more aggressive Democratic senators. They've agreed to vote no one more time," Kennedy said.
Although Kennedy isn’t directly involved in negotiations, his comments came after a closed-door discussion of the shutdown’s standing with fellow Republican senators on Thursday.
The country entered a government shutdown at the beginning of October when Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., rejected a Republican short-term government funding bill, demanding that lawmakers first consider expiring health care subsidies for Obamacare that the country implemented as a temporary, emergency response to COVID-19.
SENATE DEMOCRATS EYE EXIT FROM RECORD-BREAKING SHUTDOWN AS PRESSURE INTENSIFIES
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., speaks during a Senate Committee on the Budget hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 10, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/AFP)
"The last time I talked to [Democrats], they wanted a vote on the Obamacare subsidies — and guaranteed passage. Then we're going to be shut down for a long time because that's just not going to happen," he said.
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The Senate will vote on the Republican short-term spending extension on Friday. It’s unclear if the Senate will stay in Washington. D.C. over the weekend or whether they will continue with a scheduled recess for Veterans Day next week.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sen-kennedy-says-shutdown-could-last-2-more-weeks-amid-ongoing-obamacare-dispute