Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) is turning up the heat on Senate leadership after his resolution to withhold senators’ pay during government shutdowns sailed through committee unanimously only to stall at the hands of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).
The resolution, S.Res.526, sailed through the Senate Rules and Administration Committee with a unanimous vote late last year, proving that even some of the most entrenched politicians recognize the basic fairness of this common-sense measure.
As Kennedy himself put it, when federal employees, troops, and border agents go without paychecks because Congress can’t do its job, why should senators keep cashing in?
Yet, despite overwhelming support and the glaring hypocrisy of Congress exempting itself from the consequences of its own failures, RINO Sen. John Thune continues to sit on the legislation.
In a recent interview, the fiery Louisiana senator didn’t mince words about his frustration with the slow-walking leadership.
Desirée Townsend:
I want to ask you about your legislation to withhold senators’ pay during a shutdown. I know I’ve asked you a few times—do you think there’s any way we can move this bill forward? Unanimous consent, even, and just see who objects to it?Sen. Kennedy:
Well, my bill came out of the Rules Committee unanimously. The only thing stopping it from passing—I’m not saying everybody will vote for it, but I think most senators will—is that Senator Thune has got to bring it to the floor. And because it’s in the form of a resolution, you can’t really—it’s difficult to put it on another bill.And so, I have chased John like he stole Thanksgiving to try to get him to do it, but so far he hasn’t agreed. But I’ll keep pounding him.
Desirée Townsend:
So DHS employees could maybe reach out to Thune’s office and try to help push forward a mechanism to bring it to the floor?Sen. Kennedy:
Sure.
WATCH:
@cheerleader4changeSenator John Kennedy on his legislation to withhold senators’ pay during a government shutdown.
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Jim Hᴏft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016.
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