Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana didn’t mince words when asked about the ongoing government shutdown. In an interview posted by Forbes Breaking News, Kennedy warned bluntly, “I think this will be the longest shutdown in the history of ever.”
His prediction came as the shutdown entered its third week, triggered by a bitter standoff between Republicans and Democrats over health care subsidies and federal spending. Kennedy said the divide runs so deep that no quick fix is in sight.
“You’re not going to do that over a weekend,” he told reporters. “You’re not going to do that over a week. It’s going to take a while.”
Kennedy’s tone was matter-of-fact, not defiant. “I don’t say that happily,” he added. “I don’t say that proudly. I’m just saying that realistically.”
A Shutdown Without a Roadmap
The Louisiana senator laid out his reasoning: Democrats, he said, are demanding that Republicans renew subsidies for the Affordable Care Act “apparently forever,” something he argued would do little to fix what he called a “broken” system.
“They want automatic renewals for Obamacare subsidies,” Kennedy said. “But even if we renew them, it’s not going to fix the problems.”
He described the ACA as expensive, inaccessible, and far from its original promise of affordable coverage. “When it was passed, we were told it would make health insurance affordable – it hasn’t,” he said. “It would make it more accessible – it hasn’t. The whole thing’s broken.”
Kennedy believes that as long as Democrats hold that line, negotiations are futile. “If my Democratic friends stick to their guns and say, ‘We’re not going to open up government until you tell us your plan,’ we’re going to be waiting,” he said. “We’re going to be shut down a long time.”
Speaker Johnson Blames Schumer for the Deadlock
Meanwhile, over in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson delivered a fiery press conference on LiveNOW from FOX, marking day 14 of the shutdown. Standing beside members of GOP leadership, Johnson squarely placed the blame on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“This is the Democrats’ shutdown,” Johnson declared. “Two weeks of Democrats inflicting untold pain on the American people for nothing other than pure politics.”
He said the House had already passed a “clean, nonpartisan” continuing resolution to keep the government open at current funding levels while budget talks continue.
“There are no gimmicks or tricks,” Johnson insisted. “All it does is keep the lights on.”
Democrats, he argued, are instead demanding $1.5 trillion in new spending, much of it for “nonsense overseas.” Johnson rattled off examples like “climate resilience in Honduras” and “organizing for feminist democratic principles in Africa.”
“This Is About Image Rehabilitation”
Speaker Johnson accused Schumer of using the shutdown as a personal political weapon. “This government shutdown is plainly and simply an exercise in image rehabilitation,” he said. “He’s shutting the government down to hurt other people just so he can prove to his base that he’s fighting Donald Trump.”
Johnson went on to note that Schumer had supported continuing resolutions 29 out of 30 times since 2017. “What’s changed?” Johnson asked rhetorically. “Well, this time his job is on the line.”
He argued that Schumer was bowing to “radical elements” within his party who oppose compromise and want to humiliate Republicans rather than negotiate. “He’s been in Congress since 1980,” Johnson said. “He’s the broken status quo.”
Virginia Foxx: “This Is Real Pain Being Inflicted on Real People”
Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, whom Johnson introduced as “the Iron Lady of the House,” echoed his frustration.
In her remarks carried by LiveNOW from FOX, Foxx said more than 400,000 federal workers had received partial paychecks, and many would get nothing until Democrats “grow a spine and reopen the government.”
She blasted Schumer’s recent comment that “every day gets better for us” as “callous and tone-deaf.” “It reveals how the Democrats continue to use hard-working Americans as pawns,” Foxx said.
She accused Democrats of turning the shutdown into a publicity stunt. “They’ve taken shutdown selfies and posted weird videos instead of working,” she said. “These are not serious people.”
Scalise and Emmer Tie the Fight to Trump
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Whip Tom Emmer both tied the political standoff to President Donald Trump’s recent foreign policy moves, using them as an example of leadership they say is missing from Democrats.
Scalise praised Trump for securing the release of hostages in the Middle East, calling it “a historic day when people were literally dancing in the streets.” He contrasted that with what he described as “Chuck Schumer’s temper tantrum.”
“President Trump found a way to pay our troops while bringing peace to the Middle East,” Scalise said. “Meanwhile, Schumer’s shutdown is stopping families from getting paychecks.”
Whip Emmer echoed that sentiment. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, members of the military and their families will not be used as pawns,” he said. “But the consequences of this Democrat shutdown are real – and they’re only just getting started.”
Emmer warned that programs like SNAP and WIC could be disrupted, airports could face mass delays, and federal workers would soon miss more paychecks.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” he said. “Chuck Schumer could end it today.”
Lisa McClain: “They’d Rather Please Their Radical Base”
Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan added her own rebuke. “Fourteen days in, and why?” she asked. “It’s clean. No gimmicks. Democrats absolutely do not want this to happen because they’d rather please their radical base than put America first.”
McClain accused Democrats of waiting for chaos to escalate. “They brag they won’t budge until planes fall out of the sky,” she said incredulously. “That’s their model.”
She called on Democrats to “free the American people from being held hostage by their radical base” and pass the House funding bill that she said would reopen the government immediately.
A Shutdown Fueled by Politics, Not Policy
Both Kennedy’s remarks and the fiery exchanges from Johnson’s press conference point to a deeper truth – this shutdown isn’t just about spending numbers. It’s about control.
Kennedy’s pessimism reflects a Senate frozen by ideology, while Johnson’s defiance shows a House leadership unwilling to make even temporary concessions. Both sides are convinced they’re standing on principle, and both are sure the other is to blame.
The irony is that while politicians trade barbs, 1.6 million federal workers are either furloughed or working without pay. Essential programs like the WIC nutrition program and CDC research are running on fumes.
At this rate, Kennedy’s warning may prove prophetic. Without a breakthrough, this could indeed become “the longest shutdown in the history of ever.”
And while Congress plays politics, ordinary Americans – families, soldiers, small businesses – are left footing the bill.
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A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.