Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said on Fox Business Monday that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will ultimately be forced to engineer an off-ramp to end the ongoing government shutdown.

The government shutdown continues after Schumer led most Democrats in voting down the Republicans’ spending bill early Wednesday morning. Appearing on “Kudlow,” Kennedy said the shutdown has little to do with policy disputes and everything to do with Schumer’s political standing within his caucus.

“It will end eventually, when Senator Schumer goes to six or eight of his members and Democrats and says, ‘Do me a favor. Vote to open it back up. I may have to criticize you. I’m not going to vote with you, but I need a way out of this,'” Kennedy told host Larry Kudlow. “I need an offer. And that’s what’s going to happen. But he’s got to be careful because if it looks contrived, he’s boning. And he can’t look like he’s having a mutiny. But that’s how we’ll open back.”

Kennedy said Schumer is stalling to appease what he described as the “moon wing” of the Democratic Party despite knowing they will never fully embrace him. (RELATED: Sen. Kennedy Lists Millions In Questionable Spending Democrats Want Restored Before Reopening Government)

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“I know him. Well, this shutdown is not about policy. It’s about politics. And Senator Schumer, this is what’s going on. He is trying to get the moon wing, the socialist wing of the Democratic Party, which is in control to love him. And they will never love him,” Kennedy added. “They won’t. He’d be better off doing what he did back in March and just calling it like he saw it and keeping government open. Because what he’s saying, we’re going to keep government shut down until you Republicans and President Trump give the Democrats $1.5 trillion, and they’re going to tell us how to spend it.”

Kennedy took to the Senate floor Friday and accused Democrats of holding the government hostage to restore millions in what he called wasteful foreign projects. He said lawmakers had already removed the provisions, but the party’s far-left wing is now threatening to prolong the shutdown unless the funding is reinstated.

Kennedy said Democrats are demanding the return of spending items that Republicans had already removed, including millions for overseas LGBTQ programs, sex worker workshops, and electric buses in Rwanda. He also cited funding for Palestinian media, pride parades, and sterilization efforts abroad as part of what he called wasteful foreign projects Democrats want reinstated.

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