Sen Kennedy says GOP should accept Dems' offer to end DHS shutdown, fund ICE through next-day reconciliation

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., discusses the partial government shutdown as Democrats push for I.C.E. reform and debate continues over the SAVE America Act on ‘Sunday Night in America.’ Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Sunday he would accept Democrats’ proposal to reopen the government without funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing Republicans could later pass immigration enforcement funding without Democratic support. "I would accept the Democrats’ offer to open up everything except ICE at DHS. Then, the very next day, I would pass a reconciliation bill which crafts a budget for ICE," Kennedy told "Sunday Night in America" host Trey Gowdy. "We can do it without any Democratic votes. Certainly the Democrats are welcome to join us. We can do it with all Republican votes. That's how we passed the One Big, Beautiful Bill…" UNPAID DHS WO