Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Wednesday he does not buy the Democrats' storyline pitting progressives versus moderates because from what he heard during Tuesday night's presidential debate, all the candidates had the same "job-killing, soul-crushing, socialist agenda."
"The only thing missing was the Cuban national anthem," Sen. Kennedy told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "I would remind you the lesser of two socialists is still a socialist."
Kennedy added he is not hearing any new ideas from any of the candidates, but instead the "same old stuff: Socialism, illegal immigration, abortion, socialized medicine are moral goods. Free enterprise, border security, the sanctity of life, your on-the-job health insurance, those are all moral bads."
The senator also Wednesday said he is voting against a major spending bill in the Senate on Wednesday, as it does not result in cuts.
"Everybody around this place, Democrat and Republican, says we need to spend less, but it's like going to Heaven," he said. "Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody is quite ready to take the trip. When it comes time to make a change, to reduce spending, they don't want to hear about it."
He said last year in the Senate Appropriations Committee, he offered an amendment to delay pay raises for 2.2 million federal employees but got just two votes, one of which was from a Republican.
Kennedy pointed out the Office of Management and Budget sent hundreds of suggestions about how to reduce spending, but "duh, none of those suggestions were considered."
He said he does not think the entire measure is bad, particularly on defense spending, which he does like to increase.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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