“12-Piece Bucket of Stupid”: Senators Clash Over ICE As Partial Shutdown Looms

Sen. John Kennedy says protests have crossed the line, blasting anyone who spits on officers, blocks streets, or blows whistles in cops’ ears as creating a “powder keg” and a “12-piece bucket of stupid.” He says mayors and governors need to step up and tell people to stop crossing legal lines. In a second soundbite, Kennedy claims Democrats won’t back any deal unless it looks like they’re “gutting Homeland Security and ICE like a fish,” and warns DHS is likely to be shut down “for a while,” even as he predicts ICE will keep operating thanks to extra funding already passed. Sen. Cynthia Lummis says she’s **not** okay with splitting off DHS funding into a temporary extension — but admits that might be the only way to keep the government open, even if it means voting for something she’d never have supported two days earlier.