Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of a handful of Republican lawmakers who voted Wednesday to restore funding for part of the government said Thursday he had a reason for for his vote: "Shutdowns are stupid."
"I think it's the dumbest way to do government in the world, and people laugh at us when we can't get our act together," the Illinois congressman told CNN'S "New Day."
Kinzinger stressed, however, that he still agrees that a border wall is needed, and he supports one and voted for money for it.
"I think the president is right to say that if we're going to have a negotiation, [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi has got to get off her 'absolutely no wall' position because from that position it's untenable," said Kinzinger.
However, he thinks that if parts of the government can be released as "hostages" in the shutdown standoff, he'll vote for bills to end that, if the bill is agreeable and is close to what he thinks should take priority.
Kinzinger said he does think other Republicans need to make their own decision on their votes, even if the Senate won't do anything with the bills.
The congressman also commented on reports that President Donald Trump walked out of a meeting with Democrats on Wednesday, saying that's not an effective way to end the standoff over the border wall, but he also thinks Pelosi's stance is not effective either.
"The president has never said that he will not do Dreamers or not do DACA ever," said Kinzinger. "Nancy Pelosi has said she will never do the wall, ever. If she can come off that position, I look at this and say this is an issue I think we can solve. We can get DACA and Dreamers, we can get the wall money done."
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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