John Kennedy: Why I Voted No On New Spending Deal

United States Senator John Kennedy tells 101.7 / 710 KEEL's Robert J Wright and Erin McCarty why he voted against the new funding and budget bill, both passed early Friday morning by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Senate, which voted, 71-28 to pass the measure, adds an additional $300 billion in spending to the federal budget, Kennedy tells KEEL listeners that "there are some good measures in the bill," including added funding for the military and more than $750 million for victims of the 2016 flood. But, the junior Senator explains, he, in the end, voted no because "it creates debt and we were not allowed to offer amendments.

In the far reaching interview, Kennedy also talks about the upcoming Senate debate on the possibility of amnesty for the group of illegal immigrants referred to as "Dreamers," reiterating a statement from an earlier KEEL interview that he may not be able to back any bill that includes amnesty "under any circumstance."