Watch Senator John Kennedy List the Crazy Things AOC and Other Leftist Dems Are Demanding Over Shutdown (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Mike LaChance

The Tampa Free Press reported:

Louisiana Senator Kennedy Critiques Democratic Shutdown Conditions: ‘Cooking and Dance Workshops’ in Haiti

The ongoing federal government shutdown has taken a contentious turn, with Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy taking to the Senate floor to highlight what he characterizes as “absurd” and “extravagant” foreign aid programs that Democrats are supposedly insisting on reinstating before they will agree to reopen the government.

Kennedy labeled Senate Democrats as holding the nation “hostage” after they thwarted a bipartisan stopgap funding bill, extending the beleaguered shutdown into the following week.

He contended that provisions, which were previously cut from the budget by Republicans, are now being leveraged by the party’s progressive faction as a way to maintain government closure.

“We eliminated funding for all forms of media under the Affordable Care Act. Now, those funds are the Democrats’ demand. One particular item stirred a significant reaction—Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and the socialist side of the party were particularly dismayed when President Trump proposed what’s termed a rescission package, essentially requesting the removal of wasteful expenditures from the budget. This upset the Congresswoman, and while she has the right to her feelings, it certainly displeased the socialist bloc. What they’re asking us to revert back to is quite telling,” Kennedy explained.

Here are some specific items Kennedy highlighted:

– $3.6 million for cooking and dance workshops aimed at male sex workers in Haiti.
– Over $4.2 million earmarked for LGBTQ initiatives in the Western Balkans and Uganda.
– $6 million intended to subsidize Palestinian media organizations.
– $3 million designated for circumcision and vasectomy programs in Zambia.
– More than $833,000 for transgender rights and support in Nepal.
– $500,000 allocated for the acquisition of electric buses in Rwanda.
– $300,000 to sponsor a pride parade in Lesotho.

For further context, consider this reaction:

It’s hard to believe… These are purported demands from Democrats:

– $3 million for circumcision and vasectomy services in Zambia
– $833,000 for transgender support services in Nepal
– $4.2 million for LGBTQ initiatives in the Western Balkans and Uganda
– $3.6 million… pic.twitter.com/maGvy3mLvC

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 3, 2025

One could wonder why mainstream media isn’t probing Chuck Schumer about any of this.