Kennedy: The only way to improve the president’s budget ‘is with a shredder’

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Sunday knocked President Biden’s budget proposal, saying it could only be improved by being thrown into a shredder.

“The president’s budget took my breath away. His numbers are extraordinary. We’re going to run out of digits here,” Kennedy said on “Fox News Sunday.”

“The only way I know how to improve the president’s budget is with a shredder,” he quipped. 

Biden’s budget proposal for fiscal 2024 comes in at around $6.8 trillion dollars, leaning on tax hikes for wealthy Americans and corporations in an effort to reduce the deficit and fund key programs like Medicare.

“The president says that his budget will solve our financial problems in Medicare and Social Security,” Kennedy said. “That’s not true. Anything seems possible when you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Biden’s sweeping proposal is not likely to become law with the divided Congress, but will be key in debates about the upcoming fiscal year’s budget, funding the government and raising the debt ceiling.

“No question that there are savings to be had in this budget. No fair-minded American believes that you can’t find efficiencies in a $6.9 trillion budget,” Kennedy said Sunday.

The Louisiana Republican said that the GOP-controlled House “is on track” to put a budget together, but said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) “has prevented” the upper chamber from making progress.

“We split the budget up into 12 mini budgets. I’m ranking member on one of those sub-committees. We should be meeting right now talking about how to reduce the rate of growth of spending and debt accumulation, but Sen. Schumer will not allow us to meet,” Kennedy said.

The Hill has reached out to Schumer’s office for comment.