GOP Senator Says Shutdown Means Time To 'Hunker Down Like A Jackass In A Hailstorm'

Amy Russo
As it becomes increasingly clear the federal government shutdown could drag on

As it becomes increasingly clear the federal government shutdown could drag on into January, one GOP lawmaker warned his colleagues to brace themselves.

“This is my fifth shutdown,” Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) told CNN Monday. “I’m beyond frustrated. LBJ said sometimes you just have to hunker down like a jackass in a hail storm and just take it. That’s about where we are.”

Footage from Reuters captured the same day showed Roberts explaining the partisan divide, warning that it will take time for Congress to come together and cut a deal.

“The paradox is that most people on the other side have voted for some degree of border security and the wall or the fence or the barrier, whatever you want to call it, before, but now since it’s become a political issue, you know both ways, nobody’s giving in,” he said. “But they will. We’ll get past this.”

The government stomped on the brakes at midnight Saturday after Congress failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill. Fueling the turmoil is President Donald Trump’s demand that the package include $5 billion for a southern border wall, although there’s already a partial barrier in place.

The measure passed the GOP-led House but was struck down in the Senate. It’s possible the stalemate won’t end until Democrats take back the House next month.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.