Kennedy reads 30 hrs/week
Kennedy spends approximately 30 hours a week reading to stay prepared for Senate duties, something he sees as a necessary but enjoyable part of the job.
Where this was said
The State of Congress, Schumer, and the Budget Fight
At 26:26 · chapter starts 25:50
Kennedy doesn't sugarcoat the state of Congress. He describes it as resembling 'a breech birth' and 'a three-wheel shopping cart' — dysfunctional and unable to reach consensus. As a member of the Appropriations Committee responsible for the energy and water development budget (including the Department of Energy and Army Corps of Engineers), he needs 60 votes to pass anything and must cooperate with Democrats. He predicts Senator Chuck Schumer will weaponize the budget process by refusing to provide votes, engineering a government shutdown ahead of the midterms. Kennedy does not hate Schumer — he's traveled to China with him and met President Xi together — but describes him as 'like a 5-year-old in a Batman costume' who thinks chaos helps his side. To keep up with brilliant colleagues like Rubio, Cruz, and Vermont's Peter Welch, Kennedy reads approximately 30 hours a week, noting he may not be able to match their raw intellect but nobody will outwork him — 'I work harder than an ugly stripper.'
Senator for 10 years
John Kennedy has served as a U.S. Senator for Louisiana for 10 years, previously serving 17 years as state treasurer.
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