Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Sunday that individuals who attacked police officers during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot should be barred from receiving taxpayer money under a proposed federal “anti-weaponization” fund.

Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Kennedy addressed negotiations on Capitol Hill concerning the $1.8 billion fund, which aims to provide compensation to individuals who claim they were wronged by federal law enforcement.

The fund has emerged as a key point of contention in Congress, with Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn holding up the confirmation of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche until the Justice Department ends the initiative.

While President Donald Trump has advocated for legislation to establish the fund into law, Kennedy insisted that explicit restrictions must be included in any final bill.“No, I’d take them off the table,” Kennedy said when asked if those who attacked officers on Jan. 6 should be eligible for compensation. While noting that individuals currently have the right to file claims against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Kennedy stated he would insist on excluding Capitol rioters from any new legislative framework. “I’m willing to look at it, but I’m not going to give him a blank check,” he said.

Kennedy also flatly rejected reported budget proposals aimed at avoiding an upcoming federal government shutdown. Addressing reports that Senate leaders might agree to drop the budget resolution and curb presidential authority over government grants to secure a funding agreement, Kennedy said he would vote against such a deal.

“Will I vote for it? The short answer is no. The long answer is hell no,” Kennedy said, calling instead for a clean continuing resolution to maintain government operations without policy additions.

Turning to foreign policy, Kennedy weighed in on President Trump’s overnight decision to pause planned military attacks against Iran to give room for potential negotiations. Kennedy expressed skepticism about diplomatic breakthroughs, warning against agreeing to weak terms.

“No deal is just fine. Not preferable, but it’s fine. A bad deal isn’t,” Kennedy said, adding that the Iranian government “learned to lie before they learned to talk.” Addressing federal warnings regarding recent cyberattacks on water systems across seven states, Kennedy said the U.S. should respond forcefully if Iranian involvement is verified, while noting that other foreign state actors could also be behind the disruptions.

Kennedy also commented on the Justice Department’s decision to dismiss vandalism charges against an Olympic canoeist accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. The DOJ dropped the case after admitting the damage was caused by a botched installation rather than vandalism.

“If she can’t prove her case, she was right to pull back,” Kennedy said regarding U.S. Attorney Pirro, while questioning why the suit was initially filed prior to a complete investigation. Kennedy added that he would support releasing the grand jury records from the case, stating, “Fine with me. Let the whole world see.”