VIDEO: Sen. Mike Lee gives Boehner an 'A' for handling of shutdown crisis

Tea Party Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) gave Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) a ringing endorsement on Wednesday for his handling of the government shutdown crisis, which is now entering its third day.

"I've been very pleased with the fact that House Speaker John Boehner has been willing, along with the rest of his leadership team, and the Republicans in the House, to push forward with efforts to keep the government funded while defunding Obamacare," Lee told Campus Reform's Katherine Timpf on Wednesday.

"I hope and expect he will stay strong in this effort," he added.

WATCH: Sen. Mike Lee gives Boehner an ‘A’ for his shutdown politics

"I'd give him an A," Lee continued, when asked how he'd grade the House Republican leader’s shutdown politics. "I think he has done a great job on those pieces of legislation."

The shutdown, now in it’s third day, began with House Republicans sending a budget bill to the Senate that did not include funding for President Obama’s signature accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare.

Obama and leaders from the Senate and House emerged from a 90-minute meeting late on Wednesday apparently no closer to a deal to end the stalemate, which has left 800,000 federal workers in limbo.

In the Wednesday interview, Lee, however, sounded a less positive note, speculating that the country may have to tolerate Obamacare at least until the next elections. .

“If Washington funds the implementation and enforcement of Obamacare then we will move forward and see the exchanges kick in... along with the rest of this harmful law,” he told Campus Reform. “We will have to focus on getting support to eventually appeal it.”

"Some would argue that we may have to wait until we get another president to fully repeal it but perhaps if we can just get to a point where we can defund it then we can delay it until that time and we can protect the American people from the horrible effect of this law,” he added.

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