Senator Schumer will vote to advance a spending bill on Friday aimed at avoiding a government shutdown, which is due to begin at the end of the day on Friday if legislation is not passed and signed by President Trump. The Democratic leader announced he would support the legislation just 24 hours after saying he and Democrats would not aid Senate Republicans.
In a speech on the Senate floor late Thursday, Mr. Schumer said that while the spending bill is bad, a shutdown would be “much, much worse.”
The decision to allow the spending bill to move forward is likely to draw backlash from liberal lawmakers and party activists after House Democrats nearly unanimously voted against the legislation — known as a continuing resolution — on Tuesday. Only one House Democrat voted for the legislation.
“What should happen is the Senate should hold the cloture vote and Democratic senators should stick together,” a former chairwoman of the Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said at a press conference on Thursday. “If we give in on this, then we’re gonna give in on a whole bunch of things.”
“Senate Democrats should not allow this chaos to continue. They can put a stop to it tomorrow,” Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X. “CALL your Senator and ask them to vote NO on … the Republican spending bill.”
Mr. Schumer and his leadership team had been demanding a short-term funding agreement that would take them to mid-April, allowing the Appropriations Committee to work on a broader bipartisan agreement. The Democrats’ plan was to give Republicans enough votes for cloture in exchange for a vote on that short-term spending legislation — something Ms. Ocasio-Cortez called performative.
“I hope Senate Democrats understand there is nothing clever about setting up a fake failed 30 day CR first to turn around & vote for cloture on the GOP spending bill,” the congresswoman wrote. “Those games won’t fool anyone. It won’t trick voters, it won’t trick House members. People will not forget it.”
It is a remarkable turnaround for Mr. Schumer given the fact that he made clear Wednesday night that Democrats would not lift a finger to help Senate Republicans invoke cloture with 60 votes, saying that the majority had taken the “partisan path” forward. Despite Mr. Schumer’s plans to vote to advance the bill, several Democrats — even more moderate ones — said they would not do so themselves.
“Republicans should be willing to vote on a … solution that most people agreed to,” Senator Luján told reporters after leaving a meeting with fellow Democrats on Thursday. He says that Republicans should take up the 27-day proposal from Senator Murray and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro — the Democrats’ leaders on the Senate and House Appropriations Committees — so that the committee can keep working.
“If my Republican colleagues don’t trust their appropriators, maybe they need new appropriators, but they have a deal,” Mr. Luján said.
After accidentally taking an elevator to the wrong floor, Mr. Luján appeared again before reporters and was asked about Democrats being blamed for the shutdown if it comes to that. “Republicans are in charge! What are you guys all asking these questions for?” Mr. Luján said angrily.
“Jiminy Christmas,” he remarked in a huff as he walked onto the Senate floor.
Two key moderate votes — Senator Gallego and Senator Kelly — announced in separate statements but at the same time that they would not help Republicans pass the bill.
“I will not be voting for a budget that would cut a billion dollars from our veterans, cutting $300 million from FEMA … Cutting services that we need in Arizona,” Mr. Gallego said. “From day one, this was not a normal budget that should’ve been negotiated.”
When asked what his message would be to voters if the government does shut down, Mr. Gallego responded: “Donald Trump and Republicans shut down the government.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
