The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, announced on Thursday that he will vote in favor of a Republican-authored bill to fund federal agencies through September, thereby avoiding a government shutdown. Schumer’s statement indicates that Democratic members are willing to provide the necessary votes to overcome procedural hurdles, allowing the seven-month spending measure to move forward to a final vote.
In a floor speech, Schumer described the vote as a “Hobson’s choice” for Senate Democrats. They face pressure from House counterparts and their activist base to block the House-passed measure, which they argue would give Donald Trump excessive discretion over spending decisions. However, after days of tense, closed-door meetings, Schumer stated that he believes a shutdown, which would begin at midnight on Friday, would have “consequences for America that are much, much worse.”
Schumer further argued that a shutdown would give Trump and Elon Musk “carte blanche to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now.” He expanded on his reasoning a day after signaling his party’s preparedness to withhold their votes in an attempt to force Republicans back to the negotiating table.
Senate Republicans hold a narrow 53-seat majority, falling short of the 60-vote threshold required to advance the legislation. Senator Rand Paul, known for his strong fiscal conservatism, has expressed opposition to the House bill, meaning that at least eight Democrats would likely need to support the bill for it to overcome procedural hurdles.
The 99-page House-passed measure includes a $6 billion increase in military budgets while cutting $13 billion from non-defense spending. Democrats argue that this amounts to an attack on critical programs for vulnerable Americans.
House Democrats urged their Senate colleagues to oppose the bill during their annual caucus retreat in Virginia. All but one House Democrat voted against it on Tuesday.
Throughout the week, Senate Democrats have debated their vote publicly and privately. Republicans intensified their attacks, warning that Democrats would be blamed for an unpopular government shutdown, despite the GOP’s control over all branches of government in Washington. Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Ruben Gallego of Arizona have taken opposing stances on the bill, with Gallego voting against it.
Progressive activists have criticized Schumer’s decision, urging Democrats not to follow his lead and “surrender” to Trump and the Republicans. Ezra Levin, the co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, called it a “weak strategic move driven by fear and learned helplessness.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/13/schumer-republican-bill-shutdown-trump
