In Washington, the Senate found itself entangled in yet another dilemma on Friday as it worked against the clock to prevent a partial government shutdown. The Democratic Party faced a tough decision: either support a bill that grants President Donald Trump significant control over spending or risk allowing a lapse in funding which could lead to a shutdown.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dedicated time earlier in the week for caucus members to express their concerns. However, he asserted late Thursday that under no circumstances would he let a shutdown happen, indicating that Democrats might align with Republicans to push forward the continuing resolution, known as a CR. The CR could reach a vote as early as Friday.
A procedural vote anticipated on Friday would serve as an initial assessment to determine if the package could secure the 60 votes needed to proceed, with final voting potentially occurring later in the day. Crucially, the cooperation of at least eight Democrats with Republicans would be required to advance the funding proposal.
“Though the current CR is far from ideal, the repercussions of a shutdown are significantly graver for America,” Schumer stated.
Faced with the incapacity to pass annual appropriations bills needed for government funding, Congress has resorted to temporary extensions. The legislation under Senate consideration represents the third continuing resolution for this fiscal year, now almost halfway through.
The bill proposes to finance the federal government until the end of September, slightly reducing non-defense spending by approximately $13 billion while increasing defense spending by about $6 billion. These adjustments are relatively minor compared to the overall spending ceiling, which nears $1.7 trillion.
With the Republican-controlled House approving the spending bill on Tuesday and subsequently adjourning, senators were forced to either accept or reject it. Despite Democrats pushing for an additional short-term extension, Republican leaders made it clear that this approach was unacceptable.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republicans highlighted in their remarks on Thursday that any responsibility for a shutdown would be attributed solely to the Democrats.
“Democrats must decide whether to back the funding legislation passed by the House or shut down the government,” Thune declared in his opening statement.
Activist groups lobbied Democratic lawmakers to demand a 30-day extension and resist the spending bill, arguing that routine governance shouldn’t persist while key agencies and programs are being dismantled under Trump and Elon Musk.
However, Schumer cautioned that a shutdown would empower Trump further, allowing broad administrative latitude to declare whole agencies and programs non-critical, resulting in furloughed staff with no assurance of their return.
“A shutdown would essentially hand Trump unrestricted power over major elements of government,” Schumer warned.
Democrats expressed dissatisfaction with the bill’s funding allocations, pointing out that both defense and non-defense budgets are slightly below the levels agreed upon nearly two years prior when Congress passed a debt ceiling lift in exchange for spending limitations.
Additionally, they raised concerns about the increased discretion given to the Trump administration under this spending bill. Many Democrats likened it to providing Trump with a “blank check.”
Typically, spending bills come attached with specific directives for major programs. However, the continuing resolution passed by the House removes hundreds of these directives, providing the administration more flexibility in dictating the use of allocated funds.
For instance, as highlighted in a Democratic memo, the bill allows for the redirection of funds from tackling fentanyl to mass deportation initiatives, and more than 1,000 projects overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers could have their funding determined by the administration rather than Congress.
Democrats also contested the treatment of Washington, D.C., under the bill, saying it effectively annuls the district’s current financial plan and forces it back to the preceding year’s budget level, although D.C. largely self-funds. Mayor Muriel Bowser stated the district would need to cut $1.1 billion in spending over a few months.
Additionally, Democrats opposed clawing back $20 billion from specialized IRS funding, supplementing a previous $20 billion reduction, effectively slashing the intended budget increase aimed at the agency during Joe Biden’s presidency.
The Senate’s spending bill discussions diverge from Republican intentions to prolong tax cuts for individuals introduced during Trump’s first term, aiming to balance these with additional budget cuts.
This forthcoming package will be developed in due course, but it is a crucial aspect Democrats considered as they opposed the six-month extension, believing both efforts disproportionately benefit the affluent while adversely affecting other Americans.
“The current CR is a tough blow, followed by a forthcoming reconciliation bill that will further harm the American populace,” remarked Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton criticized the Democrats, calling them hypocritical as they seemingly pushed for a shutdown to protect governmental structures.
“Democrats appear intent on denying paychecks to essential workers and government staff, which is nonsensical,” Cotton argued.
