Congress averted a government shutdown on Friday as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer caved to Republicans and publicly broke with many members of his own party to avoid a filibuster on a continuing resolution that funds the government through September. The fiasco became the latest setback for a Democrat Party that appears divided and rudderless nearly two months into President Donald Trump’s second term.
The House passed the funding bill last Tuesday on a near party-line vote. Democrat Jared Golden of Maine crossed the aisle to vote for the measure, while Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the sole Republican to oppose it.
Things appeared dicier in the Senate, where bills typically need to reach a 60-vote threshold to pass. Multiple Senate Democrats came out strongly opposed to the bill, in effect stating that they would rather send the government into a shutdown than pass it.
But it quickly became clear that blocking the bill would be a political disaster for Democrats. Even if the government went into a shutdown, there was no real path for Democrats to extract any concessions from Republicans, as the GOP controls both the House and the Senate.
Senate Democrats had no cards to play, and Schumer knew it. In an op-ed for The New York Times, Schumer argued that Democrats face “a difficult decision: Either proceed with the bill before us or risk Mr. Trump throwing America into the chaos of a shutdown.”
“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took ‘guts’ and courage!” President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social following Schumer’s announcement that he would not move to filibuster the bill. “The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more is coming. We should all work together on that very dangerous situation.”
The funding bill reduces overall spending from the previous fiscal year while increasing spending by $6 billion for veterans healthcare as well as for defense spending and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding. The bill decreases non-defense spending by $13 billion.
Trump signed the funding bill into law shortly after the Senate passed it.
Schumer’s decision to support the motion to invoke cloture (thereby avoiding a filibuster) on the GOP bill highlighted deepening divisions within the Democrat caucus. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a statement Thursday blasting Schumer’s support for the bill. “House Democrats will not be complicit,” Jeffries wrote. “We remain strongly opposed to the partisan spending bill under consideration in the Senate.”
Notably, Jeffries refused multiple times to say whether he has confidence in Schumer during media appearances. When asked if Senate Democrats need a new leader, Jeffries responded “next question.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also had harsh words for the Senate Democrats who aligned with Republicans to invoke cloture and ultimately pass the bill.
“Just to see Senate Democrats even consider acquiescing to Elon Musk, I think is a huge slap in the face,” she said. “And I think there is a wide sense of betrayal if things proceed as currently planned.”
CNN reported that some House Democrats are urging Ocasio-Cortez to run against Schumer for his Senate seat in 2028.
As multiple commentators online were quick to point out, Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats have long blasted the filibuster as a “relic of Jim Crow” while also insisting that “nobody wins” in a government shutdown. Yet, in this case, a majority of congressional Democrats were calling on senators to use the filibuster to start a government shutdown.
While Schumer might be commended for acknowledging the political reality before him, it remains puzzling why he chose to allow his members to publicly call for a shutdown for days before ultimately announcing that he would support allowing the bill to pass.
Once again, President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have outmaneuvered Democrats. They have now put themselves in a prime position to pass a major funding bill enacting all of Trump’s legislative priorities later this year.
Alan Jamison is the pen name of a political writer with extensive experience writing for several notable politicians and news outlets.
What a joke. Jeffries trying to teach Schumer politics is like Abbott trying to teach Costello how to drive.
At least Schumer had the smarts to realize the timing for a shutdown was terrible.
However, a potential September shutdown is not off the table depending upon how the political chips fall during the next 6 months.
AOC called Elon Musk “stupid”! What does that say about HER intelligence (or lack thereof)?!
Is Chuckles Schumer supposed to be the savior for the Democrats? What a joke! He can’t even make a speech and reads everything from a sheet of paper! Joe Biden Jr.?
I don’t see Senator Schumer as someone with “guts and courage”, as I’ve watched him posture and legislate in his own best interest for way too many years. He knows his own party, and made an exception in taking the higher road that best serves Americans… which is to say he broke with his party in his own best interest.
This is still an irresponsible big spending bill. Republicans are sitting on their hands and letting Musk and Trump take the blame for everything. They’re just happy someone else is doing their job for them. Do your jobs, and help Trump straighten out Biden’s mess!
Just seeing AOC in congress is like a slap in the face! I’d like to see her replace Chuckie, because that would be the certain death of the dimocratic party!
The awful obtuse cretin (aoc) and ilhan omar were walking through the woods when they came upon some tracks. aoc looked at omar and said, “Look deer tracks.” Omar look down at the tracks and said, “Nah, those are boar tracks, I’m sure of it.” Aoc looked again and said, “Nope, those are deer tracks, I’m positive of it.” They were still arguing when the train ran them over.
Victory for OUR Side Hooray Screw the Dems
Schumer did the right thing to work with President Trump and pass the budget others in there party would ant a shut down of government Jeffries would never do what is right. They need to all work together that is the way it should be. AOC calls Elon Musk stupid she is a joke she does not have a brain and she tells the richest man in the world he is stupid she can be in Washington till she is 100 years old will never have as much money he has she cannot do anything a good as Musk Well the government will be open for several more months when they work together anything is possible.
Schumer wants to be elected again. King Chuckie just announced in the senate he is the boss. All the other democrats voted against Trump and or against Musk. They were not being hurt if Schumer voted for it or against it. The federal workers would have loved a couple of days off. They would get back pay for those days later. Nobody would be hurt. Only the country would be hurt. The debt clock keeps on spinning. King Chuckie and his minions are against America but calling it Trump or Musk. Grow up democrats. Admit the people of America are against you. They want to save America. Grow up you whining America haters, who call yourself democrats.
The Democratic party is purely Evil.
I hope the Democrats continue to jump on Schumer for the position he took. Let them not only show their true colors, but wave then proudly for all to see.
I follow the whole spectrum of news, venturing into left wing territory often. TDS is real. They repeat what they’ve been told, no matter how shallow, dated, delusional, or ridiculous it is. Name calling out of frustration is in high style, so is calling my bluff where they lose every time. No plan, no vision, no solution, just hate on Trump, Musk, and so on. It is quite pathetic and pitiful. But I will give no quarter.
Congrats to DJT for sticking the shiv in Schumer’s back!! As Chuckie’s former opponent once said, “Schumer is a putz.” [That’s Yiddish; Look up the definition. It applies.] Please Sandy Cortez, primary Chuck. If you win, you will pull the campaign so far to the left, that the Republicans will have a shot at taking back the seat!
“it remains puzzling why he chose to allow his members to publicly call for a shutdown for days”
Why does this puzzle you? He was expecting the same old ‘Republicans cave because that’s what they do.” He waited and waited, but when it became clear that wouldn’t materialize, he faced reality and changed his vote.
Isn’t it true that the budget the Democrats were fighting over was originally Biden’s budget?!
To your last sentence. Let’s pray so, but we cannot get too hopeful/excited for we know how the democrats try and demonize everything the republicans put forth.
Now Schumer knows what it feels like to do the right thing against Democrats. AOC nailed it when she said it was all about Musk and nothing to do with America or the budget. Must suck to have your whole world revolve around opposing a single person who is on the right side. Futility, thy name is Democrat.
I did not know that there is still a bit of patriotism in Schumer’s head? Bless you Sir, the Holy Spirit must have gotten to your conscience, so thank you.
I think people now realize the democratic party has become bogus. They’re only interested in their own personal agenda while giving the middle finger to all the citizens of this country. Not to mention they’ve also exposed their Marxism agenda.
Did they really think they had this country in a monopoly, What group of people open the border to the world to invade just so they can get democratic future voters. But I feel they have a Marxist agenda which they will never cease to eliminate since they were seeking it for years no matter how long it takes. But the end results of that is failure which they’re starting to understand. No common sense citizen wants to see it’s own home where they live being destroyed.Plus their morality hit its low in their fantasy world. The propaganda has been totally exposed of the corrupt media of their cause and most people realize that in this country now.
Its all MAGA fault: Republicans should have thrown a few billion into the CR like “transgender dance night” or “illegal immigrant free hotel pay-per-view” to make Democrats happy!
Time the American citizen took back the country, tell these “get rich” asshat elected either stop your BS, take care of us, or you are out of office. We have withered on the vine and we are now used by the elected (some not all), media including TV, some print crap, etc.
WAKE UP AMERICANS, Get some courage, tell these non-caring elected loudmouths who are elected, and line their pockets with perks, lifetime salary, free medical, and do little but say more lies than a trained professional liar. Either shut up do what is right for American citizens or we will remove them from Office as a first step, sue them for dereliction of duty, and take back America. Want to live off others and have some warped ideas, get the hell out, you are a PIA. Either they stop of the American vote will stop them, removal and class action suits for dishonesty, do nothing, violate their oath of office, etc. Get some guts Americans and see the truth or suffer more.
Congress is not doing the job by passing continuing resolutions!!! However, it is better than a government shut down!!!!
“Democrats in disarray…”; yeah, kinda reminds me of the “Republican party” in disarray from ’96 to 2016, when they sold out their supporters in favor of Red China in the WTO. Then proceeded to give us the Bush moron and “endless war” Cheney. This “Republican vs Democrat” nonsense is leftovers from our parents’ era; abt as rela
.
these so called democrats are not the democrats we once knew. The woke has hijacked their power for their bisexual needs and have made so many changes that they disrupt the american way of life to a rubics qube. Since most people are not that good looking anyway and as far as being sexualy attractive forget about it they desire this type of program. Now we have so many people involved in this it has become a very sick society causing so many problems that it has become a mass problem in our society
common sense goes a long way and can solve simple and even complicated problems when you are using the brains between your legs instead of the brains between your ears that is when problems arise. This is the woke messing around with this type of technology. Simply A.I.to enhance the sex drive because most people are not that good looking in the first place so they want this typea a ffairs to go on and continue. This ias what ismcausinf problems.