Democrats Threaten Government Shutdown Over Funding Bill

Democrats Threaten Government Shutdown Over Funding Bill

Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, announced on Wednesday that Democrats would not support the Republican-drafted stopgap funding bill, raising the possibility of a partial government shutdown at the end of the week.

Schumer urged Republicans to consider a shorter funding extension, allowing more time for bipartisan negotiations. He criticized the Republican bill for being drafted without any input from Democrats.

"Funding the government should be a bipartisan effort," Schumer said. "But Republicans chose a partisan path, drafting their continuing resolution (CR) without any input, any input, from congressional Democrats."

He proposed a short-term bill extending federal funding until April 11th, giving Congress time to negotiate a bipartisan solution.

To avoid a shutdown, Congress must act to extend federal funding by midnight on Friday. The House passed the Republican bill on Tuesday, but the Senate Democrats' opposition throws the bill's fate into question.

Several Senate Democrats have expressed openness to voting for the measure, while others face pressure from their base to take a stronger stand against the Trump administration and Republicans.

Senate Republicans hold a narrow 53-seat majority, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation. With Senator Rand Paul also opposing the bill, Democrats would need eight Republicans to support it to overcome procedural hurdles.

Democrats have raised concerns about the bill's discretionary spending provisions, particularly the cuts to the federal workforce.

House Democratic leaders have urged their Senate counterparts to follow their lead and oppose the funding bill. They argue that the bill's cuts to non-defense spending would harm vulnerable Americans.

The House passed the bill with a narrow 217-213 vote, with all Democrats except Jared Golden of Maine voting in favor. Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican, defied Trump's call for party unity and voted against the bill.

House Democratic leaders have joined Schumer in calling for a short-term funding extension and urging Republicans to return to Washington for negotiations.