Government funding is set to expire in less than 12 hours, and the situation is quite delicate. Let me catch you up:
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) caught Washington off guard on Thursday evening when he took to the Senate floor and announced he would back Republicans' six-month government funding proposal.
That came hours after he told colleagues in a closed-door lunch Thursday that he would vote to advance the GOP-drafted bill passed by the House earlier this week.
Schumer for days had declined to call the House bill dead on arrival in the Senate, while Democratic senators privately signaled for at least a couple of days that they would not allow a shutdown to happen starting Saturday — indicating at least eight of them would join Senate Republicans to pass the six-month bill.
After announcing his decision, Schumer published an op-ed in The New York Times explaining his rationale: "Trump and Musk Would Love a Shutdown. We Must Not Give Them One," he argued.
Excerpt: "First, a shutdown would give Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk permission to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now. Under a shutdown, the Trump administration would have wide-ranging authority to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel nonessential, furloughing staff members with no promise they would ever be rehired."
Why this angered Democrats: On Wednesday, Schumer had announced Democratic senators would not immediately help Republicans by advancing their six-month bill. He wanted the Senate to pass a shorter, one-month extension to buy more time.
The move was viewed as trying to help Democrats save face before some would ultimately back the GOP plan. The House left town earlier in the week, giving Democrats two options: pass the bill, or allow a shutdown.
🗨️ Follow today's live blog as this saga unfolds
Trump takes an early victory lap: President Trump praised Schumer for having the "guts" to do "the right thing," referring to his decision to vote for House Republicans' funding plan. "The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more, is coming," Trump posted on Truth Social.
The president is taking a victory lap before the Senate votes on the bill. Schumer is one of just a few Democrats who have said they will vote for the House bill, and eight total will be needed to avert a shutdown.
Trump's praise for Schumer comes even after the Democratic leader tore into the president and his allies in an MSNBC appearance Thursday night amid rising progressive fury over his vote for the House legislation:
- Patty Murray (Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the House bill a "dumpster fire." She's planning to vote "no."
- Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) argues the House bill would give Trump and Musk "a blank check to spend your taxpayer money however they want."
- Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) argues the bill would "literally take food out of the mouths of hungry children, take healthcare away from seniors, and give a huge tax break to the wealthiest people on the planet."
- Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) called the House Republican plan "horrific," saying his party should say "Hell No."
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called on Senate Democrats to "put a stop to it."
🔎 Read more angry reactions from Democrats
Schumer justifies his decision: "Our caucus members have been torn between two awful alternatives — and my colleagues and I have wrestled with which alternative would be worse for the American people. Different senators come down on different sides of this question," Schumer said on the Senate floor.
CNN's Sarah Ferris reports that Ocasio-Cortez is mobilizing her base to push back on Schumer's decision by "texting, calling, sending carrier pigeons." Oh, and: "Privately, House Democrats are so infuriated with Schumer's decision that some have begun encouraging her to run against Schumer in a primary." 👀
📸 Spotted at Union Station: HuffPost's Arthur Delaney saw a sign with a photo of Schumer that reads, "Does this look like a leader with a spine? Stand up, Chuck. Stand. Up. Vote no." Now that was a quick turnaround!
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