Schumer Agrees to Back GOP Funding Bill to Prevent Government Shutdown
The support of the minority leader nearly ensures the stopgap funding bill will pass in the Senate.
WASHINGTON—Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) declared his support for the House-approved stopgap funding bill, significantly diminishing the chances of a government shutdown.
“I will cast my vote to keep the government operational and prevent a shutdown,” Schumer stated during a speech on the Senate floor on March 13.
He warned that a government shutdown would lead to “communities reliant on government services suffering immensely.”
Schumer further asserted that permitting a government shutdown would be “a boon” to President Donald Trump, enhancing his ability to push for a reduced federal workforce and spending cuts.
“While a [continuing resolution] has its drawbacks, allowing Donald Trump to gain more power through a government shutdown is an even worse choice,” Schumer remarked.
He noted that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the administration would receive increased authority to define what constitutes an essential employee.
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The stopgap funding legislation, passed by the House on March 11, postpones the deadline for government funding from March 14 to September 30, which aligns with the end of the fiscal year. The bill also implements approximately $7 billion in spending reductions, including a $13 billion decrease in nondefense spending.
The nearly partisan passage of the bill in the House—featuring defections from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who voted against it, and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), who voted in favor—has raised concerns regarding its prospects in the Senate, where most legislation requires at least 60 votes to overcome the filibuster and move to a simple majority vote.
Historically, several Republicans have opposed the idea of a stopgap funding bill—referred to as a “continuing resolution” on Capitol Hill—on principle. Typically, 15 to 25 Senate Republicans vote against such measures, which rarely pass without bipartisan backing.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), known for his strong budgetary stance, has announced plans to introduce the “DOGE 1.0” amendment, aimed at initiating certain spending cuts for foreign aid proposed by DOGE.
He remarked that the current continuing resolution (CR) is “essentially the same” as the one passed in December 2024.
Schumer’s endorsement of cloture on the CR essentially ensures that others in the Democratic party will follow suit, allowing the legislation to meet the 60-vote threshold for cloture and advance to a simple majority vote.
Before Schumer’s address, many Democrats were still critical of the package.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), often seen as a more moderate Democrat, referred to the bill as a “partisan continuing resolution” and mentioned he would vote against cloture to “push for real negotiations.”
With Schumer’s support solidified, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is likely to act swiftly to bring the legislation to the floor, with a cloture vote anticipated on March 14.
