Democrats Split Following Schumer’s Support for GOP Funding Bill
The decision by the minority leader to change his stance led some Democrats to reevaluate their positions and generated backlash from those who opposed any compromise.
WASHINGTON—Democrats find themselves at odds over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) choice to back a Republican government funding proposal.
On March 13, Schumer declared on the Senate floor that he would reluctantly back the advancement of the stopgap bill, asserting that the alternative—a government shutdown starting at 12:01 a.m. (EST)—would be more detrimental than enacting the bill.
“The [stopgap] is a bad bill,” Schumer stated just minutes before the cloture vote on March 14, reiterating his previous sentiments. “However, as bad as [it] is, I believe that allowing [President] Donald Trump to gain more power is even worse.”
According to Schumer, a shutdown would grant Trump increased authority over the federal workforce, as presidents are afforded certain elevated powers during such instances.
The bill, which extends the government funding deadline to September 30, proposes approximately $7 billion in spending cuts overall. This comes from $13 billion in reductions in nondefense spending, balanced out by increases in defense expenditures.
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This week, Democrats have pushed back against the package in favor of an alternative plan for a 30-day funding extension.
The day prior to his indication of support for the bill to prevent a government shutdown, Schumer stated that his Democratic colleagues were united in their opposition to its passage, which relied on some Democratic backing.
The minority leader’s last-minute decision to shift gears led several Democrats to reevaluate their stances and attracted criticism from those unwilling to compromise.
Prominent Democrats such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have expressed reservations about endorsing this move.
On March 14, Jeffries sidestepped a question regarding his Senate counterpart during a press conference. When asked if new leadership in the Senate was necessary, Jeffries replied: “Next question.”
Pelosi—long recognized as a prominent figure within the Democratic Party—openly dismissed Schumer’s approach in favor of the 30-day extension proposed by House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
“Democratic senators should heed the voices of women,” Pelosi articulated in a statement, asserting that DeLauro and Murray “have compellingly made the case for a more favorable alternative: a four-week funding extension to keep the government running and pursue a bipartisan agreement.”
She emphasized that the Republicans’ stopgap solution “only exacerbates the situation. Democrats must not acquiesce to this false dichotomy. We need to resist for a better solution. Listen to the women, For The People.”
“We encourage all Senate Democrats to align with House Democrats and the American populace, dismiss this [funding bill], and compel House and Senate Republicans to return to negotiations,” the letter stipulated.
An amendment aimed at shortening the stopgap to 30 days was turned down in the Senate.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a progressive often seen as a potential future candidate for higher office, also expressed his views.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a progressive Democrat viewed as a possible future Senate candidate, has also decried her state’s senior senator.
She termed the action “a significant slap in the face,” conveying a “strong sense of betrayal” within the party.
