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The Hill
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Democrats pressure Schumer, Senate to hold line on GOP spending bills
House Democrats are cranking up the pressure on their Senate colleagues to hold the line against any Republican spending bills, warning that support for partisan legislation would prove more harmful than a potential shutdown — and trigger an outcry from the party's already deflated base. House Democrats were virtually united against a GOP spending package in March, only to see Senate Democrats — most notably Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — help Republicans advance it into law. The episode infuriated Democrats in and out of Congress, eroded trust between the chambers and raised some questions about Schumer's future at the top of the party. Yet with another spending battle brewing for September — and Republicans already eyeing steep federal cuts anathema across the aisle — House Democrats are holding out hope that this time will be different. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is already warning that a Republican-only spending package is 'dead on arrival.' And even those lawmakers most critical of Schumer's strategy in March are predicting the chambers will be united when the battle heats up ahead of the Oct. 1 shutdown deadline. 'Leader Jeffries putting that strong line down is something I support, and something I think that our whole party will rally around,' said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who had scorched Schumer's handling of the earlier debate. Democrats are pointing to two reasons why they think the current spending fight might play out differently from the one in March, when Schumer joined nine other Senate Democrats to advance the Republican spending bill. First, the recent GOP efforts to claw back funds already approved by Congress has united House and Senate Democrats, who are accusing Republicans of violating bipartisan deals negotiated in good faith. Those so-called rescissions have diminished the Democrats' trust in President Trump and Republicans to honor spending agreements, even when both parties are on board, while giving Democrats plenty of ammunition to justify their opposition to GOP-only bills. Russell Vought, Trump's budget director, has fueled those arguments by recently advising Republicans to abandon bipartisanship in setting federal spending. 'My hope is that, due to what has happened — especially with the Republicans using rescissions to essentially renege on deals that were made before … the Senate sees that and says, 'They're not operating in good faith,'' said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.). Others pointed to Trump's record of shifting funds — or simply refusing to spend money on the programs Congress intended — as reason for Senate Democrats to reject any spending bills that lack bipartisan buy-in — or guardrails that would ensure funds go where they're directed. 'Right now, we have a president that's operating outside of the bounds of the law and the Constitution — a president that doesn't give a damn about checks and balances, doesn't give a damn what you actually pass, he's going to do whatever he wants,' said Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.). 'So why are you going to help the Republicans pass something that's going to be devastating? And then he's going to take it a step further?' Secondly, in light of the outcry that followed Schumer's actions in March, many Democrats suggested he simply couldn't survive another round of internal attacks. 'I had a phone call last night about this issue. [The caller said], 'Well, Schumer is probably going to fold.' And I said, 'No, no, he's not going to,'' said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). 'His future might hinge on this, but I also think that it will be the most obvious thing for him to do,' he continued. 'I think he realized that our base is not going to tolerate us just rolling over and rolling over.' Schumer, in recent days, has taken long strides to reassure fellow Democrats that he's ready for a fight. In floor speeches and press conferences, the Senate's top Democrat has warned Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) that partisan spending bills, to include rescissions, have threatened to destroy a decades-old tradition of bipartisan appropriations. Schumer is also going out of his way to align himself with House Democrats on the issue. 'We're in agreement. We all want to pursue a bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process,' Schumer told reporters after a meeting with Jeffries. 'That's how it's always been done successfully, and we believe that should happen.' His words haven't been overlooked by House Democrats, who are cheering Schumer's warning shots delivered so far ahead of the shutdown deadline. Their focus on the Senate is practical: The filibuster is the single most powerful tool available to the minority Democrats, and only the Senate has access to it. 'He seems to be setting forth, well in advance of the deadline, what his bottom lines are,' said Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.). 'I appreciate what he's saying that they have a slightly different role in that they can actually stop this. At the same token, they can actually stop this, and insist on a more bipartisan approach.' In March, Schumer made the calculation that allowing the government to shut down — and risk having Democrats be blamed — would prove more harmful than enduring the inevitable friendly fire from liberals that would come from supporting the GOP package. This time around, some Democrats say he has much more cover. 'I have confidence in Sen. Schumer, because I think that was then and this is now. And now, I think, it is clear that we — on both sides [of the Capitol] — should stick to our core values and vote no,' said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.). 'I understand his concern back then,' he added. 'But I think public opinion, and of course reality, shows that the American people are willing to understand a shutdown, because they also understand that the details of many of these spending bills are horrific, and that it would impact their personal lives.' Jeffries, for his part, is vowing that House Democrats will be united against partisan GOP spending bills. And he's predicting that, this time, Democratic senators will be allies in that fight. 'A partisan spending bill is dead on arrival in terms of securing significant Democratic support or any Democratic support in the House,' he said, 'and I believe that that is the case in the Senate, as well.' Most Democrats seem to agree, but there are also signs that the distrust created in March is still lingering ahead of the next shutdown battle. 'This is politics, so you can only trust people as far as you can throw 'em. And especially senators,' Gomez said. 'Call me crazy, but I don't like cutting deals with somebody that continues to be punching me in the face and then says that they're doing me a favor,' he added. 'And that's what Donald Trump does to the Senate Democrats every time they capitulate on that kind of … legislation.'
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump, Musk plan to cut 80,000 Veterans Affairs jobs will cost lives
I'm 92, and I never wrote a letter to the editor. These days it feels scary to do so. But the news that Elon Musk and President Donald Trump plan to eliminate 80,000 positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs galvanized me. I worked in Raleigh for 14 years for three U.S. senators helping veterans get health care and other services they desperately needed at the V.A. The agency was already understaffed, and to cut services so drastically is criminal and will cost lives. M. J. Joyner, Raleigh I was honored to be among soldiers, public safety workers and relatives as a reader for 'Readers Are Leaders Day' at Dunn Elementary School in Harnett County. My experience was an absolute joy! I am a life-long advocate for public schools, and everything about that day confirmed my belief public schools are our country's lifeblood. I was met with professionalism from staff. Not once did I observe anything that was out of order, from the building to behavior. I experienced respect and warm hospitality from everyone. All of this was a manifestation of outstanding leadership. I commend Principal Dr. Beard, her staff and faculty. They have my admiration, respect and gratitude. Jane Brocious, Raleigh The Republican-only senatorial meeting with Musk transpired with the senators 'gently' begging him to let them know in advance of his destructive actions against our institutions and to allow them to offer some advice. These are elected officials bowing before an unelected official. This is not okay. Musk fired massive numbers of essential federal workers, and branded as 'parasites' Medicaid recipients, mostly children, disabled and the elderly poor. Musk is the true parasite, having received $38 billion in federal money. Is the Republican-controlled Congress willing to betray everyone to stay in power, or are they deluded? Our country and citizens are being grievously harmed. Trump and Republicans don't care. Sarah Stein, Raleigh Americans are tired of antisemitism, boys in girls sports and a bloated wasteful federal government. The far-left favors all these. Until Democrats break from the insane left wing, they will continue to lose elections. Lee Hortman, Raleigh I've spent years fighting HIV/AIDS as an epidemiologist. I'm appalled by the dismantling of USAID. In Malawi, one of Africa's poorest countries, twenty years ago a thoroughfare was called 'Coffin Road' because all you could buy was coffins due to the toll of HIV. Now the coffin sellers have moved to other work thanks to USAID. Globally, U.S. leadership helped save 25 million lives through AIDS relief and USAID. USAID costs less than 1% of the federal budget. Both parties have praised it for 60 years. Dismantling USAID means treatment programs are shuttered, leaving millions without lifesaving medicine. Dismantling USAID tells the world we no longer care about saving lives or protecting our homeland from diseases. It says we want Coffin Road back. Brian Pence, Carrboro I watch with horror what the Trump administration is doing to our universities and urge all our NC members of Congress to stand up for universities' rights to determine their curricula and safety policies. North Carolina has elite universities which create untold opportunities that improve lives and the nation. Trump's people have tried to kill NIH funding, which affects our universities. They have threatened Columbia University by withholding $400M in grants and alleging it doesn't police antisemitism. Trump's dastardly U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., has threatened Georgetown Law School because he thinks it teaches DEI. Enough! To allow people to thrive, the administration must support education, not denigrate it. We demand that our NC congressional leaders fight for our universities. Laura Stillman, Raleigh Your Mar. 6 article about Trump wanting to end the CHIPS program is troubling. Senator Thom Tillis, what are you going to say when an opponent stands in front of the abandoned Wolfspeed semiconductor plant in Siler City and says that you canceled 1,600 jobs and screwed the investors and American competitiveness by abolishing the CHIPS act that you voted for in 2022? Daniel Oldman, Chapel Hill
The Hill
12-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Evening Report — Senate Democrats under pressure over stopgap
THE PRESSURE IN CONGRESS has shifted to Senate Democrats, who must decide whether to risk a shutdown by voting against a six-month stopgap to fund the government or swallow a bitter pill and back the GOP's funding patch. The six-month continuing resolution (CR) that squeaked through the House is expected to get a vote in the Senate on Thursday, with the government set to shut down at the end of the week if a funding bill isn't passed. The GOP has a 53-47 majority in the Senate. With Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) expected to oppose the bill, Republicans will need eight Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. Senate Democrats left a meeting Wednesday saying Republicans don't have the votes needed to pass the CR. Democrats are demanding the GOP first allow a vote on a shorter-term 30-day CR that would provide more time for bipartisan negotiations. 'The votes are not there to proceed on their one-sided, Republican-only bill,' Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said. Several Democrats have already announced they're firmly against the GOP's six-month CR, but pressure has mounted after it passed the House. 'I urge my Senate colleagues to vote against this bill,' Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said in a statement. 'Instead, we should pass a short-term funding extension that allows us to finish the appropriations process and includes measures that defend our constitutionally mandated appropriations power from executive overreach.' Other Senate Democrats from purple states appear more risk-averse at the moment. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who has emerged as a key swing vote, told The Hill's Alexander Bolton that Democrats have no choice but to vote to keep the government open. 'If the Democrats think that they want to burn the village down to save it, that's terrible optics and that's going to have serious impacts for millions and millions of people,' Fetterman said. 'I'm never going to vote for that kind of chaos.' Others are worried that a shutdown could act as an accelerant for Elon Musk 's efforts to gut the federal workforce. 'We're dealing with people — many of whom I suspect think a shutdown would be a good thing, and they could prolong it and use it to expand the president's power even beyond what they're already considering,' said Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who has not revealed how he'll vote on the measure. 'So that's something that has to be considered. This isn't normal.'
The Hill
12-03-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Senate Democrats insist on voting on 30-day government funding bill
Senate Democrats say they will not vote for the House-passed six-month government funding package, which would boost defense spending and cuts nondefense programs, unless they first get a vote on a 30-day funding stopgap to give bipartisan negotiators more time to reach a deal on the annual appropriations bills. 'We definitely need a vote on a 30-day' continuing resolution, said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) after meeting with Senate Democratic colleagues about the strategy for avoiding a government shutdown at week's end. He said that would 'give us time to do what Senate Republicans have told us they want to do, which is an appropriations bill.' 'We have a clear alternative ready to go,' he said. 'This is my read as of right now, the votes are not there to proceed on their one-sided Republican-only bill.' The GOP-led bill passed the House Tuesday on a nearly party-line 217-213 vote. Other Democrats including Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wash.), also called for the Senate to pass a 30-day continuing resolution. Murray called the House-passed bill, which received only one Democratic vote in the lower chamber, 'a dumpster fire.' 'I need everyone to understand: the choice absolutely is not dumpster fire or shut down. I should know: I introduced another option [Tuesday.] It's a short-term CR that would give us time to finish doing our job and negotiate bipartisan, full year bills,' Murray said on the Senate floor. Kaine confirmed after the Senate Democratic meeting that right now there aren't enough Democratic votes to pass the six-month House-approved continuing resolution. 'What I do know is this, Democrats had nothing to do with this bill and we want an opportunity to get an amendment vote or two. That's what we're insisting on to vote for cloture,' he said. Kaine said Congress should pass a 30-day stopgap instead of the House bill 'because the Senate appropriators are really close to a deal and it would be far preferable to a CR.' 'The way to make it better is to do a 30-day completely clean CR and go ahead and finish the deal that we have over here that's a real omni[bus spending package] for the rest of the year,' he said. Warner said 'I think we want to see that 30-day CR.'
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tulsi Gabbard wins Senate panel OK to be Trump national intel director
WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee narrowly endorsed Tulsi Gabbard to become director of national intelligence after skeptical Republicans threw their support behind President Donald Trump's controversial nominee to the sensitive Cabinet-level position. The committee recommended Gabbard to the intelligence post 9-to-8. The approval sets up a vote in the full U.S. Senate, where Gabbard is likely to be confirmed with Republican-only votes. It follows a tense hearing before the committee where lawmakers on both sides of the aisle asked probing questions about her views on Russia, ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency employee who leaked classified information. 'Struggling with your nomination': 4 takeaways from RFK Jr., Gabbard, Patel hearings Gabbard, a former House Democrat from Hawaii who ran for her party's presidential nomination in 2020, said Snowden "broke the law," but would not say he was a traitor. She also defended her 2017 trip to Syria, saying it was an opportunity to ask Assad "tough questions" about the regime's actions and told a Republican senator she was "offended" by a question about whether Russia would get a pass from her. Gabbard's confirmation appeared to be in jeopardy after the hearing, but Monday, on the eve of the committee's closed-door discussion, two Republicans who had considered swing votes said they'd back her. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, who sit on the Intelligence Committee, said Gabbard had addressed their concerns privately. Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young, considered the last holdout, also voted for Gabbard. Young had been under political pressure to support Gabbard from Trump allies, including Vice President JD Vance. "I appreciate Tulsi Gabbard's engagement with me on a variety of issues to ensure that our intelligence professionals will be supported and policymakers will receive unbiased information under her leadership," Young said on X before the vote. Young said shortly before the vote that the White House, specifically Vice President JD Vance, helped to address questions he still had about Gabbard. 'This is how the process is supposed to work,' Young told reporters. 'It's supposed to be a consultative process and we got the reassurances we needed.' Young said he also had a 'very positive' conversation with Trump that lasted less than 15 minutes. 'There was never an intimation that there would be a problem,' he said of his talks with both leaders. Gabbard represented Hawaii in the House of Representatives and ran for president as a Democrat but left the party in 2022 and changed her affiliation to Republican as she campaigned for Trump last fall. She is an Army veteran. If confirmed to the DNI role, she will oversee the U.S. Intelligence community, serving as the president's top adviser on intelligence matters. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senate Intelligence panel backs Tulsi Gabbard for director post
