Latest news with #Schumer
The Hill
8 hours 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.'
Fox News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Schumer faces 'no-win situation' with far-left Dems ahead of government shutdown battle, Sen. John Thune says
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., predicted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. will be stuck between a rock and a hard place over whether he will back a government shutdown. On Thursday's installment of the "Ruthless" podcast, Thune said Schumer will be under "enormous amount of pressure" in the fall by the far-left Democratic base to resist keeping the government running in hopes of halting the Trump administration from enacting its agenda, insisting that "the Trump Derangement Syndrome is at an all-time high" with his Democratic colleagues that is fueling their obstruction. "We need to do everything we can-House Republicans, Senate Republicans, President Trump and his team to, you know, set it up for success, to keep the government up and funded," Thune said. "And then if Chuck Schumer, you know, what's he going to do? Is he going to bow to the Democrat base or do the responsible thing and keep the government funded? That's the decision." "Ruthless" co-host Josh Holmes pointed to the tense backlash Schumer received from the progressive wing of his party for voting for the Trump-backed spending bill earlier this year, asking Thune whether his Democratic counterpart will "do the right thing." "That is the concern," Thune responded. "And I think that, to your point, the pressure is going to be enormous from, you know, the left wing of the party. And increasingly, you're seeing the tail wagging the dog in the Senate. So, you know, it's Elizabeth Warren, it's Bernie Sanders, it's Cory Booker, Chris Murphy, kind of the left of the left in the Senate." Thune acknowledged that Republicans have previously been in Schumer's situation in the minority, most recently during the Biden administration, and that his party is often blamed for government shutdowns by the liberal media. But now, it's the New York Democrat in the hot seat. "It's hard, but at some point, you know, you've got to keep the lights on," Thune said. "So I'll be interested to see that as well, how he handles it. But we're going to give him every opportunity… if we can just stay united and keep our team together, we can really force them to make up what will be probably a hard decision, but based on where, like I said, the energy of the Democratic Party is right now… it's a no-win situation." Tune in to "Ruthless" every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday on all podcast platforms and YouTube.
2 days ago
- Business
Senate kicks off fraught appropriations process against shutdown deadline
The Senate on Wednesday took a step toward approving its first appropriation bill, agreeing to advance military construction and Veterans Affairs spending in a 90-8 vote. But lawmakers have a long way to go to avoid a government shutdown, with 12 appropriations bills to get through before the Sept. 30 deadline. The House, which has passed two appropriations bills, saw its legislative session ended early by Speaker Mike Johnson amid turmoil over the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The Senate is set to begin its August recess next week, though Senate Majority Leader John Thune has kept open the possibility of canceling the weekslong break at President Donald Trump's request to advance his nominees. And unlike many of the things that Republicans have done this Congress, passing any of the 12 appropriations bills in the Senate will require 60 votes to pass. Thune, during an appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," said "we've got to find a way" to start moving the measures. "We are going to need to get appropriations done. That will require some cooperation from Democrats and hopefully they will be willing to make sure that the government is funded," Thune told host Maria Bartiromo. Democrats seek to strategize on funding Democrats met behind closed doors on Tuesday to try to hash out a cohesive strategy for approaching government funding ahead of the s hutdown deadline. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also met with their Democratic appropriators. At a brief joint press conference afterward, Schumer and Jeffries said Democrats were committed to a "bipartisan, bicameral" appropriations process but blamed Republicans for making a clear path forward to averting a shutdown difficult. "As has always been the case we are prepared to engage in those discussions in good faith, but House Republicans are not there. House Republicans are in fact marching us toward a possible government shutdown that will hurt the American people. We remain ready, willing and able to have the type of appropriations process that will yield a good result for the American people, but that process must be bipartisan and bicameral in nature," Jeffries said. Schumer said Senate Democrats supported the first appropriations bill on military construction and VA funding because it will help veterans and undo some cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency -- but that other issues wouldn't be as simple. Democrats are weighing a number of considerations as they think about how to deal with government funding, especially with most saying they feel scorned after Republicans struck $9 billion in previously-approved funds from the federal budget. Republicans were able to pass the rescissions package, which included cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting, without any Democratic support. Democrats say it amounts to a betrayal of a previous agreement that's left them reluctant about future deals. "Speaking for myself, I am really hard put to vote for appropriations when I know Republicans are just going to ride roughshod and reverse them down the line on a strictly partisan basis," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, said on Monday. "The pattern of partisan betrayal on the part of my colleagues gives me a lot of pause so I am really torn about it." Sen. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, echoed those sentiments. "There's a trust issue that we have to have to legislate where you reach an agreement and then there's a switch-a-roo on rescissions and you have 60 votes and it suddenly goes to 50," Welch said. "What we thought was solid and set in stone suddenly melts away, that is a problem." Thune on Tuesday also called for a bipartisan path forward on the appropriations process, but put the onus on Democrats to work with Republicans. "The Democrats have indicated, because they're so upset over the rescissions bill last week -- which, by the way, cut one-tenth of 1 percent of all federal spending -- that somehow they can use that as an excuse to shut down the appropriations process and therefore shut down the government," Thune said at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership. "We think that would be a big mistake, and hopefully they will think better of it and work with us." The White House, though, has made the case the government funding process should be "less bipartisan." "It's not going to keep me up at night, and I think it will lead to better results, by having the appropriations process be a little bit partisan. And I don't think it's necessarily leading to a shutdown," White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought told reporters last week. "Who ran and won on the on an agenda of a bipartisan appropriations process? Literally no one. No Democrat, no Republican," he added. "There is no voter in the country that's went to the polls and said, 'I'm voting for a bipartisan appropriations process.'" Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the vice chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, said on the Senate floor before Wednesday's vote that she thought his process should move forward in its historically bipartisan fashion despite Republicans' recent moves to work on government funding through a rescissions package. "To be clear, if Republicans continue cutting bipartisan deals with more rescissions, that's not cooperation," Murray said. She added, "So for anyone considering the partisan route, you cannot write a bill without talking to Democrats and then act surprised when Democrats don't support it. You want our votes. You work with us, and this bill today that we're considering shows that is possible."
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Democrats divided over looming government shutdown fight
Democrats are deeply divided over how hard to press their leverage with President Trump and his Republican allies on getting concessions in a bill to fund the government that needs to pass by Sept. 30 to avoid a shutdown. Senate Democrats held a tense lunch meeting Tuesday to discuss their plan for how to vote on the first spending bill to reach the floor — the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill — as well as their strategy for how to handle the end-of-September government funding deadline. Soon after that session, which stretched to nearly 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) met with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) to piece together a strategy as progressives called for them to take a hard line with Republicans. 'It's hard to negotiate a budget with Republicans right now because they have demonstrated that they will cut a deal and then turn around and change the deal solely to benefit themselves. That's not a deal, that's like cutting a deal to buy a car, and then long after the price has been paid, the Republicans want to come and repossess the tires. It doesn't work that way,' Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said. 'My views on engaging in pretend negotiations with Republicans who are simply in a power grab and will do whatever Donald Trump tells them to do [is that it] doesn't make a lot of sense,' Warren said. Some disgruntled progressives are vowing they cannot repeat the mistake they made in March, when 10 Democratic senators including Schumer voted for a partisan government funding package passed by the House, which cut Democratic priorities and failed to put guardrails on Elon Musk or the Department of Government Efficiency. Democrats are arguing behind closed doors that they need to make every effort to insist that Republicans agree to bipartisan legislation to fund the government. If Republicans refuse, these Democrats say they should then blame Trump and his GOP allies for any ensuing shutdown. Democratic lawmakers say Schumer is 'afraid' of how a shutdown would play out politically and wants to avoid such a scenario at almost all costs. At the same time, Democrats warn that if Schumer votes again for a partisan funding package that barely squeaks through Congress with minimal Democratic support, there will likely be a strong backlash from the party base. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat representing swing-state Pennsylvania, argues Congress should do everything it can to avoid a government shutdown that would result in hundreds of thousands of federal employees being furloughed. 'I was the first to say I will never vote to shut the government down, and that hasn't changed and it's not going to change,' Fetterman told The Hill. 'Shutting the government down — how could you do that and plunge our country into chaos?' he added. Schumer acknowledged his dilemma Tuesday, telling reporters he wants to reach a deal with Republicans but complaining that Trump's allies aren't making it easy. 'We Democrats want a bipartisan deal. We're working together to get one, but the bottom line is Republicans are making it much harder — rescissions, impoundment, pocket rescissions directly undoes this,' he said, referring to the rescissions package Republicans passed last week to defund PBS, NPR and global aid programs. 'You can't say you want a bipartisan process … and at the same time put rescissions on the floor, which is the antithesis of bipartisan,' he said. Recent polling shows Democrats have a lower approval rating than Republicans. Some Democratic senators think the party's poor rating stems from a perception that they aren't putting up enough of a fight against Trump and the GOP. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, is now pushing an amendment to prevent the White House from advancing another rescissions package. He wants Republicans to agree to it before advancing annual appropriations legislation. Some progressives argue it would be foolish to agree to bipartisan spending bills to keep the government open only to watch Republicans later advance rescissions packages to cut funding for Democratic priorities, such as women's health care, education and environmental programs. Democrats are also toying with the idea of insisting Republicans agree to extend enhanced health care insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that are due to expire at the end of the year. Republicans decided not to do so as part of tax credits extended in Trump's tax and spending megabill, leaving Democrats warning that millions of Americans will lose their health insurance. 'We had a constructive lunch and we've got some very significant issues right in front of us,' said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), the ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Coons said he and his staff is working well with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the chair of the subcommittee, but cautioned there's a 'real tension' being created by the threat that the White House budget office director, Russell Vought, will send another rescissions package to Congress. 'The next rescission is predicted will go after education,' Coons said. 'It was one of the early targets of DOGE [the Department of Government Efficiency]. When they start trying to rescission things like Veterans Administration, defense, Social Security, you get right into the very heart of what impacts the lives of millions of Americans. And he warned that the 'so-called 'big, beautiful bill' is going to throw something like 17 million Americans off of health care.' Coons said he supports Merkley's amendment to stop future rescissions packages. 'Having a process whereby they can reach a bipartisan agreement with us and then undo it with a partisan rescissions process — in the long-term, that is not a sustainable process,' he said. Asked about Democrats' game plan for a government shutdown fight, Coons said: 'Lots of things about the appropriations process were discussed.'
Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Senate takes first bipartisan step on government funding ahead of September shutdown cliff
The Senate cleared the first hurdle Tuesday toward passing a government funding bill meant to keep federal cash flowing for several federal agencies beyond September. The 90-8 vote was a major bipartisan overture in cross-party government funding talks strained by the GOP's partisan moves to cut and boost federal cash without Democratic buy-in, while President Donald Trump withholds billions of dollars more that Congress approved in bipartisan votes. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah was the only Republican to vote 'no,' joined by other Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff of California, Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Peter Welch of Vermont. Welch's fellow Vermonter, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, also opposed moving ahead with consideration of the package. But the bipartisanship is not guaranteed to last. Though Democrats helped overcome Tuesday's hurdle, they aren't committed yet to helping pass the bill, which will at the very least contain funding for the Department and Veterans Affairs and military construction projects. And as lawmakers stare down the Sept. 30 government shutdown cliff in just 10 weeks, fiscal conservatives and the White House are again calling for Republicans to abandon funding negotiations with Democrats. Ahead of the procedural vote Tuesday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the Senate's veterans funding bill as containing 'some important steps to reverse a number of the awful cuts' posed by the Department of Government Efficiency and White House budget director Russ Vought. But Schumer also warned Republicans not to bank on automatically having Democratic votes to pass the bill, adding: 'We will see how the floor process evolves here on the floor. Given Republicans' recent actions undermining bipartisan appropriations, nothing is guaranteed.' The contents of the package are also still in flux. The measure will certainly contain funding for the VA and military construction projects, but Republicans also plan to add largely non-controversial funding for federal agriculture programs, the FDA and operations of Congress. 'I'd like to make it a package of bills, and get as many bills going as we can,' Majority Leader John Thune said in a brief interview, adding that there was a 'discussion' about what to do with more controversial funding for the Justice Department and FBI. Thune could get heat from his own members. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said in an interview he objected to leadership's desire to attach the agriculture and legislative branch spending bills to the pending package, saying he wanted to vote on each measure 'separately' and that the bill funding congressional operations would cost 'too much money.' On the other side of the aisle, Schumer is trying to hone the Democratic government funding strategy after caving to Republicans' strong-arm tactics in March. Democrats haven't settled on what their demands should be heading into September — and there are competing factions split over how hard the party should fight against even bipartisan funding bills in the wake of Republicans green-lighting Trump's $9 billion funding clawbacks package.
