Latest news with #Schumer
Chicago Tribune
11 hours ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Government shutdown talk is starting early ahead of a difficult funding fight in Congress this fall
WASHINGTON — It's become tradition. Congressional leaders from both major political parties blame each other for a potential government shutdown as the budget year draws to a close. But this year, the posturing is starting extraordinarily early. The finger-pointing with more than two months to go in the fiscal year indicates the threat of a stoppage is more serious than usual as a Republican-controlled Congress seeks to make good on its policy priorities, often with no support from the other political party. Democratic leadership from both chambers and the two panels responsible for drafting spending bills met behind closed doors recently to discuss the strategy ahead. The leaders emerged demanding that Republicans work with them but were careful to avoid spelling out red lines if Republicans don't. 'We are for a bipartisan, bicameral bill. That's what always has been done,' said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. 'The onus is on the Republicans to help us make that happen.' On the Republican side, lawmakers describe the Democrats as itching for a shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Schumer had threatened a shutdown should Republicans pass a bill to roll back $9 billion in public broadcasting and foreign aid funds. Republicans subsequently passed those cuts. 'It was disturbing to see the Democratic leader implicitly threatening to shut down the government in his July 'Dear Colleague' letter, but I'm hopeful that he does not represent the views of Senate Democrats as a whole,' Thune said. The federal government is operating on a full-year continuing resolution that provided about $1.7 trillion in spending for defense and non-defense programs. The funding expires Sept. 30. President Donald Trump requested a comparable amount for the coming fiscal year, but the Republican proposed dramatically overhauling how that money is distributed to include more for defense and border security and significantly less for health, education, housing and foreign assistance. So far, the House has approved two of the 12 annual spending bills. The Senate has yet to approve any, but those bills that have advanced out of the Senate Appropriations Committee are enjoying bipartisan support while the House bills are generally advancing out of committee on party line votes. This week, the Senate is expected to consider the appropriations bill to fund military construction projects and the Department of Veterans Affairs, generally one of the easier spending bills to pass. One or two others could get added to the package. Congress got off to a late start on the funding process. Republicans prioritized Trump's tax and spending cut bill. Most lawmakers agree Congress will need to pass a stop-gap measure before Sept. 30 to avoid a shutdown and allow lawmakers more time to work on the full-year spending measures. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed this year's funding bill that expires in two months. But in the end, Schumer and nine Democratic colleagues decided a government shutdown would be even worse. They voted to allow the bill to proceed and overcome a filibuster, giving Republicans the ability to pass it on their own on a final vote. Schumer took considerable heat from progressives for his strategy. House Democratic leadership issued a statement at the time saying 'House Democrats will not be complicit.' And members of his own caucus publicly expressed disagreement. 'If we pass this continuing resolution for the next half year, we will own what the president does,' said Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. 'I am not willing to take ownership of that.' Some liberal groups threatened to hold protests at various events Schumer was planning to promote a new book, and some of those events ended up being postponed due to security concerns. The Democratic frustrations have only grown stronger in the ensuing months. First, the Democrats watched the Trump administration slow-walk or block hundreds of billions of dollars from going out in part through the work of its Department of Government Efficiency. Then they watched as Republicans passed Trump's big tax and spending cut bill without any Democratic votes. Finally, they watched as Republicans this month canceled $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funds when much of it had been previously agreed to on a bipartisan basis. Meanwhile, Trump's director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, declared that the appropriations process 'has to be less bipartisan.' Democrats complain that much of the work taking place in the House has been a waste of time, since those partisan bills have no chance of getting 60 votes in the 100-member Senate. 'At this point in time, why have appropriations if they can just unilaterally through rescissions whack it all away?' said Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill. 'I think what you're seeing is more frustration than I've ever witnessed.' Republicans control all the levers of power in Washington. That could make it harder to blame Democrats for a shutdown. But in the end, any bill will need some Democratic support to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. 'Our concern is that from their standpoint, they want to have a shutdown,' Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said of Democrats. '… The Democrats see it as a way to derail the agenda that we're putting through.' Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2-ranked Republican in the Senate, said Republicans were determined to hold votes on the 12 spending bills. He said that Schumer 'had unilaterally shut down the appropriations process' in previous years by not holding such votes, moving instead to negotiate directly with GOP leadership in the House and then-President Joe Biden's Democratic administration on an all-encompassing spending package. 'If Democrats walk away from this process again, simply to protect wasteful Washington spending,' Barrasso said, 'they will be the ones sabotaging the Senate and shutting down the government.'
Washington Post
12 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Government shutdown talk is starting early ahead of a difficult funding fight in Congress this fall
WASHINGTON — It's become tradition. Congressional leaders from both major political parties blame each other for a potential government shutdown as the budget year draws to a close. But this year, the posturing is starting extraordinarily early. The finger-pointing with more than two months to go in the fiscal year indicates the threat of a stoppage is more serious than usual as a Republican-controlled Congress seeks to make good on its policy priorities, often with no support from the other political party. Democratic leadership from both chambers and the two panels responsible for drafting spending bills met behind closed doors recently to discuss the strategy ahead. The leaders emerged demanding that Republicans work with them but were careful to avoid spelling out red lines if Republicans don't. 'We are for a bipartisan, bicameral bill. That's what always has been done,' said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. 'The onus is on the Republicans to help us make that happen.' On the Republican side, lawmakers describe the Democrats as itching for a shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Schumer had threatened a shutdown should Republicans pass a bill to roll back $9 billion in public broadcasting and foreign aid funds. Republicans subsequently passed those cuts. 'It was disturbing to see the Democratic leader implicitly threatening to shut down the government in his July 'Dear Colleague' letter, but I'm hopeful that he does not represent the views of Senate Democrats as a whole,' Thune said. The federal government is operating on a full-year continuing resolution that provided about $1.7 trillion in spending for defense and non-defense programs. The funding expires Sept. 30. President Donald Trump requested a comparable amount for the coming fiscal year, but the Republican proposed dramatically overhauling how that money is distributed to include more for defense and border security and significantly less for health, education, housing and foreign assistance. So far, the House has approved two of the 12 annual spending bills. The Senate has yet to approve any, but those bills that have advanced out of the Senate Appropriations Committee are enjoying bipartisan support while the House bills are generally advancing out of committee on party line votes. This week, the Senate is expected to consider the appropriations bill to fund military construction projects and the Department of Veterans Affairs, generally one of the easier spending bills to pass. One or two others could get added to the package. Congress got off to a late start on the funding process. Republicans prioritized Trump's tax and spending cut bill . Most lawmakers agree Congress will need to pass a stop-gap measure before Sept. 30 to avoid a shutdown and allow lawmakers more time to work on the full-year spending measures. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed this year's funding bill that expires in two months. But in the end, Schumer and nine Democratic colleagues decided a government shutdown would be even worse. They voted to allow the bill to proceed and overcome a filibuster, giving Republicans the ability to pass it on their own on a final vote. Schumer took considerable heat from progressives for his strategy. House Democratic leadership issued a statement at the time saying 'House Democrats will not be complicit.' And members of his own caucus publicly expressed disagreement. 'If we pass this continuing resolution for the next half year, we will own what the president does,' said Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. 'I am not willing to take ownership of that.' Some liberal groups threatened to hold protests at various events Schumer was planning to promote a new book, and some of those events ended up being postponed due to security concerns. The Democratic frustrations have only grown stronger in the ensuing months. First, the Democrats watched the Trump administration slow-walk or block hundreds of billions of dollars from going out in part through the work of its Department of Government Efficiency . Then they watched as Republicans passed Trump's big tax and spending cut bill without any Democratic votes. Finally, they watched as Republicans this month canceled $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funds when much of it had been previously agreed to on a bipartisan basis. Meanwhile, Trump's director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, declared that the appropriations process 'has to be less bipartisan.' Democrats complain that much of the work taking place in the House has been a waste of time, since those partisan bills have no chance of getting 60 votes in the 100-member Senate. 'At this point in time, why have appropriations if they can just unilaterally through rescissions whack it all away?' said Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill. 'I think what you're seeing is more frustration than I've ever witnessed.' Republicans control all the levers of power in Washington. That could make it harder to blame Democrats for a shutdown. But in the end, any bill will need some Democratic support to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. 'Our concern is that from their standpoint, they want to have a shutdown,' Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said of Democrats. '... The Democrats see it as a way to derail the agenda that we're putting through.' Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2-ranked Republican in the Senate, said Republicans were determined to hold votes on the 12 spending bills. He said that Schumer 'had unilaterally shut down the appropriations process' in previous years by not holding such votes, moving instead to negotiate directly with GOP leadership in the House and then-President Joe Biden's Democratic administration on an all-encompassing spending package. 'If Democrats walk away from this process again, simply to protect wasteful Washington spending,' Barrasso said, 'they will be the ones sabotaging the Senate and shutting down the government.' ___ Follow the AP's coverage of Congress at .
The Hill
a day ago
- Business
- The Hill
Schumer blasts Trump's EU deal: ‘It's fake!'
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted the trade deal negotiated between the United States and the European Union over the weekend, calling it 'fake.' The trade deal sets tariffs on European goods at 15 percent, half the rate that Trump had previously threatened on the continent. In exchange, the EU has pledged to buy $750 billion in American energy over the next three years. 'Trump would have you believe it's the biggest deal ever,' Schumer complained. 'Europe has admitted that this agreement isn't legally binding, and they have no control over whether these investments even happen.' While Europe is presumably avoiding a trade war with the U.S., several leading figures condemned the deal. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called Sunday a 'dark day' in a post on X. Schumer compared the agreement to Trump's deal with Japan, where the U.S. has imposed a 15 percent tariff in exchange for $550 billion in Japanese investments in American sectors. It is not clear what those exact investments would entail. The deal with Europe was reached days before Trump's postured deadline of Aug. 1, when his threatened levies are generally scheduled to take place. American trade representatives have fanned across the globe to attempt to make deals with countries as the president has continued dialing tariffs up and down. Schumer was also among the Democratic senators who sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Monday criticizing the administration's reversal on allowing certain high-powered computer chips to be sold to China.
Axios
a day ago
- Business
- Axios
Scoop: Sherrod Brown met with Schumer in Ohio amid 2026 Senate push
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Sen. Sherrod Brown met in Ohio this weekend, as Brown weighs a possible comeback bid to flip a GOP Senate seat in the state, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Schumer has lobbied Brown for months to run. Fresh off a major recruiting victory in North Carolina, he wants to expand that luck to Ohio. Brown, 72, lost re-election last year, and is considering both a Senate and gubernatorial bid in Ohio, according to sources familiar with his thinking. The former three-term Democratic senator is likely his party's best chance at running a competitive 2026 campaign in the state. Former Vice President Kamala Harris lost Ohio last year by over 10 points. Brown lost by just under four points. The big picture: Schumer has limited pickup opportunities in the Senate next year. Hitting recruitment home runs could help him expand that map. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) on Monday announced he would run for Senate. Axios scooped last week that Cooper was planning to enter the race, which was a priority for Schumer and co. Democrats are also hopeful that Maine Gov. Janet Mills will decide to run for Senate next year, challenging Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine.) for the seat. Zoom in: While party insiders see Ohio as a stretch target for Democrats, Brown's entrance would instantly shift those dynamics. He'd face Republican Jon Husted, who was appointed to fill the vacant seat created when JD Vance resigned from the Senate to serve as vice president. Between the lines: Since leaving office, Brown has launched a pro-workers organization that promotes understanding the lives of American workers. And since his loss last year, Brown has made the case in public columns that the Democratic Party must reconnect with the working class. "It is an electoral and a moral imperative, and it will be my mission for the rest of my life," Brown wrote in a March column for The New Republic. "To win the White House and governing majorities again, Democrats must reckon with how far our party has strayed from our New Deal roots, in terms of both our philosophy toward the economy, and the makeup of our coalition," he added.
The Hill
5 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.'
