After Senate Democrats Vow To Reject GOP Spending Bill, Government Shutdown Seems Increasingly Likely

A government shutdown is becoming increasingly likely as Senate Democrats refuse to support a Republican stopgap bill for temporary funding until Sept. 30. Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Wednesday that his party would not support the House-approved bill to keep most federal funding at current levels. 

Instead, Schumer called on Republicans to pass a monthlong extension to negotiate individual spending bills and reach a bipartisan compromise. If no funding extension is passed, a government shutdown will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Senate Republicans would need the support of at least eight Democrats to pass the spending measure. Sen John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) promised to vote against a filibuster. 

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On Thursday night, Schumer changed course and said he would vote to keep the government open. 

While Democrats have long criticized Republican-led shutdowns and disruptions to federal agencies, they now risk taking the blame for a government closure. However, progressive advocacy groups and House Democrats are urging them to hold the line and resist a Republican power grab that threatens federal oversight. 

Republicans currently control both the House and the Senate and have dismissed calls for renegotiation. House leaders immediately adjourned after passing the funding measure, making it nearly impossible to revise the bill before the deadline. Any changes would require the House to reconvene and vote again, an unlikely scenario given the current partisan divide. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has criticized the Republican approach, calling the bill “a power grab that further unleashes and entrenches Elon Musk’s efforts.” He praised House Democrats for voting together against it. 

Senate Democrats now face a critical choice between blocking the bill and risking being blamed for a shutdown, allowing it to pass, and facing backlash from their own party base. According to Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), “There are really only two options… One is to vote for a pretty bad C.R. [continuing resolution], or the other is to vote for a potentially even worse shutdown.”

If no agreement is reached in the next two days, federal agencies could soon face closures, leaving thousands of workers without pay and disrupting essential services across the country. 

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Article by Evelyn Qiu