Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has intensified her calls for Democrats to reject the House GOP’s stopgap funding bill, warning that it is a “bad idea” and a “mistake” if Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) moves forward with cloture.
Ocasio-Cortez opposes cloture on the Republican spending measure, arguing that it effectively serves as a vote for the bill itself by ending debate and clearing the way for final passage. She insists that Democrats must stand firm, even if it means a temporary government shutdown.
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“Absolutely. And that is why House Democrats laid out a plan — as well as several Senate Democrats laid out a plan — to keep the government open for another 30 days as Republicans negotiate a deal with Democrats in order to have an extended government funding bill,” she told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday.
Tapper pressed her on Schumer’s decision to support cloture, prompting Ocasio-Cortez to publicly challenge the Senate Democratic leader. “You think that’s wrong?” Tapper asked.
“I believe that’s a tremendous mistake,” she responded, citing recent town halls where GOP lawmakers faced backlash from constituents. “American people, whether they are Republicans, independents, Democrats, are up in arms about Elon Musk and the actual gutting of federal agencies across the board.”
She further criticized the GOP funding bill, contending that it “codifies much of this chaos that Elon Musk is wreaking havoc on the federal government.”
“It completely eliminates Congressional authorities in order to review these impulsive Trump tariffs that he’s switching on and off. On top of that, for folks that are concerned about the effectiveness of government, this Republican extreme spending bill removes all the guardrails and all of the accountability measures to ensure that money is being spent in the way that Congress has directed it be spent,” she said.
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Ocasio-Cortez called it “unthinkable” that Senate Democrats would surrender their leverage at a time when their constituents expect them to defend vital social programs such as Medicaid and Social Security. She urged her colleagues to consider an alternative 30-day stopgap bill to maintain government operations while negotiations continue, stressing the stakes of the moment.
“I cannot urge enough how bad of an idea it is to empower and enable Donald Trump and Elon Musk in this moment. It is dangerous and it is reckless,” she warned. When asked whether Schumer’s stance made him a “weak leader,” Ocasio-Cortez chose her words carefully but maintained her position.
“I think that that would be a mistake,” she reiterated. “We have time between now and tomorrow. And I hope that individuals who are considering that reconsider it. I genuinely do.”
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