Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced on Thursday that he will not seek to block a GOP-led continuing resolution to restore government funding, likely preventing a government shutdown on Friday, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
Schumer’s decision follows reports that Senate Democrats have secured the votes needed to pass the bill, highlighting a difficult choice for the party. Democrats have debated whether to hold firm and risk a shutdown in an attempt to block President Donald Trump’s efforts to restrict congressional funding for key government programs or to avoid a prolonged fight that could harm federal employees while potentially giving Trump more power to dismantle sections of the civil service.
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“Democrats had struggled for days on how to approach the GOP bill, which keeps the government funded through the end of the year but also provides the administration more flexibility to downsize and dismantle federal agencies, which Democrats adamantly oppose,” stated the report. “The funding measure had also provided the party with a rare piece of leverage in a Republican-controlled government, and House Democrats and activists have been urging senators to use it to fight back.”
The concern among Democrats, the report noted, is that “Democratic senators also worried that a shutdown, rather than forcing Republicans to the table, would simply play into Trump’s hands, potentially giving him enhanced power to shutter more parts of the federal government for good, with no obvious way out.”
Schumer underscored this point in his announcement, emphasizing that while he opposes any legislation that legitimizes Trump’s ability to dictate federal spending and purge the government workforce, an extended shutdown could allow Trump “to cherry-pick which parts of the government to reopen.”
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Despite Schumer’s stance, few other Democratic senators have openly committed to backing the bill. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) voiced his opposition on social media, stating, “You don’t stop a bully by handing over your lunch money, and you don’t stop tyrant Trump by giving him more power.”
As the vote nears, tensions remain high within the Democratic caucus, with lawmakers weighing the risks of conceding leverage against the potential fallout of a prolonged shutdown.
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