The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, announced Thursday night that he plans to vote to maintain the open government, which is almost certain that there will surely be enough democratic votes to advance in a fund of financing law of the Republican Party before a closing deadline at the end of Friday.
In Observations On the Senate floor, Schumer admitted that a government closure is the worst result.
“While the republican bill is very bad, the potential of a closure has consequences for the United States that are very worse. Surely, the Republican bill is a terrible option,” he said. “It is not a clean CR” or a continuous resolution, he said. “It is deeply partisan. It does not address too many needs in this country, but I think that allowing Donald Trump to take even more power in a government closure is a much worse option.”
The Republicans, Schumer argued, are to blame for a “hobson choice” that “led us to the edge of disaster.”
“Unless Congress acts, the federal government will close tomorrow at midnight. I have said that there are many times no winners in a government closure. But there are certainly victims: the most vulnerable Americans who trust federal programs to feed their families to access medical care and stay financially afloat,” said Schumer.
The senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, leaves the democratic caucus lunch at the United States Capitol on March 13, 2025 in Washington.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
The decision to close the government would give President Donald Donald Trump and his main advisor Elon Musk too power to continue his cuts from federal workers without discretion, he said.
“A closure would give Donald Trump and Elon Musk Carte Blanche to destroy the vital services of the Government at a significantly faster rate than they can at this time. Before the closing of the Trump administration it would have full authority to consider programs of entire agencies of a non -essential personnel and discredit without promise that they would ever be collected,” Schumer said. “In summary: a closure would give Donald Trump Elon Musk and Doge the keys of the state and the country of the city.”
The earliest Thursday, Schumer told his Democratic colleagues during a closed -door lunch that he would vote to clear a path for the final approval of a house of financing law, said familiar sources with the matter to ABC News.
This movement would clarify the way for Republicans to approve the bill with a simple majority.
The Senate Democrats remained with tight lips after snuggling behind the doors closed before the government’s financing deadline that is quickly approaching.
“What happens in Caucus, stays in Caucus,” said Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin when he left weekly lunch.
“Ask someone else,” complained Democratic Senator Cory Booker.
“I have no comment,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Several Democrats have admitted privately that they probably do not have the votes to block a republican proposal to keep the government financed until September, multiple sources told ABC News.
The tensions were on complete exhibition at the private meeting. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand shouted so strong about the impact of a closure that journalists could listen to it through the walls.
A Democrat who spoke on condition of anonymity told ABC News: “We lost this two weeks ago … We should have defeated this drum for a month.”
At that time, only Democratic Senator John Fetterman had publicly pointed out that he would vote to maintain the open government.
Senator John Fetterman speaks with journalists outside the camera during a vote at the Capitol in Washington, on March 13, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Fetterman insisted that he will not succumb to the position he sees of the party leaders after urging Republicans to maintain the open government in the past when the Democrats controlled the upper chamber.
“Never, never, never closed the government,” Fetterman told reporters at Capitol on Thursday afternoon. “Democrat, Republican, independent, anyone. Never close the government. That is one of our main responsibilities.”
Fetterman described the “spicy” political pressure, telling journalists to remain “consistent” in their belief of principles of not voting for a closure.
Fetterman acknowledged that the Republicans “are daring” the Democrats to close the government, but the first -year Democrat worried that workers and people who depend on federal services are those who “really will hurt.”
Now that the Republicans cleared their bill through the Chamber, Fetterman said he believes the battle is over.
Fetterman said that the only time Democrats have influence is whether Republicans need votes in the camera.
“The Republican party delivered, and that did this effectively. And that forces us to say:” Are you going to close to the government or will you vote for a defective CR? “And now for me, I refuse to close the government.”
Schumer said Wednesday that Senate Democrats would not provide the necessary votes for Republicans to advance the agreement approved by the Chamber to finance the Government until September. Instead, Schumer proposed a one -month stop measure to allow more time for appropriators to negotiate and complete the financing invoices of the whole year.
Meanwhile, Republicans and the White House are preventively pointing to the finger to the Democrats if a closure occurs.
“If it closes, it is purely in the Democrats,” said President Donald Trump when he took reports from reporters while meeting with NATO general secretary Mark Rutte in the Oval office on Thursday.
Trump was asked if he gets in negotiating with the Democrats and said he would do it if the Republicans requested: “If they need me, I am there 100%.”
