6 months ago
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(The Hill) — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) brushed disconnected questions surrounding his enactment and defended his decision to ballot to advance the six-month GOP-crafted continuing solution (CR) that volition money the authorities done the extremity of September, saying during an interrogation that helium and his caucus are connected the aforesaid page.
Schumer was asked connected CNN by Jake Tapper if the long-time lawmaker was “worried” astir his enactment presumption aft getting fierce pushback from House Democrats and immoderate senators successful his league astir his determination to ballot to determination guardant a backing measure that helium said antecedently was “bad.”
“I deliberation I had the overwhelming enactment successful my caucus, and truthful galore of the members thanked maine and said, 'You did what you thought was courageous, and we respect it.' I deliberation my caucus and I are successful sync, and everyone knew what I was doing and respected it,” Schumer said during his Friday quality connected CNN.
Schumer told Senate Democrats during a luncheon gathering Thursday and aboriginal successful the time affirmed that helium would ballot to beforehand the GOP-led CR successful bid to debar a shutdown. On Wednesday, helium said the House measure did not person capable votes to pass.
“I judge it is my occupation to marque the champion prime for the country, to minimize the harms to the American people. Therefore, I volition ballot to support the authorities unfastened and not unopen it down,” Schumer said Thursday connected the Senate floor.
The New York legislator emphasized, again, connected Friday that the House backing solution is simply a “bad bill,” but besides argued that it would beryllium “far worse to springiness [President] Donald Trump the keys to the metropolis and the country,” if the CR fails.
“We each cognize that [Elon] Musk and DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] and Trump privation to decimate the national authorities and letting them unopen down the government, allowing them to unopen down the government, they would person done it wrong two, 3 weeks,” Schumer said connected Friday earlier the last ballot connected the resolution.
Schumer, on with 9 different Democrats, voted with Republicans to assistance beforehand the CR to the last vote. The measure advanced with a 62-38 ballot connected Friday.
Shortly after, the Senate passed the House-led measure to avert a authorities shutdown with a 54-46 vote. Only 2 Democrats, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Angus King (Maine), an autarkic who caucuses with the party, voted for the measure. On the Republican side, lone Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted against the CR.
Only 1 Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (Maine), who represents a battleground district, voted for the CR successful the little chamber. Tapper asked Schumer what connection helium wants to springiness to those toss-up territory House Democrats arsenic good arsenic senators successful purple states that opted against backing the backing bill.
“I respect what the House members did. I'm gladsome each of them voted against it, but arsenic I said, it is overmuch antithetic successful the Senate, wherever if you would person voted against the bill, and the measure would person gone down, the full authorities would person unopen down from 1 extremity to the other, creating melodramatic and immense hardship for tens of millions of Americans,” Schumer said.
