Schumer says he will vote to advance GOP spending bill, lowering threat of shutdown

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) announced connected the Senate level Thursday that helium plans to ballot to beforehand a House-passed six-month authorities backing bill, contempt the beardown absorption of galore Democrats who accidental the measure would make a “slush fund” for President Trump and Elon Musk.

“I volition ballot to support the authorities open, and not unopen it down,” Schumer said connected the Senate floor.

Schumer is lone the 2nd Senate Democrat to authorities definitively his volition to ballot to beforehand the GOP-written measure — joining Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.). But it’s highly apt helium volition springiness governmental screen to different Democrats to ballot to beforehand the 99-page package.

Schumer said helium agrees with Democratic colleagues who accidental the measure is simply a atrocious portion of legislation, but helium warned that nonaccomplishment to walk it could trigger a acold worse outcome: a authorities shutdown.

“While the CR measure is precise bad, the imaginable for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, overmuch worse. For sure, the Republican measure is simply a unspeakable option. It is not a cleanable CR, it is profoundly partisan. It doesn’t code acold excessively galore of this country’s needs, but I judge allowing Donald Trump to instrumentality adjacent overmuch much powerfulness via a authorities shutdown is simply a acold worse option,” helium said connected the floor, utilizing an abbreviation for continuing solution (CR).

Schumer argued that a shutdown would pb to the shuttering of determination Veterans Affairs offices, leaving veterans without important services, and could empower Trump to laic disconnected much unit astatine the Social Security Administration, hurting seniors and radical with disabilities.

Schumer told Senate Democratic colleagues astatine a luncheon gathering earlier Thursday that helium would enactment a procedural question known arsenic cloture to beforehand the House-passed bill.

Senate Republicans power 53 seats and request 8 Democratic votes to beforehand the House GOP-drafted continuing solution to a last vote. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says helium volition ballot against the measurement due to the fact that it doesn’t bash capable to chopped the deficit.

The legislation, which would summation defence spending by $6 cardinal and chopped nondefense programs by $13 billion, needs 60 votes to beforehand to a last vote.

Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the apical Democrat connected the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the House-passed backing measure "a dumpster fire." 

Schumer’s determination to enactment the House measure was met with contiguous disapproval from Democratic progressives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Ocasio-Cortez told CNN successful an interrogation Thursday day it would beryllium a “tremendous mistake” for Schumer to ballot to beforehand the House Republican backing resolution.