Senate passes six-month funding bill to avoid government shutdown

The Senate handed a six-month spending invoice on Friday hours earlier than a authorities shutdown, overcoming sharp Democratic opposition to the measure and sending it to President Donald Trump to be signed into legislation.

The vote was 54-46. Democrats voiced frustration that Republicans went forward with a measure they mentioned included little enter from them, and one they considered as shortchanging key priorities akin to well being care and housing help. However in the long run, a few of them considered a shutdown as a worse consequence and supported Democratic chief Chuck Schumer’s effort to permit the invoice to come back to a last vote.

Democrats had been confronted with two painful choices: permitting passage of a invoice they consider provides President Donald Trump huge discretion on spending selections or voting no and letting a funding lapse ensue.

Schumer gave members of his caucus days to vent their frustration in regards to the choices earlier than them, however abruptly switched course and made clear on the eve of voting that he won’t permit a authorities shutdown. His transfer outraged many within the occasion who need to battle the Trump agenda, however gave senators room to facet with Republicans and permit the persevering with decision, typically described as a CR, to advance.

Democrats from all corners regarded to stress senators to kill the invoice. Home members wrote letters, posted on social media and held press conferences within the hours earlier than the vote.

“The American folks despatched Democrats to Congress to battle in opposition to Republican dysfunction and chaos,” mentioned a letter from 66 Home Democrats to Schumer.

Home Democratic chief Hakeem Jeffries and his group dashed again to the Capitol urging senators to dam the invoice and negotiate a real compromise with Republicans.

Some Democrats additionally argued that Republicans would take the blame for a shutdown, given they managed all of the levers of energy in Congress and the White Home.

“Should you refuse to place ahead a suggestion that features any Democratic enter and also you don’t get Democratic votes, that’s on Republicans,” mentioned Sen. Patty Murray, the highest Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In distinction, Schumer picked up one sudden nod of assist — from Trump himself, who only a day earlier was gearing as much as blame Democrats for any shutdown.

“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the appropriate factor — Took ‘guts’ and braveness!” the president posted on his social media account.

Schumer has acknowledged the tough alternative he confronted, however insisted Democrats wouldn’t permit a authorities shutdown and warned of the havoc Trump and Musk may carry if federal places of work shuttered.

“A shutdown will permit DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer mentioned, referring to the Musk-led Division of Authorities Effectivity. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk could be free to destroy very important authorities companies at a a lot quicker fee.”

Congress has been unable to go the annual appropriations payments designed to fund the federal government, so that they’ve resorted to passing short-term extensions as an alternative. The laws earlier than the Senate is the third such persevering with decision for the present fiscal yr, now practically half over.

The laws would fund the federal authorities by the top of September. It might trim non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the earlier yr and improve protection spending by about $6 billion, that are marginal modifications when speaking a couple of topline spending stage of practically $1.7 trillion.

The Republican-led Home handed the spending invoice on Tuesday after which adjourned. The transfer left senators with a choice to both take it or go away it. And whereas Democrats have been pushing for a vote on a fourth short-term extension, GOP management made clear that choice was a non-starter.

Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., and others made the case that any blame for a shutdown would fall squarely on Democrats.

“Democrats must determine in the event that they’re going to assist funding laws that came visiting from the Home, or in the event that they’re going to close down the federal government,” Thune mentioned.

Progressive teams urged Democratic lawmakers to insist on the 30-day extension and oppose the spending invoice, saying enterprise as regular should not proceed.

“There’s nonetheless time,” mentioned Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico at a Home Democratic retreat in Leesburg, Virginia. “So, any of my colleagues within the Senate who’re contemplating voting on cloture, the American persons are shouting: Please don’t hand the keys over to Elon Musk.”

However Schumer mentioned Trump would seize extra energy throughout a shutdown, as a result of it might give the administration the power to deem entire companies, packages and personnel nonessential, furloughing workers with no promise they might ever be rehired.

Democrats have been important of the funding ranges within the invoice. However they’re extra apprehensive in regards to the discretion the invoice provides the Trump administration on spending selections. Many Democrats are referring to the measure as a “clean examine” for Trump.

Spending payments usually include particular funding directives for key packages, however lots of of these directives fall away beneath the persevering with decision handed by the Home. So the administration may have extra leeway to determine the place the cash goes.

For instance, a Democratic memo mentioned the invoice would permit the administration to steer cash away from combating fentanyl and as an alternative apply it to mass deportation initiatives.

Democrats additionally object to clawing again $20 billion in particular IRS funding, on prime of the $20 billion rescission permitted the yr earlier than by laws handed by Democrats throughout Joe Biden’s presidency.

The spending invoice earlier than the Senate is separate from the GOP effort to increase tax cuts for people handed in Trump’s first time period and to partially pay for them with spending cuts elsewhere in authorities.

That second package deal can be developed within the months forward, nevertheless it was clearly a part of the political calculus.

“You’re a one-two punch, a really unhealthy CR, then a reconciliation invoice coming down, which would be the last kick within the enamel for the American folks,” mentioned Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., mentioned the Democratic arguments for voting in opposition to the invoice had been hypocritical as a result of they had been primarily calling for shutting down the federal government to guard the federal government.

“Democrats are combating to withhold the paychecks of air site visitors controllers, our troops, federal custodial workers,” Cotton mentioned. “They’ll’t be critical.”

Senators additionally introduced they might be voting on a invoice to repair an sudden provision within the spending measure that hit the District of Columbia. The spending package deal successfully pressured the District to revert to prior yr’s finances ranges, requiring a lower of some $1.1 billion over the months forward, though the district raises most of its personal cash. Mayor Muriel Bowser objected and residents have been flooding senators’ places of work. The Senate invoice, which might subsequent go to the Home, would reverse that provision and permit the spending at 2025 ranges.

Related Press author Matt Brown contributed to this story from Leesburg, Virginia.