Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that Senate Democrats will refuse to back a House-approved Republican funding bill.
The GOP bill, narrowly passed by House Republicans on March 11, faces firm Democratic opposition in the Senate. At least six Democrat votes would be required to achieve the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster.
Schumer claimed the bill, which boosts defense spending by around $6 billion but reduces non-defense funding by $13 billion, was drafted “without any input from congressional Democrats,” labeling it a partisan measure.
“Funding the government should be a bipartisan effort, but Republicans chose a partisan path,” Schumer said. He urged Senate Republicans to instead back a “clean” 30-day continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government at current levels until April 11, allowing more time for bipartisan negotiations.
However, Republicans have pushed back strongly against Democratic opposition, placing the blame for a potential shutdown squarely on the shoulders of Democrats.
“It would be foolish for my Democrat colleagues to shut down government,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) warned.
Notably, the House GOP’s measure includes additional funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and provisions preventing Democrats from blocking President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
Trump has implemented a 25 percent tariff on both countries and a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy imports.
Meanwhile, House Democrats remain adamant about their opposition.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) urged Senate Democrats to hold firm against the Republican bill, accusing Republicans of seeking to “rip away life-sustaining healthcare and retirement benefits from everyday Americans.”
But the Democratic Party faces internal fractures as Senate Democrats weigh their options.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has already announced he will support the GOP measure, while swing-state senators like Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) have suggested they might also support the bill.
Senate Democrats could thus undermine the narrative of unity promoted by House Democratic leadership.
House Democrats, gathered at a retreat in Leesburg, Virginia, have been aggressively pushing the message of party unity. Yet, internal divisions persist, evidenced by Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), who was the lone Democrat voting for the GOP bill in the House.
Republicans contend that Democratic opposition to their funding bill will result in a harmful government shutdown, damaging critical services and veterans’ assistance.
They also argue Democrats lack a coherent, unified message, highlighting recent polling showing only 27 percent of Americans believe Democrats are focused on helping everyday people.
President Trump criticized Democrats for their stance, stating, “The Democrats have to get their act together,” and accused them of being out of touch with “the real world.”
Congress must pass a funding measure before the March 14 deadline to avoid a shutdown. The Senate now holds the critical next move.