One Of Senate’s Most Vulnerable Dems Bucks Schumer, Vows To Vote For Shutdown

Democratic Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff announced he will vote against the GOP spending bill Thursday, defying Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to join left-wing members of his party who are vowing to shut down the government.

Ossoff, one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents up for reelection in 2026, is viewed as a top target by Republican strategists to expand the GOP’s 53-47 Senate majority. The Georgia Democrat cited alleged cuts to nondefense spending and Senate Republicans’ refusal to limit President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency in the bill as his rationale for opposing the GOP spending bill.

The government is scheduled to undergo a partial shutdown on Friday after midnight absent at least eight Senate Democrats joining GOP senators to advance the six-month stopgap spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), during the cloture vote to overcome the Senate filibuster.

“I will oppose the House budget proposal,” Ossoff wrote in a statement. “The best available solution is a 30-day stopgap funding measure to avoid a shutdown, during which time Congress can do its job to properly pass a bipartisan budget.”

The leader of Senate GOP’s campaign arm criticized Ossoff for bucking Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and joining the most liberal members of his conference to shut down the government. Schumer announced on the Senate floor Thursday he would support the GOP spending bill, caving to Senate Republicans’ pressure to keep the government open and avert a partial shutdown.

“Once again, Ossoff sides with the most radical members of his party,” Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, chairman of Senate Republicans’ campaign arm,