Eyes Turn to Senate Dems Ahead of Possible Government Shutdown

On Tuesday, the House did its part by voting to keep the federal government afloat and avert a government shutdown through September.

The vote was 217-213 with one Republican and one Democrat voting against the measure, CBS reported. Those voting against it were Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine).

President Donald Trump was not impressed with Massie’s vote as he threatened to back someone to challenge Massie in the next primary for pledging to vote “no.” The funding bill contains no cuts for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Now, it is up to the Senate to make the shutdown diversion a reality. The new legislation that was released Saturday increases spending for defense and healthcare for veterans.

The deadline for Congress to OK the measure is Friday at midnight. It will need some Democratic Senate support as 60 votes are needed to stave off a shutdown. The six-month extension for funding is called a continuing resolution, per the Daily Caller.

It is not a done deal by any measure. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said the resolution was a “partisan, reckless spending bill” and “an attack” on veterans, families and seniors. But while negotiations were underway, Trump’s word trumps all, per CBS.

“Bipartisan negotiations were underway,” Jeffries said. “But when Donald Trump says jump, extreme MAGA Republicans say how high, and he ordered the Republicans to leave the negotiating table to try to jam this far-right extremist bill down the throats of the American people.”

As Senate members eye the upcoming vote, Democratic support is necessary for passage.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Senate Democrats will “wait and see what the House does first.” 

Senate Democrats are expected to meet Wednesday to plan what they will do next.

Democrats want a shorter-term funding measure that would give more time for appropriators to expand new spending bills. On Monday, lead Democratic appropriators, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), introduced a resolution that would fund the government through April 11. However, after the House approved its six-month resolution, the Senate’s options are limited.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said he wants a short-term “proper” stopgap measure to continue the funding process, but with the House planning to leave town, it shows “they like to bully and threaten.”

“But when push comes to shove, they’ll have to come back,” Whitehouse said. 

“Republicans will ensure law enforcement gets their paychecks. Democrats seem more interested in playing political games,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) wrote in a Fox News op-ed Monday. “Shutting down the government is not an outcome President Trump wants. It is not an outcome Senate Republicans want. It costs money to shut down the government. And it costs more money to reopen the government.”

“Shutdown Democrats are acting irresponsibly,” Barrasso wrote. “They are failing American taxpayers, failing our service members, and failing our border patrol agents. If there is a shutdown, it will be driven by and directed by the Democrats.”