Schumer Says Dems Will Block Trump-Backed Funding Bill, Risking Imminent Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 11: Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a press conference following a policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on March 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Schumer answered a range of questions during the press conference.

On Wednesday, New York Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer announced that Senate Democrats will oppose the House-approved Continuing Resolution (CR) bill — potentially triggering a government shutdown by the week’s end.

The President Donald Trump-backed bill requires Democrat support to pass in the Senate, as the funding bill requires at least 60 votes to pass.

Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned that the Democrats are refusing to vote in favor of the bill since Republicans “left” their counterpart out of negotiations.

“Funding the government should be a bipartisan effort, but Republicans chose a partisan path drafting their continuing resolution without any input — any input — from congressional Democrats,” Schumer stated on Wednesday.

Schumer also claimed that Democrats are opting to advocate for a 30-day clean stand-in bill in order to buy time to work towards bipartisan legislation that both parties can get behind.

“Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to invoke cloture on the House CR. Our caucus is unified on a clean April 11 CR that will keep the government open and give Congress time to negotiate bipartisan legislation that can pass,” he continued.

“We want an opportunity to get an amendment vote or two, so that’s what we are insisting on to vote for cloture,” added Democrat Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

With 53 Republicans in the Senate, they would need at least seven Democrats to support the bill for it to pass. However, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky) has already announced his intention to vote against it.

“The bill we are going to have to face this week will be continuing spending at the same level,” Paul stated during a Wednesday appearance on The Hill. “These are the Biden spending levels.”

“We know one result that will come from these spending levels – a two trillion dollar deficit. So these spending levels exceed revenue by two trillion there’s no escaping that. So there’s nothing conservative about these spending levels. No fiscal conservative should support this because it’s going to borrow two trillion dollars,” Paul added.

Meanwhile, the lone Democrat willing to support the bill is Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.), according to Politico — meaning that the Republicans need to find seven more “yes” votes.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) argued that the Democrats were engaging in a “shameful display of coordinated political theater.”

“Democrats are willing to run out the clock on funding the government in a failed attempt to block the America First agenda,” he stated. “Now it’s decision time for Senate Democrats: cast a vote to keep the government open or be responsible for shutting it down.”

The bill passed in the House by a vote of 217-213 on Tuesday night.

If the Republicans are not able to round up the required votes, a government shutdown will take effect at midnight on Friday.

Every House Democrat but one voted to shut down the government yesterday.

Chuck Schumer needs to decide: will Senate Democrats keep the government funded or will they join House Democrats and shut it down? pic.twitter.com/9JcTu8XLnQ

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 12, 2025

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