Many Senate Democrats in states that voted for President Donald Trump plan to vote against the Republican-led government funding bill, even after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said at least eight Democrats would support the measure.
Senate Democrats are facing pressure from some grassroots liberals in their home states to join House Democrats in voting against the continuing resolution. Some of them want Democratic lawmakers to negotiate language that would bar Trump adviser Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from cutting congressionally appropriated funds.
“This is really the only significant point of leverage the congressional Democrats have this year,” Ezra Levin, co-founder of the grassroots liberal group Indivisible, told the Washington Post. “It’s crazy to me that any Democrat would be like, ‘Yeah, let’s vote for it.’ Have some respect for yourself.”
Many freshman senators, including purple-state Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), as well as those from solidly Democratic states, such as Sens. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), are still planning to vote against the measure.
”This is a bad resolution that gives Elon Musk and his cronies permission to continue cutting veterans’ benefits, slashes resources for Arizona’s water needs and abandons our wildland firefighters,” Gallego said in a statement. “I can’t stand by that, and that’s why I’m voting no.”
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) will vote against the measure, making him vulnerable in his 2026 reelection battle to Republican attacks about his willingness to shut down the government. Both Democrats and Republicans have had success in statewide elections in Georgia in recent years, with the state being represented by two Democratic senators and Republicans holding all executive offices.
“Both parties in Congress must fulfill our constitutional obligation to check the president,” a statement from Ossoff reads.
Many Democrats are still against the continuing resolution even though Schumer said he would be voting in favor of it and indicated that Democrats have enough “yes” votes to get the measure across the finish line.
Eight Democrats need to vote in favor of the continuing resolution to get it to pass at 60 votes since the Republicans hold a 53-47 majority and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has committed to voting against the measure. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was planning to vote in its favor before Schumer’s remarks.
“Any party should never shut the government down. That’s front and center. That’s politics 101. For me, I would think if we do that, that would be a gift for the Republicans,” Fetterman said. “Millions and millions of Americans are going to be impacted by shutting the government down.”
While most of his colleagues are still prepared to vote against it, Schumer voiced concerns that entities that close during a shutdown may never reopen if Musk is involved.
“While the CR bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse,” Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor. “A shutdown would give Donald Trump the keys to the city, the state, and the country.”
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“The shutdown is not a political game,” he added. “Shutdown means real pain for American families.”
House Democrats were nearly unanimous in opposing the CR on Tuesday, with just Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) voting in favor of the bill.
