Yet one more possible federal government shutdown may be averted with reports indicating the New York Senator and Democrat Minority Leader Charles Schumer is in favor of a six-month funding bill.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer said, “I will vote to keep the government open, and not shut it down.”
While there may not currently be enough votes to pass the bill in the Senate where 60 are needed for passage, it is thought that Schumer’s action will inspire other Democrat members to follow his example. “There are a bunch of undecided votes and as members study it and look at it, each will make his or her own decision,” the Senator remarked.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the six-month funding bill on a vote of 217 to 213.
The legislation increases defense, veterans care, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement spending. It particularly won votes in the lower chamber due to an endorsement from the House Freedom Caucus, a group generally opposed to six-month funding bills.
The fate of the legislation now appears to be in the hands of a small handful of lawmakers, with South Dakota Republican and Majority Leader John Thune tasked with working out a time agreement for the final vote on the bill.
Arizona Democrat Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego have earlier said that they are, for now at least, opposed to the measure. But, according to the publication Politico, Kelly is thought to be “undecided on the procedural vote” to advance the legislation.
Colorado Democrats John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet have joined in that opposition.
New Mexico Democrats Ben Ray Lujan and Martin Heinrich have also indicated their opposition to the bill, with Heinrich remarking that President Trump has “put us in a position where, in either direction, lots of people’s constituents are going to get hurt, and hurt badly. So, people are wrestling with what is the least worst outcome.”
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, announcing his support for the legislation, predicted on the Opening Bid podcast hosted by Yahoo Finance, that “at the end of the day, after all of the rage, you’re going to see the Democrats finally say, ‘Ok, were not going to shut the government down.’”
Analysts think there are around 55 firm votes for the measure.
The lawmakers must pass the funding measure by the end of the day on Friday to avoid a shut down.
March 14, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Vintage drawing by architect of the Capitol
