WASHINGTON (AP) – On Friday, the Senate once again faces a routine predicament as they strive to prevent a partial shutdown. government shutdown With only hours to spare, Democrats face two difficult choices: letting a bill pass that they believe assists President Donald Trump significant autonomy in making spending choices or opting out and allowing funding to expire.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer allowed Democrats in his party a few days to express their dissatisfaction with the choices they faced, but by late Thursday, things had moved forward. made clear He won't permit a governmentshutdown. This action provides Democrats the space to join Republicans in allowing the continuingresolution, frequently referred to as a CR, to be voted on as early as thisFriday.
A procedural vote Friday will provide a first test of whether the package has the 60 votes needed to advance, ahead of final voting likely later in the day. At least eight Democrats will need to join with Republicans to move the funding package forward.
"Although the CR remains quite poor, the possibility of ashutdown poses consequences for America that are far, far more severe," Schumer stated.
Congress has failed to enact the yearly funding measures known as appropriations bills, leading them to opt for temporary extensions instead. The bill currently under consideration by the Senate represents the third Such an ongoing resolution for the present fiscal year, which is now roughly halfway completed.
This bill aims to finance the federal government until late September. It reduces non-military expenditures by roughly $13 billion compared to last year’s figures and boosts military spending by approximately $6 billion. These adjustments represent relatively minor shifts considering the overall budgetary allocation of almost $1.7 trillion.
The Republican-led House passed The spending bill was passed on Tuesday before they adjourned. This placed senators at a crossroads where they had to decide whether to accept it or reject it. Although Democrats were advocating for a vote on a fourth short-term extension, Republican leaders firmly stated that this choice would not be accepted.
Senator John Thune of South Dakota, along with several colleagues, utilized their speaking time on Thursday to argue that any responsibility for a potential government shutdown would clearly lie with the Democratic Party.
"Democrats have to determine whether they will back the funding legislation that has come over from the House, or if they are willing to let the government shut down," Thune stated upon convening the session.
Progressive organizations pushed Democratic legislators to demand the 30-day extension and reject the spending bill, stating "business as usual cannot persist" while Trump and his allies were involved. Elon Musk disassemble crucial agencies and initiatives.
However, Schumer argued that Trump would gain additional authority during a shutdown since this situation enables the administration to classify various departments, initiatives, and staff as non-essential. furloughing staff Without any guarantee that they would ever be rehired.
"Ashutdown would hand Donald Trump the keys to the city, the state, and the nation," Schumer stated.
Democrats have criticized the funding amounts included in the bill. They point out that both defense and non-defense expenditures are below the levels approved roughly two years prior when Congress made the initial agreement. passed legislation raising the debt limit in exchange for expenditure constraints.
However, they are increasingly concerned about the discretion the bill grants the Trump administration regarding spending choices. Numerous Democrats are labeling the provision as a "blank check" for Mr. Trump.
Budgetary legislation usually includes precise financial instructions for important initiatives, yet many such guidelines become invalid due to the continuing resolution approved by the House. Consequently, this grants the administration greater flexibility in determining how funds should be allocated.
For instance, a Democratic memorandum stated that the legislation would enable the administration to redirect funds away from fighting fentanyl and instead allocate them elsewhere. mass deportation initiatives At the Army Corps of Engineers, funding amounts for over 1,000 initiatives aimed at boosting trade, preventing floods, and maintaining thriving ecosystems would be decided by the administration instead of Congress.
Democrats similarly oppose how the District of Columbia is handled under this legislation, as it essentially nullifies the present fiscal year’s budget for the district and mandates returning to previous-year funding levels, despite the fact that the area generates much of its revenue itself. According to Mayor Muriel Bowser, the city would be compelled to reduce expenditures by approximately $1.1 billion within only several months.
Democrats similarly oppose reversing an additional $20 billion in dedicated IRS funding, atop the previously agreed-upon $20 billion rollback from the prior year. These alterations would effectively reduce the budgetary increase for the agency by about fifty percent, which was originally set forth via legislative measures enacted under President Joe Biden’s administration with Democratic support.
The spending bill before the Senate is separate from the GOP effort to extend tax cuts for individuals passed in Trump's first term and to pay for those with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget.
That second package will be developed in the months ahead, but it was clearly part of the political calculus Democrats were considering as they argued against the six-month extension. Both efforts are designed to help the well-off at the expense of other Americans, they said.
"You’re witnessing a double blow—a highly detrimental Continuing Resolution followed by a reconciliation bill—which together will deliver the ultimate setback to the American people," stated Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas stated that the Democrats' stance was contradictory since they were advocating for a shutdown of the government as a means to safeguard governmental operations.
According to Cotton, Democrats are attempting to prevent the payment of wages for air traffic controllers, service members, and federal custodians. He doesn’t believe they can be serious about this.
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