Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced this evening that he will vote in favor of keeping the government open, indicating a viable path to avert a shutdown tomorrow.
“I believe it is my job to make the best choice for the country to minimize the harms to the American people. Therefore, I will vote to keep the government open and not shut it down,” he said in a floor speech.
The Democratic leader criticized Republicans for pushing their plan to fund the government through September, arguing that Democrats are being forced to choose between accepting a bill they strongly oppose or allowing a shutdown.
“This, in my view, is no choice at all. While the CR bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse,” Schumer said, referring to the GOP’s stopgap funding measure.
Schumer echoed concerns raised by other Senate Democrats in recent days, warning that a shutdown would give President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) greater flexibility to implement federal spending cuts.
This article has been updated.
