In a stunning reversal, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has backed down and is now supporting a Republican-backed spending bill to prevent a government shutdown. According to reports, Schumer will vote for cloture, the procedural step needed to move the bill forward, despite his previous opposition. Now, he needs six more Democrat senators to follow his lead.
Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News, broke the news in a post revealing that Schumer has caved and is now on board with the cloture vote. One of the first Democrats to fall in line behind Schumer is none other than Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has publicly stated he will vote in favor of cloture as well.
This move is a stark contrast to Schumer’s previous tough talk. Just days ago, he took to the Senate floor to declare that his party would reject the House-passed government funding plan. At the time, Schumer criticized Republicans for drafting the bill without Democrat input, claiming, “Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to invoke cloture on the House CR.”
Well, it appears he spoke too soon.
For those unfamiliar with Senate procedures, cloture is the mechanism used to break a filibuster and advance legislation to a final vote. The rule was first adopted in 1917, requiring a two-thirds majority to end prolonged debate and prevent senators from endlessly delaying a vote. In 1975, the threshold was lowered to 60 votes.
In this case, Republicans already have the votes they need on their side, so they only need a handful of Democrats to cross the aisle and secure cloture. With Schumer now on board, the momentum is shifting in favor of the GOP-backed bill.
The sudden shift from Schumer and Senate Democrats raises several questions. Was it political pressure? A realization that shutting down the government would backfire on Democrats? Or simply a recognition that Republicans hold all the cards in this round of negotiations?
Schumer initially dismissed the Republican bill as a partisan ploy, but the reality is that it’s a straightforward, responsible measure to keep the government funded through the end of the fiscal year. The House-passed continuing resolution (CR) includes minimal changes to current spending levels and even allocates additional funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to continue deportations—something Democrats have strongly opposed.
By opposing the bill, Democrats would have risked being blamed for shutting down the government and forcing federal workers into furloughs—an outcome that would be politically damaging, especially given that they supported similar spending levels just a few months ago.
Schumer’s reversal presents a major test for Senate Democrats. If they vote against cloture and block the bill, they risk being held responsible for a shutdown. But if they follow Schumer and vote in favor, they will have to explain to their progressive base why they caved to Republican demands.
Meanwhile, Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, remain firm in their stance. They are pushing forward with the vote and have shown no signs of making major concessions to Democrats. Unlike previous shutdown battles, where Democrats have been able to strong-arm their way into extracting policy wins, this time, the GOP appears to have the upper hand.
As the deadline looms, the pressure is on for Senate Democrats to decide where they stand. With Schumer already backing down, it’s likely that more Democrats will follow suit rather than risk the political fallout of a shutdown. The question now is: Will they stick to their principles and face the consequences, or will they fold under the pressure like their leader?
Republicans, for their part, should stay the course. The GOP-led House has done its job by passing a responsible spending bill. Now, it’s up to the Senate to do the right thing and keep the government running—without giving in to Democrat demands for reckless spending and open-border policies.
Stay tuned, because this battle isn’t over yet.
What a fucking joke of a government!
Most of our republican and democrats politicians are pieces of shit, with their own agenda. They are in it for the billionaires.
I only hope the American people can see through the bullshit.
I’m embarrassed and ashamed of the current administration.