The minority leader, Chuck Schumer, resorted to the Senate floor on Friday morning to defend his decision to support a Republican short -term financing bill that will effectively help avoid the closure of the government at the end of the day.
His surprise reversal, he announced for the first time on Thursday night, one day after he said that he and the Democrats would try to block the bill, it means that there will surely be enough democratic votes to advance to the extent to a final vote of the Senate on Friday only hours before the closing deadline.
“As everyone knows, government financing expires at midnight tonight. As I announced yesterday, I will vote to keep the government open. I think it is the best way to minimize the damage that the Trump administration will make to the US people,” said Schumer on Friday.
He said he believes that the short -term financing bill, or a continuous resolution, is a “bad bill,” but said he believes that the government closed, it would be a much worse result for the country.
“The CR is a bad bill. But no matter how bad the CR is, I think that allowing Donald Trump to take even more power through a government closure is a much worse option,” said Schumer.
The leader of the Senate minority, Chuck Schumer, talks to journalists while Republicans work to approve an interim spending bill that would avoid a partial closure of the government and keep the federal agencies financed until September, in the Washington Capitol, on March 11, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Schumer said he believes that a government closure would mean that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and his government efficiency department (Doge) would have even more authority to “destroy the vital services of the government at a much faster rate.”
He said that they would also have the power to determine which federal employees are considered essential, which potentially gives them more power to dismiss or fire more government workers and federal agencies.
“A closure would allow Doge to change to Overdrive. Allow me to repeat, a closure will allow Doge to change to Overdrive. I would give Donald Trump and Doge the keys of the city, the state and the country,” he said. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy the services of the vital government at a much faster rate than they can at this time and about a much wider field of destruction they would do.”
He continued: “In a closure, Donald Trump and Doge will have the power to determine what is considered essential and what is not and their views about what is not essential would be bad and vicious and tithe vital services and cause unimaginable damage to the US people.”
“Musk has told everyone that he wants a closure because he knows that he will help him achieve his horrible objective of tithing the federal government from one end of the other. In other words, if the government closes, Dege has a plan to exploit the crisis for maximum destruction,” Schumer said.
“A closure would be the best distraction Donald Trump could ask for,” he added.
Schumer also defended some of his Senate Democratic colleagues who have opposed the short -term financing bill. He recognized the difficult decisions that have had to weigh.
“Our members of Caucus have been divided between two horrible alternatives, and my colleagues and I have fought with which the alternative would be worse for the American people,” said Schumer.
He added that just because some of his colleagues will not vote not about the progress of the short -term financing bill does not mean that they support a government closure.
“Different senators put themselves on different sides of this question. But that does not mean that any Senate Democrat supports a closure. Whatever the result, our Caucus will join our determination to continue the long -term struggle to stop Donald Trump’s dangerous war against our democracy and about the United States working families,” he said.
President Donald Trump talks to the press while he meets with NATO general secretary Mark Rutte at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on March 13, 2025.
Pool through AP
At the time Schumer was talking, Trump praised him in a publication on his social media platform, saying that the New York senator took “guts” to point out his support for the bill of the Republican Party.
“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing, he took” Agallas “and courage! The large tax cuts, the fire solution of the, the draft of debt roof and much more approaches,” Trump published in Truth Social.
“We should all work together in that very dangerous situation. A non -pass would be a destroyer of countries, approval will lead us to new heights. Again, a really good and intelligent movement of Senator Schumer. This could lead to something big for the United States, a completely new direction and start,” Trump wrote.
On Friday, The Democrats of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Schumer saying his “strong opposition” to the financing bill.
“Republican leadership has deliberately eliminated the Democrats of the process, and we should not give in to the taking of republican hostages of our seniors, veterans and working class families to advance their project of destructive financing law,” said the letter of the Democratic Caucus of the House of Representatives.
The letter recommends a 30 -day CR as a short -term solution.
“We urge you to reject the continuous partisan resolution before the Senate and support the American people to oppose these Draconian Republican cuts,” the letter said. “All parties must return to the negotiating table and work on the party lines to keep the government openly.”
“If the Republicans in Congress want to approve this bill, they should do so with their own votes,” said the letter. “However, since they cannot, Republicans must work with the Democrats to approve a continuous resolution of 30 days and continue negotiating the full assignments of the 2015 fiscal year.”
Former President Nancy Pelosi, seemed to distance himself from Schumer’s decision, criticized the Democrats to support the bill of the Republican Party of the House of Representatives.
“The United States has experienced a Trump closure before, but this harmful legislation only worsens things. Democrats should not buy in this false option. We must fight for a better way. Listen to women, for people,” he said in a statement on Friday.
At the same time, Pelosi applauded the Chamber Democrats for their almost unanimous vote against the measure.
“Saluta, the leader Hakeem Jeffries for his brave rejection of this false choice, and I am proud of my colleagues in the democratic Caucus of the Chamber for his overwhelming vote against this bill,” he said.
Isabella Murray of ABC News contributed to this report.
