Three members of the Senate Democratic caucus broke with Senate Democratic Chief Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) on Tuesday and voted for a Home Republican-drafted invoice to fund authorities by Nov. 21, revealing divisions amongst Democrats about how aggressively to confront the Trump administration.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), a member of the Senate Democratic management crew, joined Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Sen. Angus King (Maine), an unbiased who caucuses with Democrats, in voting for the GOP funding proposal.
The measure, which wanted 60 votes to advance, failed 55-45.
Cortez Masto mentioned she didn’t need to add to the difficulties of constituents already fighting excessive prices and a slowing economic system by risking a authorities shutdown.
“This administration doesn’t care about Nevadans, but I do. That’s why I cannot support a costly shutdown that would hurt Nevada families and hand even more power to this reckless administration,” she mentioned in an announcement.
She mentioned a authorities shutdown would “force tens of thousands of Nevada military personnel, union members, law enforcement agents and military nurses to work without pay” and that it could throw a whole lot of union contractors on the Nevada Nationwide Safety Website and throughout her state out of labor.
Cortez Masto and King voted towards the Home-passed invoice when it first got here up for a vote on the Senate flooring on Sept. 19.
Fetterman, who was the one Democrat to vote for the GOP funding proposal earlier this month, has repeatedly mentioned he desires to keep away from a authorities shutdown and has warned fellow Democrats about overplaying their hand on a funding stopgap.
The Pennsylvania senator on Tuesday warned {that a} shutdown would empower President Trump to intestine Democratic priorities and allow White Home finances director Russell Vought to implement Challenge 2025, the conservative blueprint to overtake the federal authorities.
“The president has a lot of levers he could pull. This is one we could pull, but why would we pull that lever? Because that allows him to pull a lot more levers,” Fetterman advised reporters on Capitol Hill
“I think that would be the ideal for Project 2025,” he added.
Senate Republicans hailed the three defections as an indication that Schumer has a weaker political place heading right into a shutdown, which is able to possible final for a number of days.
“There are some Democrats who are very unhappy with the situation they’re in,” Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-S.D.) mentioned at a press convention after the vote.
“We need … another five” Democratic votes to move the stopgap funding measure, Thune famous. “We need eight total.”
Republicans management 53 Senate seats however want eight Democratic votes to move the funding invoice as a result of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) opposes its continuation of Biden-era funding ranges.
The persevering with decision wants 60 votes to move.
Thune mentioned he would schedule further votes on the Home-passed funding measure within the days forward within the hope of selecting up extra Democratic votes.
“There are others out there I think who don’t want to shut down the government but are putting them in a position by their leadership … that ought to make all of them very uncomfortable,” he mentioned.
