Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) shocked his party on Thursday by announcing he would vote to advance a government funding bill written by House Republicans, despite fierce opposition from fellow Democrats. His decision sparked outrage, as liberal senators and activists pushed back against a bill they saw as a dangerous surrender to President Trump and the GOP.
Schumer’s move effectively gave cover to centrist Democrats, who were already under intense pressure to support the bill to avoid a government shutdown—despite serious concerns. Senators like Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) found themselves torn between the threat of a shutdown and the damaging provisions of the House bill.
Liberal heavyweights like Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) led the charge against the bill, calling it an outright betrayal of working Americans. Warren condemned the bill as a “blank check” for Trump and Elon Musk to spend taxpayer money as they please. Sanders warned it would slash programs for vulnerable people—taking food from hungry children and cutting healthcare for seniors—while handing huge tax breaks to the rich. Merkley called it “horrific,” with a single, blunt demand: “Hell no.”
Progressive lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), echoed the sentiment, calling for Democrats to fight back, not cave to the GOP. Ocasio-Cortez blasted any move to support the bill, urging her supporters to demand Senate Democrats vote against it.
The pressure from the left was too much for many centrist Democrats to ignore. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who had earlier warned about the risks of a shutdown, announced they would block the bill. Even Ossoff and Slotkin, both from states where Trump is popular, joined the growing rebellion, citing the disastrous cuts to essential programs, like research on Alzheimer’s and vital infrastructure projects.
Facing a growing revolt in his own party, Schumer chose to back the House bill anyway. In a dramatic 24-hour flip, he abandoned his earlier stance, where he told Republicans the bill didn’t have enough support in the Senate. By Thursday, Schumer’s decision to advance the bill was a bitter pill for many Democrats to swallow.
Schumer argued that while the House bill was “very bad,” a government shutdown would be far worse, handing Trump and Musk unchecked power to destroy vital government services. Schumer warned that a shutdown would allow Trump to slash federal programs, shut down entire agencies, and give his political appointees free rein to wreak havoc without oversight.
But Schumer’s decision to side with the GOP was slammed by Democrats across the Senate. Ocasio-Cortez called Schumer’s potential vote a “tremendous mistake,” and some even questioned whether he should keep his seat in 2028. Schumer, however, dismissed the criticism, insisting that he did what was best for the country, even if it meant angering his party’s progressive wing.
Meanwhile, Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) called the House bill a “dumpster fire,” warning it would devastate programs critical to American safety, including cutting funding for flood control and medical research. Schumer, however, defended his position, arguing that a short-term funding bill wasn’t realistic and that it was crucial to prevent a shutdown, even if the deal wasn’t perfect.
Schumer’s move left the Senate Democratic Caucus in turmoil, with members sharply divided over the House bill. Despite the growing opposition, Schumer stood by his decision, convinced that the bill was the only option to avoid a catastrophic government shutdown. But for many Democrats, it felt like a betrayal—a bitter compromise that handed the GOP a win at the expense of the American people.
