Senate Democratic Chief Chuck Schumer weathered backlash from Democrats earlier this yr when he voted with Republicans to maintain the federal government open. However he’s now prepared to danger a shutdown on the finish of the month if Republicans don’t accede to Democratic calls for.
Schumer says he and Home Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries are united in opposing any laws that doesn’t embody key well being care provisions and a dedication to not roll them again. He argues that the nation is in a special place than it was in March, when he vigorously argued towards a shutdown, and he says he believes Republicans and President Donald Trump will probably be held accountable in the event that they don’t negotiate a bipartisan deal.
“Issues have modified” for the reason that March vote, Schumer mentioned in an interview with The Related Press on Thursday. He mentioned Republicans have since handed Trump’s large tax breaks and spending cuts laws, which trimmed Medicaid and different authorities applications, and Democrats are actually unified — in contrast to in March, when he voted with Republicans and Jeffries voted towards laws to fund the federal government.
A shutdown, Schumer mentioned, wouldn’t essentially worsen an surroundings through which Trump is already difficult the authority of Congress. “It’s going to worsen with or with out it, as a result of Trump is lawless,” Schumer mentioned.
Schumer’s menace comes as Republicans are contemplating a short-term stopgap spending measure to keep away from a Sept. 30 shutdown and as Democrats face what most see as two powerful decisions if the events can’t negotiate a deal — vote with Republicans to maintain the federal government open or let it shut indefinitely with no clear exit plan.
It additionally comes amid worsening partisan tensions within the Senate, the place negotiations between the 2 events over the affirmation course of broke down for a second time Thursday and Republicans are altering Senate guidelines to get round Democratic objections. Democrats are additionally fuming over the Trump administration’s resolution to unilaterally claw again $4.9 billion in congressionally authorized international help simply as negotiations over the spending deadline had been getting underway in late August.
Republicans have mentioned that Democrats clearly will probably be responsible in the event that they don’t vote to maintain the federal government open, and Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly mentioned that Schumer wants to return to them with a selected proposal on well being care, together with an extension of expanded authorities tax credit for a lot of Individuals who get their medical insurance by means of the Inexpensive Care Act. Some Republicans are open to extending these credit earlier than they expire on the finish of the yr.
Much less sensible is Democrats’ demand that Republicans roll again Medicaid cuts enacted of their tax breaks and spending cuts laws this summer time, what Trump known as his “massive, lovely invoice.”
Schumer mentioned Democrats additionally need Republicans to commit that the White Home gained’t take again cash they’ve negotiated and Congress has authorized after Republicans pushed by means of a $9 billion lower requested by the White Home in July and Trump blocked the extra international help cash in August. “How do you move an appropriations invoice and allow them to undo it down the highway?” Schumer mentioned.
Schumer’s transfer to help the spending laws in March put him in the uncommon place of bucking his celebration’s base. He mentioned then that of two dangerous choices, a partial authorities shutdown was worse as a result of it might give Trump much more management to close down companies and there could be “no off-ramp” to get out of it. “I believe individuals understand it’s a troublesome selection,” he mentioned.
He confronted large backlash from throughout the celebration after the vote, with some activists calling on him to resign. Jeffries quickly distanced himself from his New York colleague, saying in a press release instantly after Schumer’s vote that Home Democrats “is not going to be complicit.” Nearly all of Senate Democrats additionally voted towards the plan.
This time, although, Schumer is in lockstep with Jeffries and in messaging inside his caucus. In Democrats’ closed-door lunch Wednesday, he shared polling that he mentioned steered most Individuals would blame Trump, not Democrats, for a shutdown.
“I did what I believed was proper” in March, Schumer mentioned. “It’s a special scenario now than then.”
