Minority leader Chuck Sumer said on Wednesday that Democrats in the Senate would not provide votes to conclude a chamber -approved deal to finance the government, intensifying the signal to potential exclusion of the government at the end of the week.
If a deal is not achieved to get some democratic support, the government will close at the end of the day on Friday.
Two days is a long time on the Capitol hill, so there is still enough time to make a deal, but Sumer’s statement certainly warms up fears.
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Sumer pointed the finger to the Republicans to leave the Democrats from the financing negotiations.
“Government funding should be a bilateral effort, but the Republicans have chosen a guerrilla path that prepares its continuing resolution without any contribution from the Congress of Democrats,” Sumer said on Wednesday.
Photo: Senate’s minority leader Chuck Sumer, arrives to talk to reporters while Republicans are working to cross an intermediate cost bill, which will avoid partial exclusion of the government in Capitol, March 11, 2025.
Unlike the Chamber, where Republicans can act unilaterally to adopt legislation, the Senate needs Democrats to accept a funding bill.
At least 60 votes are needed for a funding bill to clear key procedural votes called clotting votes, which means that at least seven democrats will be needed to accept any Senate funding bill.
Sumer clarified on Wednesday that Democrats would not provide these votes at the moment.
“Republicans have no votes in the Senate to refer to the clot in the Kr House,” Sumer said.
Photo: View of the Capitol building, March 10, 2025 (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
For several days, Democrats have been fighting behind the scenes whether to provide the necessary votes to accept the funding bill approved by House Republicans on Tuesday. On the one hand, many Democrats say that this bill is giving President Donald Trump and Elon Musk a unilateral power to continue to reduce the federal government. On the other hand, some Democrats understand that the decision to vote against the bill may probably force the undesirable government to be closed.
After days of closed doors meetings and strong interaction with the press, Sumer said that Democrats would instead advocate for a 30-day clean stop stop designed to buy more time to assign year-round funding bills.
“Our kakus is united on a clean CR on April 11, which will support the government open and give congress time to negotiate bilateral legislation that can pass,” Sumer said.
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Just because it wants Democrats, it doesn’t mean it’s a vote that Democrats will receive.
They are the minority in the Senate and have no control over what the bills have been tabled on the Senate floor for voting. There is nothing that Democrats can do to force a 30-day vote in the Senate, but they may be able to hesitate and deal with Republicans to receive a vote on it.
As Sumer says that the Democrats are not ready to continue, the Democrats are holding the cards. If they do not provide votes to clear this procedural obstacle and reach the bill, things can be stationary and closing can be on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Democrats at the Chamber are urging their colleagues in the Senate to vote not for the funding bill, which they almost unanimously opposed when he passed through the House on Tuesday night.
“The Democrats of the Chamber are very clear. We ask the Senate Democrats to vote for” no “for this continuing resolution, which is not clean, and this makes cuts throughout the board,” said Vice -President Ted Lee, surrounded by five other members of the House of Home at a press conference. Lee’s comments came before Sumer headed for a 30-day pure stop bill.
House leader Hakem Jeffrries said the conversations “continue” with Sumer to the full rank and the submitted democratic members to maintain the democratic kakus united against the bill.
“The democratic position of the Chamber is crystal clear, as it is proved by the strong vote of the opposition, which we took yesterday on the floor of the House, opposing the expense Republican expenses of Trump-Minson,” Jeffris said.
Late Wednesday, the leaders of democratic housing have called on the Republicans of the Chamber to return from the recess in Washington to “immediately” take a short -term measure that will finance the government by April 11.
ABC News’ Isabella Murray has contributed to this report.
Sumer says Democrats will block the GOP funding bill, intensifying the shutdown signal, originally appeared on abcnews.go.com