'Today is the showdown': Dems torn between GOP’s cuts and shutting down the government
U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) attends a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing to examine the jurisdiction of "sanctuary cities" and its impact on federal immigration policy, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 5, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura
Now that House Republicans passed a government funding bill along party lines, the pressure is on Senate Democrats to either support the measure or shut down the government.
As NOTUS reported Wednesday, Democrats only have a few days to decide and are so far keeping mum on how they plan to move forward. The House GOP's funding plan would fund the government through September 30, though it would slash non-defense spending by $13 billion while giving the Pentagon another $6 billion.
“Sen. Jon Ossoff repeatedly said he’s assessing the bill’s ‘impact on Georgia.’ Sen. Mark Warner simply said ‘nothing to share with you tonight.’ Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Democrats want a short-term extension — an effort that House Republicans basically kneecapped when they quickly left town after passing the bill,” NOTUS reported.
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The Washington Post is reporting that Democrats appear to not like the bill. While there is some division between House and Senate Democrats, with the latter are more restrained, as Democrats in Congress are wary about the damage caused by a government shutdown.
“Several Democratic senators have stopped short of saying they’d vote ‘no,’ raising the prospect that the answer, ultimately, might be yes," wrote NOTUS' Ursula Perano and Ben T.N. Mause. They reported that Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) was torn between a continuing resolution (CR) and a government shutdown, calling them "two bad options."
Democrats and Republicans are set to recess next week, but Republicans have indicated that they're willing to stay in Washington to shepherd the funding bill through Congress. Progressive House Democrats, who all opposed the GOP's CR, are calling on their Senate counterparts to also reject the bill.
“Everyone needs to call their Dem Senator right now. They are starting to cave. Tell them: 1. Vote NO on Cloture AND 2. Vote NO on the Republican spending bill. Don’t let them pivot to reconciliation. The GOP doesn’t need Dem votes on that and they know it," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote on X. "TODAY is the showdown."
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Click here to read NOTUS' report in full.
