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Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the US Senate, said he would support a Republican stop-gap funding bill, increasing the likelihood that Congress will avoid the risk of a government shutdown.
There was a risk that President Donald Trump and close adviser Elon Musk would use a shutdown — which will take place early on Saturday if a funding measure is not passed — as an executive power grab, Schumer said from the floor of the Senate on Thursday.
Though the “bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse”, he said. “Allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option.”
Schumer said a shutdown could give Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) the chance to speed up their cost-cutting frenzy with fewer checks on their power.
“First, a shutdown would give Donald Trump and Elon Musk carte blanche to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now,” the Senate minority leader said.
“Under a shutdown, the Trump administration would have full authority to deem whole agencies, programmes and personnel non-essential, furloughing staff with no promise they would ever be rehired. The decision on what is essential would be solely left to the executive branch with nobody left at the agencies to check them.”
Congressional Democrats have spent several days behind closed doors strategising. On Wednesday, Senate Democrats, led by Schumer, had ruled out supporting the Republican bill, known as a continuing resolution.
Though Republicans control the Senate, they lack the “supermajority” necessary to overcome a filibuster attempt. At least seven Democrats would need to help Republicans pave the way to pass the bill, which cleared the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Schumer’s backing will probably encourage other Democratic senators to support the stop-gap measure, but it was not immediately clear if enough would agree to do so.
Trump said he would blame Democrats for any shutdown: “If they shut down, it’s not the Republicans’ fault” and “there’s something wrong with them. They’re deranged,” he said in the Oval Office on Thursday. He also offered Republicans his help, saying “if they need me, I’m here”.
Earlier on Thursday, Arizona senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, both Democrats, said they would vote against bringing the bill to a vote, also citing the potential for Trump and Musk to take advantage of the situation.
Democratic Senator John Fetterman said he would vote for the House bill, while Republican Senator Rand Paul indicated he would oppose it.
The House bill would extend funding at current levels until September 30, cutting some non-defence spending, while boosting it in defence and immigration enforcement.
Without a funding measure, the government would shut down at 12.01am on Saturday. “Non-essential” functions would be suspended, including national parks, environmental and food inspections and the Internal Revenue Service. Hundreds of thousands of workers could be furloughed.
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