Senate Democrats followed through on their threat to block a sweeping government funding package, but the effort succeeded only after several Senate Republicans unexpectedly joined them to derail the legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and his caucus had openly warned for days that they would obstruct the funding process unless Republicans removed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding from the six-bill package.
What caught Senate leadership off guard was the defection of seven Republicans who joined Democrats to block the bill on Thursday.
Those GOP senators were:
- Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC)
- Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)
- Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
- Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL)
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
- Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL)
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
Senate Democrats said they would support the remaining five bills in the package.
They argued that those measures could pass immediately if brought to the floor.
“Democrats are ready to avert a shutdown,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“We have five bills we all agree on.
“About 95% of the remaining budget.
“It is ready to go,” Murray added.
“We can pass those five bills, no problem.”
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) pressed ahead with a procedural vote that would have opened debate and set up final passage of the full package, sending it to President Donald Trump.
Ahead of the vote, Thune said he hoped discussions between the White House and Senate Democrats would yield “the votes that are necessary to get it passed.”
He also rejected Democrat demands to insert immigration enforcement changes into the funding bill.
“That’s not going to happen in this bill,” Thune said.
“There’s a path to consider some of those things and negotiate that out between Republicans, Democrats, House, Senate, White House.
“But that’s not gonna happen in this bill.”
With the six-bill package, which included major funding measures for the Pentagon and other federal agencies, now stalled, Senate Republicans and the White House are scrambling for a fallback plan to keep the government open or limit the fallout from a partial shutdown.
One option gaining traction among Republicans would split the package, advancing the five non-DHS bills while passing a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to fund Homeland Security separately.
Discussions on that approach are ongoing between Senate Democrats and the White House.
A White House official said in a statement that the administration is working to avoid a shutdown.
“President Trump has been consistent — he wants the government to remain open, and the Administration has been working with both parties to ensure the American people don’t have to endure another shutdown,” the official said.
“A shutdown would risk disaster response funding and more vital resources for the American people.”
That strategy faces significant obstacles, however, particularly with the House not scheduled to return until next week.
Any changes to the six-bill package, or a new DHS-only CR, would require House approval.
Schumer placed responsibility for a potential shutdown squarely on Thune, arguing that Democrats would immediately back the five-bill package if it were brought to the floor.
“If funding lapses, it’s all because of Leader Thune,” Schumer said.
“It’s on his back,” he claimed.
House Republicans have already signaled resistance to modifying the funding package.
Many remain opposed to using a continuing resolution, a move long viewed as a last resort.
A turn to a CR would also represent a sharp reversal for Senate Democrats.
Just last week, they claimed that a short-term DHS extension would amount to a “slush fund” for the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.
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