The Senate on Friday approved a Republican bill that funds federal agencies until September to avoid government shutdown hours before the late-night deadline after Democrats became lenient.
The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 54-46, overcoming sudden democratic opposition. On Saturday, Donald Trump signed it to the law, the White House said.
The results in furying democratic activists who accused Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer of wasting a small leverage that must ignore Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk, who are trying to dismantle the massive federal sash. But Schumer said that even worse outcomes could be achieved, which could allow Musk’s so-called “District of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) to “exploit the crisis for maximum destruction.”
Speaking to reporters before leaving Washington on Friday, Trump once again praised Schumer’s decision. “I think he did the right thing,” he said.
To beat the filibuster that requires 60 votes, 10 Senate Democrats joined almost every Republican, moving forward with a home-based fundraising bill. As part of the agreement to secure the necessary Democratic vote, the parties agreed to allow a series of amendments to the measure.
In a statement, Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat of Pennsylvania, said his vote should not be misleading support for what he called a “deeply flawed” spending bill.
“My yes vote for cloudure is 100% about refusing to close our government,” he said, referring to the procedural vote. “I will punish working families and refuse to disrupt millions of Americans or risk the recession.”
Schumer and Fetterman include Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Katherine Cortez Mast of Nevada, Gary Peters of Michigan, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Sen. New Hampshire, and both Sen. Maggie Hassan and Angus King Independen King.
Only King and Shaheen supported the bill in the final passage. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to oppose it.
“You don’t stop the bully by giving him lunch money, and you don’t stop the tyrant Trump by giving him more power,” said Oregon Sen. Jeff Markley.
“The Republican spending bill is Trump’s blank check, giving him an enormous flexibility to spend your taxes only in the programs he likes and the state he wants.”
The vote exposed the rift between Democrats and public in the House. There, all but one Democrats voted against the government’s funding bill. Until the time of the vote Friday evening, House Democrats were urging Senate counterparts to block bills that they feared would burn Trump and Musk’s overhaul.
Before Friday’s procedural vote, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the bill a “devastating attack on the well-being of working-class families.”
“Democratic senators should listen to women,” she said in a statement. “Approximately, appropriations leaders Rosa Delauro and Patty Murray eloquently presented the case that a better choice is needed: a four-week funding extension to keep the government open and negotiate bipartisan agreements. The US has previously experienced Trump shutdowns, but this damaging law only exacerbates the problem.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also denounced Schumer for the cave to the cave to Republican demands for the government’s fundraising bill, saying the move created a “deep sense of anger and betrayal” among Democrats.
Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries also condemned the spending bill, calling it an “attack on veterans, families, seniors and everyday Americans” in a statement released Friday evening.
“Our party is not a cult, we are a coalition. Sometimes we may strongly oppose certain courses of action,” the statement continued. “Constantly, Democrats across the country are determined to improve the lives of Americans on a daily basis and to stop the damage caused by Donald Trump, Elon Musk and House Republicans.”
Ocasio-Cortez said that House Democrats spoke with a reporter from Leesburg, Virginia, who gathered for their annual policy hideout, and that she mobilized Democrats to urge Schumer to oppose what was characterized as a “acquisition” of the GOP bill.
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“We have members of Congress who have walked the planks to protect Americans and won Trump-owned districts in some of the hardest territories in the United States that took countless risks,” she said. “Just seeing Senate Democrats consider signing up for Elon Musk, I think it’s a big slap in the face.”
According to CNN, Friday’s vote reportedly sparked such outrage among House Democrats, and therefore encouraged New York lawmakers to challenge Schumer for the Senate. When asked about these suggestions, Ocasio-Cortez declined to comment.
From the Senate floor, Schumer repeatedly supported the spending bill, warning that the government shutdown would mean Trump, Musk and Doge would free federal agencies to even more destructive cuts.
“Shutdown allows Doge to move to overdrive,” Schumer said. “It gives Donald Trump and Doge the key to cities, states and countries. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are free to destroy key government services at a much faster rate than they are now, and in the much broader disruption field they render.”
But the Federal Union Home Network, a group of federal employees opposed the administration’s campaign to dramatically reduce the government, opposed it, saying that the funding bill under consideration would make the situation worse.
“Again, Congress has failed to take responsibility for the American people,” spokesman Chris Druss said in a statement. “If passed, this CR will give Trump and Musk the power to complete an attack on federal workers.”
Earlier this week, Schumer threatened to withhold Democrats’ votes and instead considered Republicans to halt a 30-day funding halt, which would allow them more time for bipartisan negotiations.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson effectively forced Republicans to send members to the district after they advanced their spending bills Tuesday, and to accept the measure by risking passing or closing Senate Democrats. In a statement Friday, Johnson praised his caucus for sticking together, accusing Democrats of nearly causing a shutdown because they “appear to hate President Trump more than they love America.”
Democrats now have to compete with the fierce bases.
“It’s unacceptable that Donald Trump and Elon Musk will clear their path to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid,” said Joel Payne, a spokesman for Moveon, a progressive organization that claims about 10 million members across the country.
“It’s been a time since the Democrats fight and stop acting like business as usual.”
