Senate Democrats are unhappy with the House-passed six-month funding bill, but they know rejecting it could lead to a prolonged government shutdown. With limited leverage and no clear alternative, many Democrats are signaling they will reluctantly vote to keep the government open.
Key Facts:
- The House passed a six-month government funding bill (217-213), with only one Democrat voting in favor.
- The bill increases defense spending by $6 billion, boosts border security, and cuts $13 billion from nondefense programs.
- Senate Republicans hold 53 seats and need at least eight Democratic votes to overcome a filibuster.
- Senate Democrats debated their response behind closed doors, with many concerned about being blamed for a shutdown.
- Government funding is set to expire at 12 a.m. Saturday if no deal is reached.
The Rest of The Story:
Senate Democrats are divided on how to respond to the House bill, with some calling it a “horrible” piece of legislation while others stress the necessity of avoiding a shutdown.
Remember a shutdown is very serious business. Here is a supercut of every Democrat telling you how catastrophic it would be to shut down the government.
It would be irresponsible. Remember that when they try to do it. pic.twitter.com/SFajgMq8ex
— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) March 12, 2025
Centrist Democrats and those in swing states worry that rejecting the bill would lead to chaos, with no clear strategy to reopen the government.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) made it clear he won’t support a shutdown, warning that Democrats would bear the political consequences.
“For me, if the Democrats think that they want to burn the village down to save it, that’s terrible optics and that’s going to have serious impacts for millions and millions of people,” he told The Hill. “I’m never going to vote for that kind of chaos.”
Meanwhile, independent Sen. Angus King raised concerns about Elon Musk’s influence, suggesting he could use a shutdown to force government downsizing.
While Senate Republicans are working hard to prevent a government shutdown, it will ultimately be up to Senate Democrats to decide whether or not they turn out the lights on the federal government. pic.twitter.com/1o93QAZRgu
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) March 11, 2025
Despite internal disagreements, Senate Democrats understand they have no plan.
The House is out of session for the rest of the week, leaving little room for further negotiation.
Commentary:
Democrats find themselves in catch-22 position.
They despise the House GOP’s bill but lack the votes or strategy to push through an alternative.
With time running out, their only real choice is to pass the stopgap measure and attempt to regroup later.
The reality is that Senate Democrats have no leader capable of uniting them against this bill.
Chuck Schumer’s silence speaks volumes—without a unified message, Democrats will be held responsible for a government shutdown.
That’s a political disaster they can’t afford, especially with a broad government audit underway via DOGE, which most Americans support.
One source told The Hill, “The CR is a terrible bill … but a shutdown has terrible consequences. Elon Musk is trying to shut down the government. If we shut down the government, it takes the blame away from him and it puts the blame on us for chaos and confusion.”
A government shutdown would also play directly into Republican hands.
The GOP holds the House and Senate, and Democrats have no viable path to push their own spending priorities.
If they block the bill, they’ll be accused of causing the shutdown for no reason other than partisan obstruction.
Swing-state Democrats know this, which is why many are expected to cave.
With an election cycle around the corner, few will want to go on record as shutting down the government, especially when Republicans have framed this bill as a necessary step toward fiscal responsibility.
This is not the hill Democrats will die on.
The Bottom Line:
Senate Democrats dislike the House GOP’s funding bill, but they have no real alternative.
With the risk of a prolonged government shutdown and no clear strategy to reopen it, they’re left with little choice but to pass the measure.
Blocking it would hand Republicans an easy political victory while leaving Democrats with the blame.
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