Democrats in damage-control mode as Schumer shutdown approaches

The government is barreling toward a shutdown on Friday, and Democrats will have to shoulder the blame.

With the party in full panic mode, Democrats are trying to pull out all the stops to avoid a shutdown without giving Republicans a win.

House Republicans first passed their 99-page continuing resolution Tuesday evening in a near-party-line vote, marking another legislative victory in Louisiana Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s belt. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is also moving forward with the CR, but Democrats are digging their heels in.

Democrats are now in a nightmare scenario in which they have to choose between voting for the Trump-backed CR or shutting down the government.

“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,” Thune said.

“The House has done its job and passed a clean CR to fund the federal government,” Johnson said. “If Senate Democrats block an up-or-down vote on this, then it’s crystal clear: THEY want to shut down the government. Period. Full stop.”

The CR needs to pass the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to invoke cloture and proceed with the vote. Republicans have a 53-seat majority, but Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky vowed to vote against the CR, requiring at least eight Democrats to reach across the aisle to pass the funding bill.

‘I hope Senate Democrats understand there is nothing clever about setting up a fake failed 30 day CR first to turn around & vote for cloture on the GOP spending bill.’

Democrats are now in a nightmare scenario in which they have to choose between voting for the Trump-backed CR or shutting down the government.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has desperately tried to pin the blame on Republicans and offered up an alternative 30-day stopgap that several other Democrats have supported.

However, Schumer’s CR is essentially dead on arrival given Democrats’ electoral disadvantage in both the House and the Senate. Even if every single Democrat voted in favor of the resolution, it would not pass either the House or the Senate. Schumer’s proposed stopgap rather provides Democrats with the opportunity to say that they tried to course-correct before turning around and voting for the Republicans’ CR.

Republicans have now called Democrats’ bluff.

Schumer’s attempted off-ramp was not received well by prominent Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

“I hope Senate Democrats understand there is nothing clever about setting up a fake failed 30 day CR first to turn around & vote for cloture on the GOP spending bill,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Those games won’t fool anyone. It won’t trick voters, it won’t trick House members. People will not forget it.”

Republicans have now called Democrats’ bluff. Thune scheduled the cloture vote for Friday, forcing Democrats to decide if they will keep the government open just hours before the shutdown deadline. Although several Democrats are outwardly demanding a shutdown, we will have to wait and see if they ultimately fold.

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