Senate Democrats Threaten To Plunge Country Into Partial Government Shutdown

Senate Democrats are threatening to plunge the federal government into a partial government shutdown rather than supply enough votes to pass the GOP spending bill under consideration by the upper chamber.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon that Democrats will oppose the GOP government funding bill and signaled that he will not let members of his conference vote with Senate Republicans to break the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster. The government is scheduled to undergo a partial shutdown on Friday after midnight absent at least eight Senate Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in passing the House GOP stopgap spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR). (RELATED: Where Are They Now? The Left’s Darling Cable Stars Fade Into Obscurity During Trump 2.0)

Funding the government should be a bipartisan effort.

But Republicans chose a partisan path, drafting their Continuing Resolution without any input from Congressional Democrats.

Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to pass the House CR.

Our caucus…

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 12, 2025

Just one Senate Democrat, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, has committed to vote “yes” on the CR, citing the need to avoid a partial government shutdown. Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul opposes the current version of the stopgap spending bill that funds the government through the end of September due to the CR largely continuing Biden-era spending levels and failing to incorporate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts.

Before Schumer’s announcement, Senate Democrats appeared to be actively struggling about whether they would support the House CR or be willing to plunge the country into a partial government shutdown when questioned by the Daily Caller News Foundation Wednesday.

Senate Democrats’ varied responses over how to proceed in the government funding fight comes as their approval rating nears record lows, incumbent members run for the exit rather than run for reelection and the party’s base and House progressives demand opposition to the bill.

Democratic Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper said Wednesday he was exasperated with his two choices, telling reporters he was mulling over the decision late into the evening.

“This is probably the most frustrating issue that I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Hickenlooper, who was elected to the upper chamber in 2021, told the DCNF. “It’s an awful choice,” Hickenlooper continued, framing his decision around congressional Democrats’ failed attempt to handicap President Trump’s ability to spend money in a government funding bill.

“On one hand if you support it, there are no instructions, so you’re allowing the president to run willy-nilly and cut funding however he wants,” Hickenlooper continued. “But if you shut down the government, you’re allowing him — he will decide the safeguards what gets reopened and what doesn’t get reopened and who knows how long he’ll want to keep the government shut down so he has total control.”

Democratic New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim told the DCNF he was looking for unity among Senate Democrats and declined to share how he planned to vote.

Other Democrats continued to spread misinformation about the bill despite Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, the lone House Democrat who supported the CR, calling out his Democratic colleagues for misrepresenting the bill’s provisions Tuesday.

“Ultimately Republicans wrote a partisan budget that sets up slush funds for president Trump and robs from some of the most needy people in the country,” Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, who committed to vote “no” on the CR, told the DCNF.

“These guys are in the process of tearing up vital services for veterans and kids and the like,” Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden told the DCNF. “And I sure am not going to do anything to help them out.” Wyden, however, did not rule out voting for the CR.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker refrained from stating his position on the CR, calling the DCNF a “gossip column” in response.

Senate Republicans are eager to ding their Democratic colleagues for potentially using the filibuster they tried to kill during the last Congress to tank the CR and plunge the country into a partial government shutdown.

“Senate Democrats have a decision to make,” Republican Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin posted on X Wednesday. “Will it be a Schumer Shutdown?”

“The Democrats have used the filibuster three times this year already, despite arguing for its elimination as recently as a few months ago,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday during the Senate GOP leadership press conference. “I think the American people are going to be interested to see whether the Democrats are going to filibuster – and, by filibustering, shut down the federal government. It is on them if this happens.”

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

Speaker Mike Johnson successfully steered the Trump-backed CR through the House largely along party lines Tuesday evening with Republican Kentucky Thomas Massie the lone GOP lawmaker to oppose the spending bill.

Andi Napier and Myles Morell contributed to reporting.

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