Senate

Schumer: Senate Dems broadly opposed to House funding bill

by Jordain Carney - 01/17/18 3:22 PM ET

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is warning that Democrats are widely opposed to the current House plan to fund the government, but he stopped short of saying his caucus would withhold help on getting to 60 votes.

“The revulsion toward that bill was broad and strong. … We hope to avoid [a shutdown] … but if we don’t, it’s going to fall on their backs,” Schumer told reporters, referring to Republicans and the White House, when asked how many Democratic senators would oppose the House plan.

He added that “the overwhelming number in our caucus have said they don’t like this deal … so there’s very, very strong support to not go along with their deal.”

{mosads}Congress has until the end of Friday to pass a stopgap measure to prevent a shutdown. House Republicans are pitching a plan that would keep the government running through mid-February. That plan is expected to include a six-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Now that GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) has said he’ll oppose the short-term House measure, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will need at least 10 Democratic votes to overcome a filibuster and pass the funding bill.

Several progressive senators have drawn a hard line on the government funding talks. But Senate GOP leadership is betting that the 10 Democratic senators up for reelection in states won by President Trump will be reluctant to vote to shut down the government over immigration.

“I find it difficult to believe that my Democratic colleagues would want to shut down the government for American citizens and vote down a six-year reauthorization of health insurance for American children all over illegal immigration,” McConnell said on Wednesday.

Democrats discussed their shutdown strategy during a closed-door caucus lunch on Wednesday.

“A handful stood up and said, ‘We’re going to vote against the [continuing resolution].’ Another one or two said ‘not sure.’ No one stood up and said they had to vote for the CR,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters, asked about the discussion.

He added that Schumer “has been very open about this and he knows that each senator is going through a thought process. … How they would explain their vote, what their position is going to be. And he’s given them lots of room.”

Tags Chuck Schumer Dick Durbin Donald Trump Lindsey Graham Mitch McConnell