In a surprising turn of events, Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer, who faced severe criticism from his party earlier this year for siding with Republicans to keep the government running, has now expressed his willingness to risk a government shutdown by the end of the month if Republican demands are not met.
Schumer, along with House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries, has taken a firm stance against any legislation that does not include crucial health care provisions and a promise not to revoke them.
Schumer argues that the nation's circumstances have significantly changed since March, when he was a vocal opponent of a shutdown. He believes that if Republicans and President Donald Trump fail to negotiate a bipartisan deal, they will bear the brunt of the blame.
"Things have changed" since the March vote, Schumer told The Associated Press. He pointed out that Republicans have since passed Trump's extensive tax cuts and spending reduction legislation, which has led to cuts in Medicaid and other government programs.
Democrats, he says, are now unified in their stance, unlike in March when he voted with Republicans and Jeffries voted against the legislation to fund the government.
Schumer's threat comes at a time when Republicans are contemplating a short-term stopgap spending measure to prevent a shutdown on September 30. Democrats are faced with two difficult choices if a deal cannot be reached: vote with Republicans to keep the government open or let it close indefinitely without a clear exit strategy.
According to The Associated Press, the situation is further complicated by escalating partisan tensions in the Senate. Negotiations between the two parties over the confirmation process collapsed for the second time on Thursday, and Republicans are altering Senate rules to bypass Democrat objections.
Democrats are also outraged over the Trump administration's decision to unilaterally retract $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid just as negotiations over the spending deadline were commencing in late August.
Republicans argue that Democrats will undoubtedly be held accountable if they do not vote to keep the government open. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly stated that Schumer needs to present them with a specific proposal on health care, including an extension of expanded government tax credits for many Americans who obtain their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
Some Republicans are open to extending these credits before they expire at the end of the year.
However, Democrats' demand that Republicans reverse the Medicaid cuts enacted in their tax breaks and spending cuts legislation this summer, which Trump referred to as his "big, beautiful bill," seems less likely to be met.
Schumer stated that Democrats also want Republicans to assure that the White House won't retract money they have negotiated and Congress has approved after Republicans pushed through a $9 billion cut requested by the White House in July and Trump blocked additional foreign aid money in August. "How do you pass an appropriations bill and let them undo it down the road?" Schumer questioned.
Schumer's decision to support the spending legislation in March put him in the unusual position of going against his party's base. He argued then that of two bad options, a partial government shutdown was worse because it would give Trump even more control to shut down agencies and there would be "no off-ramp" to get out of it. "I think people realize it's a tough choice," he said.
His vote sparked a massive backlash within the party, with some activists calling for his resignation. Jeffries temporarily distanced himself from his New York colleague, stating immediately after Schumer's vote that House Democrats "will not be complicit." The majority of Senate Democrats also voted against the plan.
This time, however, Schumer is in complete agreement with Jeffries and is consistent in his messaging within his caucus. During Democrats' closed-door lunch on Wednesday, he shared polling data that he said suggested most Americans would blame Trump, not Democrats, for a shutdown. "I did what I thought was right" in March, Schumer said. "It's a different situation now than then."
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