Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has decided to back the Republican-sponsored spending bill as a means to prevent a federal government shutdown. His stance has changed because he now supports a Republican-sponsored spending bill despite condemning its partisan approach and Democratic exclusion in previous statements.
The continuing resolution proposal seeks to sustain federal government operations by directing military budgets upward by $6 billion while lowering expenses for non-defense programs by $13 billion. The financial measure contains a large reimbursement increase for junior military troops as well as enhanced funding for air traffic control systems. The bill plans to reduce $1 billion from District of Columbia finances and eliminate $2 billion from funding local transportation safety programs.
The support for this bill by Schumer emerges from his goal to stop the impending government shutdown since he predicts Trump supporters would gain more power in case the shutdown happens. The lack of government funding worried Schumer because it would grant Trump along with his allies opportunities to carry out substantial cuts such as mass dismissals and deportations by presenting them as efficiency-improving moves.
The Democratic Party members exhibit different viewpoints regarding this recent action. Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez denounced Schumer's approach by criticizing it as a violation of party values. She emphasized that Democrats should combat any partisan bills which both weaken diplomatic agreements and push Democratic policy needs into the background.
The federal government will shut down at midnight on Friday unless House Democrats support passing the spending bill by its upcoming deadline. A Republican Senate majority needs Democratic votes to reach the required 60 votes which will enable passing of the resolution. The House of Representatives has completed their approval of the bill thus compelling Senate Democrats to secure prompt action to stop a government shutdown before midnight.
The Democratic caucus now confronts difficult choices regarding the upcoming vote because they must decide between backing the bill to maintain government operations or opposing its measures because they disapprove. The support shown by Schumer towards the bill demonstrates the intricate politics of governance that sometimes requires compromising specific provisions in order to maintain political stability.