Congressional leaders intensified rhetoric on Wednesday over the impending government shutdown, with just two days remaining before federal funding expires at midnight on Friday.
What Happened: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) declared that Democrats are unified behind a “clean 30-day CR” while rejecting the House-passed Republican funding bill.
“Republicans chose a partisan path, drafting their Continuing Resolution without any input from Congressional Democrats,” Schumer wrote on X. “Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to pass the House CR.”
Republican senators immediately blamed Democrats for the impasse. “We are now two days away from a government shutdown, and Senate Democrats are refusing to allow a CR to come for a vote,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) stated. “If the government shuts down on Friday, that will be the Democrats’ fault, not Republicans.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) countered House Speaker Mike Johnson‘s (R-La.) accusations, writing, “Republicans run the House, the Senate, and the White House. If you have the votes, then go ahead. If you need Democrats, then you need to negotiate with Democrats.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) accused Democrats of hypocrisy: “After claiming to have concern for the federal workers that depend on government funding, more than 200 House Democrats voted for a government shutdown.”
Why It Matters: The legislation would fund the government through Sep. 30, increase military funding by $6 billion, and reduce overall expenditures slightly.
Democrats oppose the measure, citing concerns about cuts to non-defense programs. Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) criticized “the Republican proposal that slashes veterans’ benefits and cuts healthcare.”
Democrats prefer a temporary funding extension through Apr. 11, while Republicans push for their longer-term solution. With the Senate requiring bipartisan support to overcome a filibuster, thousands of federal workers face potential furloughs unless lawmakers reach a compromise before Friday’s deadline.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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