Senate Democrats voted overwhelmingly with Republicans on Tuesday to advance a House-passed spending measure that’s part of the annual budget, even as Democratic leaders threaten a government shutdown later this year.
The procedural hurdle required 60 votes and cleared 90-8. The vote presented Democrats with their latest test on whether to side with Republicans amid attempts to block more party-line efforts by the GOP to claw back funding Congress previously approved.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said his caucus was willing to advance the funding measure primarily for the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction because of its bipartisanship, the opportunity for amendments, and its reversal of some recent DOGE cuts to the agency.
“You can’t say you want a bipartisan process… and at the same time put rescissions on the floor, which is the antithesis of bipartisanship,” Schumer told reporters.
Seven Democrats and one Republican, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), voted “no.”
Despite Tuesday’s successful vote, Senate Democrats remain at a crossroads in the wake of a Republican-controlled Congress clawing back $9 billion in DOGE-inspired cuts from foreign aid and public broadcast funding passed into law with bipartisan support. Schumer huddled later that evening with Democratic leaders from both chambers, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), to plot a strategy going forward.
Afterward, Schumer declined to entertain a scenario in which congressional Republicans present a partisan year-long funding bill later this summer that continues spending at its current levels, similar to a short-term measure they presented and Schumer ultimately voted for to avert a shutdown. Schumer drew scorn for the vote and faced resignation calls from the party’s progressive base.
“We are for a bipartisan, bicameral bill. That’s what always has been done,” Schumer told reporters. “The onus is on the Republicans to help us make that happen by having a budget where they can negotiate with their colleagues and Democratic colleagues in the House, and by not doing rescissions, pocket rescissions, [and] impoundment.”
Congress is up against a Sept. 30 deadline, the end of fiscal 2025, to pass more government funding or face a shutdown. Lawmakers have only a couple of dozen legislative working days remaining. House Republicans, paralyzed by internal fighting over the Jeffrey Epstein files, will embark early for a lengthy summer recess later this week after canceling votes on Thursday. The lower chamber won’t return until Sept. 2.
Senate Democrats emerged mostly tight-lipped from a closed-door meeting Tuesday hours before the funding vote. Others underscored the need for Republican guarantees not to advance more rescissions packages, even as GOP lawmakers expressed a desire to do so.
“I just don’t think that’s an unreasonable request,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA). “There are assurances we can be given that will make me confident. As of right now, I’m not confident at all.”
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Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), an across-the-aisle deal-maker, said he “100%” wants to see another rescission request from the White House this year so long as it doesn’t ask Congress to take back money that was “foundational to acquire year-end spending agreements.”
“It was deeply disappointing to hear the Democratic leader threaten to shut down the government if Republicans dared to pass legislation to trim just one-tenth of 1% of the federal budget,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said this week, referencing the $9 billion DOGE-inspired rescission. “But I’m hopeful that that is not the position of the Democratic Party. Time will tell.”
