Special Poll
Ten Senate Democrats sided with the Republican majority on Friday to advance a stopgap spending bill, ensuring that the government remains funded and avoiding a shutdown. The decision has sparked controversy within the Democratic Party, particularly among House leadership, who were pushing for a shutdown to protest President Trump and Elon Musk’s broad federal spending cuts.
The key vote was 62-38, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) as the only Republican opposing the measure. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) played a pivotal role in securing Democratic support for the bill, despite intense criticism from his own party. He did, however, negotiate a vote to protect Washington, D.C.’s budget from a $1 billion cut included in the House version of the bill.
After days of closed-door meetings and threats of a shutdown, Schumer announced Thursday that he would vote in favor of the bill, effectively allowing Republicans to move it forward. Although progressives in the House were vocally opposed, Schumer gathered enough support from moderates, Democratic leadership, and retiring senators to ensure passage. Among the Democrats who voted with him were Richard Durbin (Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), John Fetterman (Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), and Brian Schatz (Hawaii). Independent Sen. Angus King (Maine), who caucuses with Democrats, also supported the measure.
Cortez Masto defended her vote, arguing that a government shutdown would give Trump and Musk too much power to decide which agencies to close, potentially harming the economy. She stated, “I’m not going to exacerbate that.”
The Senate is expected to vote on the final passage of the bill later on Friday, following an agreement that allowed votes on three Democratic amendments and one from Paul, though all are likely to fail. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) helped expedite the process by allowing the amendments to be considered.
Trump praised Schumer’s decision on Truth Social, calling it a “really good and smart move” and stating that it took “guts and courage.”
The bill largely maintains 2024 spending levels through the end of September, with some additional funding for defense and nearly $500 million allocated to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It narrowly passed in the House earlier in the week, with all Republicans except Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) supporting it and all Democrats except Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) voting against it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) managed to push the bill through the House despite facing skepticism from conservative members. His success left Senate Democrats with a difficult choice: either join Republicans in passing the measure or risk being blamed for shutting down the government.