Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has faced significant pushback from within his own party since announcing that he would reluctantly vote in favor of a stopgap funding bill advanced by the Republican-led House of Representatives.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) addressed the matter without directly mentioning Schumer’s name, as The Hill reported:
“Democratic senators should listen to the women,” Pelosi said. “Appropriations leaders [Rep.] Rosa DeLauro [D-Conn.] and [Sen.] Patty Murray [D-Wash.] have eloquently presented the case that we must have a better choice: a four-week funding extension to keep government open and negotiate a bipartisan agreement.”
“America has experienced a Trump shutdown before – but this damaging legislation only makes matters worse. Democrats must not buy into this false choice. We must fight back for a better way. Listen to the women, For The People,” Pelosi said.
ADVERTISEMENTThe statement comes a day after Schumer announced that he would vote to advance the House GOP-drafted stopgap bill to fund the government until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, averting a government shutdown that would start early Saturday morning. Senate Republicans need at least eight Democrats to vote with them to advance the measure.
A number of other lawmakers signed a letter urging him to oppose the legislation:
The voices of the American people must be heard. Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats must reject Republicans' dangerous government funding bill. pic.twitter.com/2MpbIax2do
— Rep. Betty McCollum (@BettyMcCollum04) March 14, 2025
Here’s a full transcript of the letter above:
As members of the House Committee on Appropriations, we urge our Democratic colleagues in the Senate to reject the partisan and harmful continuing resolution that will only serve to enable President Trump, Elon Musk, and the Republican Party’s ongoing efforts to unilaterally and unlawfully destroy the agencies and programs that serve the American people.
The American people are outraged as they witness the shocking and appalling consequences of the Trump Administration’s actions across the country, and they do not share the Administration’s viewpoint that Elon Musk and President Trump have the ability to steal funds appropriated by Congress in law, dismantle agencies created by Congress, and fire civil servants without cause. This bill does nothing to drive down the cost of living and fails to recognize the struggles of American families and businesses.
House Republicans openly admitted in interviews and on social media that they supported this continuing resolution because they expect President Trump to break the law and continue his pillaging of our government; 212 House Democrats voted against this continuing resolution for the same exact reason. We cannot acquiesce to Republicans’ lawless destruction of our government, and we cannot forfeit Congress’s Constitutional authority to dictate federal spending.
Article I of the United States Constitution is clear: Appropriations or the “power of the purse” is exclusively the prerogative of Congress. The Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Government Accountability Office have reiterated and affirmed this fact throughout our nation’s history. But the Trump Administration has explicitly, by their own admission, chosen to break the law and undermine the Constitution, because they believe the executive has the sole authority to dictate federal spending.
Congressional Democrats must defend the rights and powers of the offices we were elected to hold. Congressional Democrats must fight for our constituents and for the American people against a White House that sees itself as above the law. We urge all Senate Democrats to stand with House Democrats and with the American people, reject this continuing resolution, and force House and Senate Republicans back to the negotiating table so we can pass full-year funding bills that shield our investments in the American people from the Trump Administration.
Celebrities couldn’t resist the opportunity to roast Schumer for his rare show of bipartisanship.
Per Breitbart:
“Hey @schumer.senate.gov, when’s your next town hall? The people you betrayed would like to have a word,” The West Wing and The Handmaid’s Tale star Bradley Whitford said on Thursday, just after Schumer flip-flopped, initially saying just a day earlier that Democrats would oppose the continuing resolution to fund the government at current levels.
“What the fuck, Chuck,” said Star Wars star Mark Hamill.
“He’s bought. He’s gotta go,” Scream 7 star Ethan Embry said on Bluesky. “What’s happening right now to this country has no effect on him whatsoever. He doesn’t give a fuck.”
Here’s some additional coverage of the latest developments in the Senate:
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