Minority leader Chak Shumar took his decision to support a Republican short -term funding bill on Friday morning on the Senate floor, which would effectively help avoid a government shutdown at the end of the day.
His amazing upset, first announced on Thursday evening – when he said he and the Democrat would try to block the bill – this means that a few hours before the shutdown deadline, there will be almost certainly sufficient democratic votes to carry forward the measure of the final Senate vote on Friday a few hours before the shutdown deadline.
Shumor said on Friday, “As everyone knows, the government funding is ending at midnight tonight. As I announced tomorrow, I will vote to keep the government open. I believe this is the best way to reduce the loss that the Trump administration will do to American people.”
He said that he believes that short-term funding bill-or constant resolution-a “bad bill”, but he believed that if the government had to shut down, it would be a very bad result for the country.
“CR is a bad bill. But the worse CR is, I believe that it is a very bad option to allow Donald Trump to take even more power through the government shutdown,” Shumor said.
Senate minority leaders speak with Chak Shumar reporters as Republicans work to pass an interim spending bill that avoids a partial government shutdown and keeps funded federal agencies funded through September at Capital in Washington on March 11, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Shumor said that he believes that a government shutdown would mean that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and his Government Efficiency Department (DOGE) will have “more rights to destroy important government services at a very fast rate”.
He said that he would also have the power to determine which federal employees are considered necessary – probably to give them more power to shut down more government workers and shutter federal agencies.
He said, “A shutdown will allow Dogi to be transferred to the overdrive. Let me repeat, a shutdown will allow Dogi to be transferred to the overdrive. It will give Donald to Trump and will give the city, state and country keys,” he said. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk will be free to destroy important government services at a very fast rate, as they are now and more than a broader area of destruction they will present.”
He said, “In a shutdown, Donald Trump and Dogge will have the power to determine what is considered necessary and what is not necessary and what is not necessary, their thoughts will be meaning more vicious and will reduce vicious services and cause unimaginable damage to American people.”
“Musk has told everyone that he wants a shutdown because he knows that it will help the federal government to achieve his terrible goal of separating it from one end. In other words, if the government had to shut down, Dogo plans to take advantage of the crisis for maximum destruction,” Shumar said.
He said, “A shutdown would be the best distraction that may ask for Donald Trump,” he said.
Shumar also defended some of his Senate Democratic colleagues, who have come in opposition to the short -term funding bill. He accepted the difficult decisions that he had to weigh as a cocks.
“Our Caucas members are torn between two terrible options and my colleagues and I wrestled which options would be worse for American people.”
He said that just because some of his colleagues will not vote on extending the short -term funding bill, this does not mean that they support the government shutdown.
He said, “Different senators fall on different aspects of this question. But this does not mean that any Senate Democrat supports a shutdown. Whatever the result, our Cocks will unite our determination to continue the long-term fight to stop the dangerous war of Donald Trump on our democracy and America’s working families.”
President Donald Trump talks to Press as he meets NATO General Secretary Mark Rute at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on 13 March 2025.
Pool through AP
When Shoomar was speaking, about the time, Trump praised him in a post on his social media platform, saying that it took “courage” to indicate his support for the GOP bill for a New York Senator.
Trump posted Trump on social, “Congratulations to Chak Shumar to Chak Shumar to do the right thing -” Dare “and Dare! Big Tax Cuts, La Fire Fix, Date Ceiling Bill, and more are coming.”
“We all must work together on that very dangerous situation. A non -pass will be a country destroyer, approval will take us to new heights. Again, by Senator Shumar, really good and smart step. It can be something big for USA, a full new direction and beginning,” wrote by Trump.
Former speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to remove himself from Shumar’s decision, slammed the Democrats supporting the house GOP bill.
“The US has experienced the first Trump shutdown – but this harmful law only makes cases worse. Democrats should not buy this false choice. We should fight back better. Listen to women, listen to people,” they said in a statement on Friday.
At the same time, Palosi appreciated the house Democrats unanimously for the vote against the remedy.
He said, “I salute the leader Hakim Jeffrees for the courageous rejection of this false choice, and I am proud of my colleagues in House Democratic Cocks for my heavy vote against this bill.”
ABC News’ Isabella Murray contributed to this report.
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