The Democrats now appear to be in even more disarray as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for his Thursday announcement that he will be voting against a government shutdown.
The current congressional authorization to fund the federal government ends at midnight on Friday.
On Tuesday, the Republican-led House voted to extend appropriations through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. All but one Democrat opposed it. The continuing resolution, or CR, was then sent to the Senate for passage.
The Republicans control that chamber 53 to 47, but GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he will not be voting for the resolution, saying it keeps spending levels too high, given the nearly $2 trillion deficit estimated for this year.
Republicans, therefore, needed at least eight Democratic senators to back the bill to overcome a filibuster. So far, only Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman said he would be one of them.
On Friday, Schumer joined Fetterman, along with eight of their Democratic colleagues, to advance the CR in a 62-to-38 vote, Politico reported. The bill now needs just a majority vote to pass and go to Trump’s desk.
Earlier in the week, Schumer said he would not be voting for the CR, meaning most, if not all, of the rest of his caucus would likely follow suit.
But on Thursday night, the minority leader changed his tune, announcing from the Senate floor, “It’s a Hobson’s choice: Either proceed with the bill before us, or risk Donald Trump throwing America into the chaos of a shutdown.”
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“While the CR bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse,” he argued.
“I believe allowing Donald Trump to take even more — much more power — via a government shutdown is a far worse option.”
🚨 THERE IT IS: Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) caves after threatening a shutdown.
“While the bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse.”
“Let me be clear about one thing: nobody on my side of the aisle wants a… pic.twitter.com/CIY3tdSzvK
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 13, 2025
The only federal employees who work during a shutdown are those deemed “essential.” So Schumer is clearly worried that Trump would use the period of the shutdown, however long it is, to permanently let go even more federal government employees through his Department of Government Efficiency being led by Elon Musk.
The reasoning would be, “After all, if they are not essential, how important can they be?” Likely, a federal judge would have a harder time reversing the president’s decision, given he, as the chief executive, must manage the executive branch using limited funding until the full reopening of the government is authorized.
Schumer made a political calculation and decided that voting for the CR was the better option.
Pelosi did not see it that way.
She posted on X, “Donald Trump and Elon Musk have offered the Congress a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check that makes a devastating assault on the well-being of working families across America.
“Let’s be clear: neither is a good option for the American people. But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable,” Pelosi added.
That slam was aimed at Schumer.
The former speaker then offered her alternative: “Democratic senators should listen to the women. Appropriations leaders [Rep.] Rosa DeLauro and [Sen.] Patty Murray 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.”
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have offered the Congress a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check that makes a devastating assault on the well-being of working families across America.
Let’s be clear: neither is a good option for the American people. But this…
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) March 14, 2025
An NBC News correspondent called the break between Schumer and Pelosi an “extraordinary moment” in a post on X.
“Nancy Pelosi issues a statement calling on Democratic senators to reject the House funding bill, i.e. to defy Chuck Schumer,” he explained.
On Friday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would not say whether he has confidence in Schumer’s leadership.
REPORTER: “You have dodged, multiple times, questions about whether you have confidence right now in Chuck Schumer…None of you are willing to say at this point that you have confidence and Chuck Schumer as leader?!”
JEFFRIES: “You keep engaging in these parlor games…”… pic.twitter.com/jNtWdDo0wf
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 14, 2025
Pelosi and Schumer used to be peas in a pod in their united opposition to Trump, even bragging about “setting him up” during his first term to take responsibility for a government shutdown.
🚨CHUCK SCHUMER ADMITTED HE “SET UP” TRUMP TO “OWN” GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN PAST NEGOTIATION🚨
“We sort of set him up instinctively…It was about the government shutdown…She set him up so I could go in for the kill!”
“I said, Mr. President, will you own the shutdown? [He… pic.twitter.com/B20yntunXJ
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 13, 2025
Such is no longer the case. Trump’s return to Washington and the Republicans’ return to power in both chambers of Congress have left the Democrats in disarray, and the chaos on their side only seems to be increasing.
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