Things just got real for Democrats and their plan to leverage government funding into resistance against President Donald Trump and his policies.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Friday morning passed a bill to fund the government into November, strengthening their hand in the coming showdown over spending in the Senate
Now it will be up to Senate Democrats whether the bill goes to Trump’s desk or the government partially shuts down at the end of the month. Democrats proposed their own draft that would fund the government and also address the rising cost of health care, but it was immediately shot down by Republicans, ratcheting up fears the government will plunge into a shutdown. Both the House bill and the Democrats’ Senate bill failed in test votes on Friday afternoon.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has insisted Republicans negotiate on a funding plan that includes an extension of Obamacare health insurance subsidies set to expire in December and a rollback of Medicaid cuts enacted as part of Republicans’ tax cut bill this year.
He has also suggested that Democrats wouldn’t be blamed if there is a shutdown on Sept. 30, citing the GOP’s unwillingness to enter into bipartisan talks.
