The Senate passed a Republican-backed bill to fund the government, sending the measure to President Donald Trump’s desk ahead of a midnight funding deadline.
The bill, which would fund the government through Sept. 30, passed 54-46. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Angus King (I-ME) voted with the majority of Republicans to pass the bill. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the only Republican to vote against the bill over his long-standing concerns about growing the federal debt and deficit.
Senators were able to move toward a quick resolution after striking an agreement for votes on a variety of amendments. Earlier in the day, ten Democrats voted with the majority of Republicans to advance the stop-gap bill, highlighting deep divisions within the Democratic party over how to respond to Trump’s second term.
TEN SENATE DEMOCRATS IGNORE GROWING PARTY ANGER TO HELP ADVANCE TRUMP’S SPENDING BILL
The legislation will increase defense spending by $6 billion, boost border enforcement funding, and cut nondefense spending by $13 billion. Now that the government is funded until the fall, Republicans are free to focus on enacting Trump’s agenda, which includes extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Passage of the bill means that lawmakers won’t battle over funding the government again until the fall, clearing the way for Republicans to focus on enacting Trump’s agenda, such as funding border security and extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The House narrowly passed the bill on Tuesday by a vote of 217-213, with only one Democrat voting to support it. The lower chamber went on recess after passing the spending bill, effectively jamming the Senate on timing to prevent any changes against the backdrop of a looming shutdown.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY FRACTURES OVER TRUMP-BACKED BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Senate Democrats grappled for days over whether to support the GOP-led bill. Republicans control 53 Senate seats and needed Democratic support to lock in the 60 votes to defeat a filibuster. Senate Democrats who opposed the bill argued that helping advance the bill would give Trump and Elon Musk more power to continue slashing the federal government without oversight; however, those who voted in support argued that a shutdown would bring pain and disruption.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and his caucus huddled behind closed doors for days, grappling with what many called “two horrible choices”: voting for a bill they believe would permit serious cuts in funding to programs and caving to Republicans or being blamed for a government shutdown.
At one point, Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) urged their colleagues to pass a clean 30-day government funding patch instead of passing the House Republican plan.
The bill was in danger of failing, causing a government shutdown, until Thursday when Schumer announced on the Senate floor that he would vote to advance the bill. The New York senator argued that voting to keep the government open is “the best way to minimize harm,” warning that shutting down the government could backfire and empower Trump to dismantle more of the federal government.
WHY 10 SENATE DEMOCRATS SAY THEY SIDED WITH REPUBLICANS TO AVERT A SHUTDOWN
The move enraged fellow Democrats within the caucus and Democratic House leadership, who distanced themselves from the decision, exposing a major rift within the party. Outspoken progressives denounced the plan, accusing Senate Democrats of surrendering to Republicans and Trump while receiving nothing substantive in return.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also refused to answer questions about whether he had confidence in Schumer.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) took a victory lap following the passage of the bill on Friday night, commending fellow Republicans for standing together “to get the job done.”
“Republicans have again stood together to get the job done, this time to pass a CR that freezes spending and funds the government for the remainder of FY25,” Johnson said in a post on X.
“Shamefully, 99% of Democrats in Congress voted to SHUT DOWN the government—simply because they seem to hate President Trump more than they love America,” he added.
The legislation now heads to Trump’s desk for his signature.
