Schumer-Led Group Helps Avert Government Shutdown

Ten Senate Democrats broke ranks on Friday to vote with Republicans and pass a six-month funding bill, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown.

The senators argued that a shutdown would only strengthen Trump’s position. I Photo: United States Senate

The move, which came just hours before the deadline, exposed divisions among Democrats over how to challenge President Donald Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress, Time's Nik Popli reported.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) were among the first Democrats to back the GOP’s funding proposal.

They argued that a shutdown would only strengthen Trump’s position. They were joined by six more Democrats—Dick Durbin (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)—along with Angus King (I-ME), who caucuses with the Democrats.

“This was not an easy decision,” said Cortez Masto, whose state Trump won in 2024.

“I’m outraged by the reckless actions of President Trump, Elon Musk, and the GOP-controlled Congress, but I refuse to hand them a shutdown that would allow them to create even more chaos.”

For many Democrats, opposition to the bill was about more than just spending priorities.

The legislation removed several funding directives, effectively granting Trump greater authority to reallocate federal funds without judicial oversight. The spending package, which had already passed the House, was presented to the Senate as a take-it-or-leave-it deal.

The final vote was 62-38, with 37 Democrats opposing the bill. The only Republican to vote against it was Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who argued the bill should include Trump’s proposed cuts to foreign aid.