Senate Works to Avert Partial Shutdown 03/14 06:11

   The Senate finds itself on Friday in a familiar position, working to avoid a 
partial government shutdown with just hours to spare as Democrats confront two 
painful options: allowing passage of a bill they believe gives President Donald 
Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or voting no and letting a funding 
lapse ensue.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate finds itself on Friday in a familiar position, 
working to avoid a partial government shutdown with just hours to spare as 
Democrats confront two painful options: allowing passage of a bill they believe 
gives President Donald Trump vast discretion on spending decisions or voting no 
and letting a funding lapse ensue.

   Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer gave members of his caucus days to 
vent their frustration about the options before them, but late Thursday made 
clear he will not allow a government shutdown. His move gives Democrats room to 
side with Republicans and allow the continuing resolution, often described as a 
CR, to come up for a vote as soon as Friday.

   A procedural vote Friday will provide a first test of whether the package 
has the 60 votes needed to advance, ahead of final voting likely later in the 
day. At least eight Democrats will need to join with Republicans to move the 
funding package forward.

   "While the CR still is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has 
consequences for America that are much, much worse," Schumer said.

   Congress has been unable to pass the annual appropriations bills designed to 
fund the government, so they've resorted to passing short-term extensions 
instead. The legislation before the Senate marks the third such continuing 
resolution for the current fiscal year, now nearly half over.

   The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of 
September. It would trim non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the 
previous year and increase defense spending by about $6 billion, which are 
marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 
trillion.

   The Republican-led House passed the spending bill on Tuesday and then 
adjourned. The move left senators with a decision to either take it or leave 
it. And while Democrats have been pushing for a vote on a fourth short-term 
extension, GOP leadership made clear that option was a non-starter.

   Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and others used their floor time 
Thursday to make the case that any blame for a shutdown would fall squarely on 
Democrats.

   "Democrats need to decide if they're going to support funding legislation 
that came over from the House, or if they're going to shut down the 
government," Thune said when opening the chamber.

   Progressive groups urged Democratic lawmakers to insist on the 30-day 
extension and oppose the spending bill, saying "business as usual must not 
continue" while Trump and ally Elon Musk dismantle critical agencies and 
programs.

   But Schumer said Trump would seize more power during a shutdown, because it 
would give the administration the ability to deem whole agencies, programs and 
personnel non-essential, furloughing staff with no promise they would ever be 
rehired.

   "A shutdown would give Donald Trump the keys to the city, the state and the 
country," Schumer said.

   Democrats have been critical of the funding levels in the bill. They note 
that both defense and non-defense spending is lower than what was agreed to 
nearly two years ago when Congress passed legislation lifting the debt ceiling 
in return for spending restraints.

   But they are even more worried about the discretion the bill gives the Trump 
administration on spending decisions. Many Democrats are referring to the 
measure as a "blank check" for Trump.

   Spending bills typically come with specific funding directives for key 
programs, but hundreds of those directives fall away under the continuing 
resolution passed by the House. So the administration will have more leeway to 
decide where the money goes.

   For example, a Democratic memo said the bill would allow the administration 
to steer money away from combating fentanyl and instead use it on mass 
deportation initiatives. At the Army Corps of Engineers, funding levels for 
more than 1,000 projects to enhance commerce, flood control and healthy 
ecosystems would be determined by the administration rather than Congress.

   Democrats also object to the treatment of the District of Columbia, as the 
bill effectively repeals its current year budget and forces it to go back to 
the prior year's levels, even though the district raises most of its own money. 
Mayor Muriel Bowser said the district would have to cut spending by $1.1 
billion over just a few months.

   Democrats also object to clawing back $20 billion in special IRS funding, on 
top of the $20 billion rescission approved the year before. The changes 
essentially cut in half the funding boost that Congress intended to give the 
agency through legislation passed by Democrats during Joe Biden's presidency.

   The spending bill before the Senate is separate from the GOP effort to 
extend tax cuts for individuals passed in Trump's first term and to pay for 
those with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget.

   That second package will be developed in the months ahead, but it was 
clearly part of the political calculus Democrats were considering as they 
argued against the six-month extension. Both efforts are designed to help the 
well-off at the expense of other Americans, they said.

   "You're looking at a one-two punch, a very bad CR, then a reconciliation 
bill coming down, which will be the final kick in the teeth for the American 
people," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

   Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said the Democratic arguments were hypocritical 
because they were essentially calling for shutting down the government to 
protect the government.

   "Democrats are fighting to withhold the paychecks of air traffic 
controllers, our troops, federal custodial staff," Cotton said. "They can't be 
serious."