Democrats grasp to avoid government shutdown
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Senate Democrats are quietly discussing how to avoid a government shutdown by adjusting some of their demands on President Trump and Elon Musk's spending freezes and mass firings.
Why it matters: A shutdown could make life even worse for federal workers, and appearing to want a shutdown is bad politics for Democrats.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has been meeting with senators all week to discuss government funding, including a meeting with moderates on Thursday, sources tell Axios.
- In those private conversations, Schumer has made two basic requests: keep your powder dry on discussing government funding and don't talk about wanting a government shutdown, Axios is told.
Zoom in: Appropriators are looking for creative ways to try to regulate the Trump-Musk cost-cutting machine without resorting to any explicit language that would scare Republicans off a deal to fund the government before March 14.
- Good appropriators are masters at achieving their goals in the fine print of spending bills instead of maximalist language up high.
- The challenge for Democrats is how to protect federal workers in the long run without causing them immediate and acute pain.
Between the lines: The blame for the government shutdown in 2018-19 fell to Trump, in part, because he claimed he would be "proud" to do so.
- Schumer wants to avoid any implication his party wants to facilitate a 2025 shutdown.
- But he also knows he has some clear leverage over Republicans.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) will need at least eight Democratic votes to pass a funding package.
The big picture: Leaders on both sides of the aisle this week acknowledged a short-term stopgap bill is likely needed to avoid a shutdown.
- One of the top reasons the top-line talks have stalled is because discussions with Republicans about adding language for guardrails around Trump and Musk to the funding deal have hit a dead end.
- And now top Democrats are considering other ways to get assurances that Trump will spend money the way that Congress authorizes it.
- "We need to know Republicans are willing to work with us to protect Congress' power of the purse — and I welcome any and all ideas they may have on how we can work together to do just that," Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democratic appropriator, said at a press conference this week.
The bottom line: Democrats are convinced a regular appropriations process is their best way to put some restrictions on Trump and DOGE.
- A six-month continuing resolution is a nonstarter for Democrats.
- "I think it's a terrible idea," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), an appropriator, told Axios on Thursday.
