Republicans dare Democrats on avoiding government shutdown
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Some rank-and-file Senate Democrats are open to a short-term funding bill if it includes additional money to protect lawmakers.
Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) are daring Democrats to vote against a 50-day spending stopgap.
- But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) appeared to reject Johnson's latest offer Monday, calling it a "total partisan proposal."
- Thune is bringing in the Senate's sergeant at arms and the Capitol Police chief to brief GOP senators tomorrow to address lawmakers' deep concerns about their own safety after the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the recent killings of Minnesota Democratic state lawmakers, as Axios scooped Monday.
Driving the news: Over the weekend, the White House requested $58 million for security funding for the judicial and executive branch.
- GOP lawmakers want to add their own security funding to the package.
- "Given all the recent events and the level of anxiety and understandable fear and the increase in threats, I think the case could be made for putting money in the CR," Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters.
What they're saying: "Many members, including myself, have advocated for funding, not just for judges, but for members," said Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.).
- He told Axios: "There's all kinds of talk about what they're going to put in [the CR], but if there's going to be a conversation about security, I'm open to having a conversation about that."
- Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) told Axios: "I think members need to be safe, and I think the American people have an interest in their elected leaders being safe. ... I haven't had a chance to look at whether that [the CR] is the best vehicle. Let me, let me think about that."
- Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) told Axios, when asked about voting for a CR that included new money for member security: "We need bipartisan engagement this week. We'll see where things go."
The other side: Some Democratic senators are deeply skeptical of the latest GOP offer.
- Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told Axios: "It sounds like a prescription to just push the can down the road and do nothing to try to stave off this health care crisis that's coming for Americans and the democracy crisis that we're in the middle of."
- "No blank checks," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). "The issue remains that you have the president violating the law, withholding funds that have been appropriated, so we need to put up safeguards."
