"Open mutiny": Democrats angrily reject proposed shutdown fix
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Rep. Greg Casar speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 18. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Democrats inside and outside of Congress erupted in fury over a proposal circulated among Senate Democrats to reopen the government for seven to 10 days if a shutdown happens.
Why it matters: It is an early glimpse at the kind of intense public backlash the Senate Democrats risk from the rest of their party, especially their base, if they do anything short of allowing a government shutdown.
- In a closed-door meeting earlier this month, House Democrats fumed about a potential repeat of the government funding fight back in March.
- Some House Democrats saw that scenario coming to fruition with this proposal, with one telling Axios saying that if Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) "really tries to go down this route there will be open mutiny among House Dems."
- "Everybody's always nervous about Schumer," a second House Democrat said.
Driving the news: Axios first reported Monday that Schumer was sounding out his caucus on a 7-10 day funding bill as a potential off-ramp if the government shuts down on Wednesday.
- The idea behind the Plan B would be to give the two parties more time to negotiate an agreement on health care without letting the White House off the hook until after election day.
- Asked during a press conference Monday whether he would support a 7-10 day bill, Schumer jumped on the question as a way to rule out any short-term funding mechanism.
- "No. No. We have to do it now. The time is a'wasting," Schumer thundered. "We've delayed and delayed and delayed." He didn't specify whether that applies to a stopgap measure before or after a shutdown.
What they're saying: Indivisible — one of the progressive groups with whom the Senate leader has been interfacing — quickly came out against the idea.
- "Trading away leverage in exchange for a pinky promise isn't a real strategy," said Indivisible's national advocacy director, Andrew O'Neill. "Democrats should know better than to negotiate against themselves like this, and scrap this idea immediately."
- Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) quickly blasted the idea as well — "Hell no," he wrote in a post on X — with several of his members following suit.
- A Schumer spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
What we're hearing: Rep. Emily Randall (D-Wash.), a member of both the Progressive Caucus and the center-left New Democrat Coalition, told Axios, "I can only speak for myself but I'm with Greg," referring to Casar.
- "Our neighbors are demanding we stand strong against skyrocketing premiums and rural hospital closures," she said.
- A third House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios of Schumer: "I'm not sure why grandpa is doing this. This just shows how out of touch he is with where the American people are at."
- A fourth House Democrat, a moderate, said after Democrats' closed-door caucus meeting Monday night: "Everyone's not supportive of that. It seems like folding."
The bottom line: "This is like an old school thing [for] if [Republicans] really wanted to have an agreement," the third House Democrat who spoke anonymously said of the proposal.
- "It really makes no sense. It's kind of like if you were close to a deal and just needed a little more time, and both parties were working in earnest. Which is the opposite of what's happening right now."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
