Trump Tells Gop To Cut Out Democrats On Funding Bill As Schumer Warns Of Shutdown

WASHINGTON — A standoff complete really to forestall a authorities shutdown intensified Monday arsenic President Donald Trump called connected Republicans to constitute a backing measure connected their ain and trim Democrats retired of nan process.

But immoderate backing bill, including a stopgap to bargain much time, requires 60 votes to walk nan Senate, wherever Republicans power 53 seats and truthful request astatine slightest 7 Democratic votes.

Democratic leaders opportunity Republicans are pursuing Trump’s wishes and are refusing to negotiate, making a shutdown much likely. Congress has until 11:59 p.m. connected Sept. 30 to find a solution aliases nan authorities will unopen down.

“Our position remains this: We want to support nan authorities unfastened by engaging successful bipartisan speech wherever we tin reside immoderate of nan sedate harms Donald Trump has caused to our wellness attraction strategy and thief Americans pinch nan costs of living,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said connected nan level Monday evening.

Trump said precocious connected "Fox and Friends" that Republicans should not “even bother” pinch Democrats and that “we person to get Republican votes, that’s all” — which Schumer condemned.

“When Donald Trump said connected Fox News that Republicans, “don’t moreover bother” dealing pinch Democrats, past he’s responsible for making a shutdown much likely,” he said. “This day he doubled down again, posting online that Republicans should spell astatine it unsocial successful their partisan CR. Instead of engaging pinch Democrats to support nan authorities open.”

Schumer based on that if location is simply a shutdown, Trump's connection and GOP actions would make them nan responsible party. “If 1 broadside refuses to negotiate, they are nan ones causing nan shutdown," he said.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that nan Republican-controlled Congress will effort to walk a seven-week backing measure astatine existing spending levels to springiness nan parties much clip to negotiate. Democrats should get connected board, he said, successful bid to avert a backing lapse.

“We will beryllium putting guardant a cleanable solution to guarantee location is nary logic for Democrats to reason this measure and hold passage,” Thune said Monday. “And my dream would beryllium that we could get this done arsenic soon arsenic this week and past proceed bipartisan activity connected appropriations bills.”

“But I person immoderate concerns,” nan mostly leader added. “Because unthinkable arsenic it whitethorn seem, Democrats look to beryllium looking to unopen down nan government.”

Democrats person not laid retired a circumstantial group of demands that would triumph their votes for a backing bill, isolated from emphasizing they want changes successful the wellness attraction system. The statement is divided connected really fierce to be, pinch immoderate pushing for an hold of expiring Obamacare subsidies and others saying they should besides request a rollback of Trump’s Medicaid cuts successful his “big, beautiful bill.” And underneath nan jousting is simply a reluctance connected nan portion of immoderate Democrats to let a shutdown, which would beryllium economically harmful.

The first measurement would beryllium to walk a short-term backing measure successful nan House, wherever Republicans tin spend conscionable 2 defections successful their wafer-thin mostly earlier requiring Democratic support. And they whitethorn request aggregate Democrats to ballot aye; location are already respective GOP lawmakers who opportunity they reason immoderate short-term backing bill, known arsenic a continuing solution aliases "CR" — including Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Warren Davidson, R-Ohio.

“This CR would beryllium a transcript of nan uniparty spending measure nether Autopen Biden,” Massie wrote connected X. “I didn’t ballot for those spending priorities erstwhile Biden was President and I won’t ballot for them now.”

Davidson said: “I already hated position quo reasoning and approaches (soft incrementalism astatine best), truthful I’m retired connected different CR for nan liking of much government.”

Greene said it would deny Trump. “I can’t hold to spot really voting for nan CR becomes a Trump loyalty test,” she wrote connected X. “When successful each existent reality, it’s a disloyalty to him by passing a Biden argumentation laden omnibus.”

Others are skeptical, too.

“It’s gonna person problems,” Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., nan chair of nan hard-right Freedom Caucus, said of a seven-week stopgap measure astatine existing spending levels.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told NBC News, “I wish activity would travel talk to us. I spot wherever they’ve talked astir how, 'We’ve trim this deal.’ Well, they haven’t trim a woody pinch membership. And I cognize 4 ‘no’ votes connected nan Republican broadside correct now.”

Trump called connected nan House GOP to unify and backmost nan measure.

“In times for illustration these, Republicans person to instrumentality TOGETHER to conflict backmost against nan Radical Left Democrat demands, and ballot ‘YES!’ connected some Votes needed to walk a Clean CR this week retired of nan House of Representatives,” Trump wrote connected societal media.

If nan authorities does walk nan House, wherever it needs a elemental majority, it will group up a showdown successful nan Senate pitting Republicans against nan Democratic minority. So far, conscionable 1 Democrat has said they’ll support a continuing resolution: Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.

“I’ve ever had nan aforesaid difficult rule: Don’t ever unopen nan authorities down ... aliases clasp keeping nan authorities unfastened arsenic a hostage,” Fetterman told NBC News.

He said he “fully” supports extending ACA backing as well.

“That should beryllium a standalone thing, that’s not like, 'I’m gonna unopen our authorities down,'” he said. “It’s a trap. It’s nan incorrect point to do. ... Our federation doesn’t request much chaos correct now, successful shutting nan authorities down. That is nan incorrect answer. ... It’s vulnerable correct now.”

But Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said he’s very skeptical of a short-term measure unless it addresses wellness attraction costs.

“I’d person to perceive immoderate really, really bully reasons — of what is that going to produce,” he said successful an interview. “And really is that going to lend to a bipartisan solution that’s going to bring Americans’ premiums down.”