With a government shutdown looming, Senate Democrats are under intense scrutiny as they consider backing a Republican-crafted spending bill that critics warn would hand unprecedented power over federal spending to President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The long-term continuing resolution (CR), passed by the House with Republican support, has drawn sharp criticism from progressives who argue that it enables the dismantling of vital social programs while consolidating authority in the hands of an administration already accused of authoritarian overreach.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has led the charge against the legislation, urging his Democratic colleagues to reject the bill outright. In a statement explaining his opposition, Sanders made clear the stakes:
“Since President Trump has been in office we have seen chaos, shock, and heartbreak. We have seen oligarchs take over our government and the wealthiest person in the world decimate programs that provide support for a struggling working class.”
Pointing to Trump and Musk’s actions against the Department of Education, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration, Sanders warned that the bill “will provide a blank check for the administration and Mr. Musk to continue their savage war against working families, the elderly, children, the sick, and the poor in order to lay the groundwork for massive tax breaks for the billionaire class.”
“This legislation will also provide a green light for the administration to continue its illegal and unconstitutional activities,” he concluded. “This is a bill I cannot support. Instead, the Senate must pass a 30-day CR so that all members of Congress, not just the House Republican leadership, can come together and produce legislation that works for all Americans, not just the few.”
The House-passed CR has been widely condemned by progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups who argue that it would grant Trump and Musk free rein over federal funding while forcing deep cuts to essential programs.
“Some Senate Democrats are being tempted to pretend to fight the Trump-Musk funding bill today, then quietly agree to give up on blocking it,” warned Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas). “That would be a disastrous decision. Voting for cloture on a bill that allows Musk and Trump to steal from taxpayers is the same as voting to allow Musk and Trump to steal from taxpayers. Everything is on the line. Democrats weren’t elected to put up a fake fight.”
CPC Chair Emeritus Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) echoed these concerns, stating, “Democrats need to stand up and fight for the American people.”
Outside Congress, progressive organizations have also raised alarms. In a joint statement, Public Citizen and Indivisible insisted, “Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats must insist on a clean 30-day funding bill. Helping Republicans pass their harmful, partisan slush-fund for Trump and Musk would correctly and needlessly redirect the public’s outrage from Republicans to Democrats.”
The statement continued, warning that the Republican CR “is not a clean continuation of previous funding commitments. It would enable Trump and Musk to claim much greater authority to violate the separation of powers and refuse to spend appropriated funds. The Republican long-term CR also would impose draconian spending cuts on Washington, D.C. and impose pointless, devastating harm on children in the nation’s capital.”
Despite earlier indications that Senate Democrats would oppose the bill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stunned progressives by announcing his intention to vote for the GOP spending package.
“The Republican bill is a terrible option,” Schumer admitted. “It is deeply partisan. It doesn’t address far too many of this country’s needs. But I believe allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option.”
Schumer’s shift was met with immediate backlash from the left. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) rejected the move outright, urging Senate Democrats to hold the line.
“Senate Democrats should not allow this chaos to continue,” she wrote in a social media post. “Call your Senator and ask to vote NO on cloture and NO on the Republican spending bill.”
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) also expressed frustration, stating, “Respectfully Senator Schumer, no. This Republican bill is bad for workers, bad for our veterans, bad for our seniors. Republicans should pull it and let us get back to work crafting a budget that works for all of our families.”
Jonathan Cohn, a progressive activist and writer, called Schumer’s decision “demonstrative of why Democrats lose. Voters so often don’t believe what they say because they don’t believe what they say.”
If Senate Democrats assist Republicans in advancing the spending bill, they could forfeit any remaining leverage in the budget fight. The bill requires 60 votes for cloture, meaning at least eight Democrats would need to support it for the measure to move forward. If cloture is invoked, Republicans would then need only a simple majority to pass the final bill.
The bill proposes 13 billion dollars in cuts to non-military spending and removes congressional oversight of federal spending decisions, leaving Trump and Musk with unprecedented control over the budget.
“Do not cave. Vote no on cloture. Stand up for the American people like House Democrats did,” Jayapal urged in a final plea to Senate Democrats.
Federal employees, already struggling under funding uncertainty, have also voiced their opposition. In a letter to the Senate, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) stressed that this is not a typical budget dispute.
“AFGE’s position until this year has been that although continuing resolutions are far from ideal, they are better than an outright government shutdown,” wrote Everett Kelley, the union’s president. “This year is different… The Trump administration has repeatedly demonstrated over the last seven weeks that it will not spend appropriated funds as the law dictates, including funds provided under the current continuing resolution that was enacted in December with AFGE’s support.”
Kelley emphasized that Trump’s refusal to follow spending laws had already resulted in an effective government shutdown.
“With thousands of federal workers either fired, placed on administrative leave, or at immediate risk of losing their jobs, AFGE members have concluded that a widespread government shutdown has been underway since January 20 and will continue to spread whether senators vote yes or no on H.R. 1968,” Kelley wrote.
As the Friday shutdown deadline approaches, Senate Democrats face a crucial decision. If they hold the line, they could force Republicans to negotiate a short-term funding solution that maintains congressional oversight. If they cave, Trump and Musk could gain vast new powers over federal spending, setting a dangerous precedent for future budget battles.
“People will not forget,” warned Ocasio-Cortez.
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