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| Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer leaves the Democratic caucus lunch at the US Capitol on Thursday. |
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declined to say if there will be enough Democratic votes to advance the House-passed GOP funding bill tomorrow, shortly after he announced he would vote to avert a shutdown.
Yesterday, Schumer went to the floor and declared that Republicans would not have the votes to advance their funding bill, and said that Democrats were united behind a shorter, stop gap funding bill. Pressed on how he would respond to Democratic voters who will be disappointed that he is are caving, Schumer defended his decision.
“Well, look, the bottom line is, you have to make these decisions based on what is best for not only your party but your country. And I firmly believe and always have that I’ve made the right decision,” he said.
The next steps: The New York senator said that they are still negotiating a time agreement and possible amendment votes, and that an amendment vote for Democrats’ one-month funding bill is still on the table.
“We have to work that out with Thune, but that would be our preference, yes,” he said, referring to the GOP Majority Leader John Thune.
Schumer also said that he spoke in the last few hours with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who opposed the GOP-led funding bill.