Schumer Criticizes Republican Fundraising Bill
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer from New York criticized the Republican fundraising bill on Sunday, calling it “completely partisan” and reiterating that a meeting with President Trump might be the only solution to prevent a government shutdown.
He stated, “What we’re asking for is standard practice in these kinds of budget discussions: bipartisan cooperation. The Republican proposal lacks any input from Democrats, and it’s not a constructive way to move forward.”
Schumer noted that two bills were presented on Friday—one from Democrats and one from Republicans—both of which failed due to a lack of negotiations with Republican leaders. “In the past, we used to engage in dialogue all the time. During my time as majority leader, I worked with Republicans for four years to ensure there were no deadlocks.”
He also mentioned that he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries from New York have requested a meeting with Trump, asserting that this is crucial to avoiding a shutdown. “Republican leaders have been taking their cues from Trump, instead of communicating with us,” Schumer remarked.
On Friday, Senate Democrats overwhelmingly voted against the GOP funding measures that had passed the House, with Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania being the sole Democrat in favor.
Democrats are currently urging negotiations with Senate majority leader John Thune, but Republican leaders insist that the White House’s input is necessary before any agreement can be reached. Thune mentioned that he hasn’t spoken directly to Trump about the matter, though his team is in touch with White House staff.
Schumer and Jeffries formally wrote to Trump on Saturday, requesting a meeting to discuss a potential funding agreement and emphasizing that he has a “responsibility” to engage with them.
In response, Trump, as he left the White House for an event in Virginia, remarked, “They want all of this. They won’t change. They’ve never learned from their most significant meetings. I’d be open to meeting, but I’m not sure it would make a difference.”
