Govt Shutdown Continues As Senate Dems Block GOP Funding Bill for 3rd Time
The U.S. Senate plunged deeper into gridlock Wednesday, the first day of the government shutdown, after Senate Democrats once again blocked a House-passed continuing resolution that would have kept the government funded into November.
The vote, which required 60 votes to advance, failed 55-45. Notably, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), and Sen. Angus King (I-ME) broke ranks with Democrat leadership and sided with Republicans to keep the government open.
But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has chosen confrontation over compromise, fueling what Republicans have now branded the “Schumer Shutdown.”
Schumer Under Fire From All Sides
Schumer, once a vocal critic of government shutdowns, is now facing heat not only from Republicans but also from Democrats and members of the media who typically carry water for his party.
His refusal to move a clean funding resolution has intensified speculation that his decision is less about governance and more about protecting his own political future.
For months, rumors have swirled that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is eyeing a 2028 Senate primary challenge against Schumer. The Senate leader’s March decision to help Republicans keep the government open infuriated the far left. Now, many observers believe Schumer is bowing to the socialist wing of his party — sacrificing the country’s stability for his own survival.
GOP Blames “Schumer Shutdown” on Politics, Trump Hatred
Republicans argue that Democrats are holding government operations hostage in order to push for more reckless spending and appease anti-Trump activists.
“I think that Chuck Schumer, clearly, is choosing his political livelihood over what’s best for the country. He is answering to his base, his far left base, who are demanding that he shut this government down,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) told Newsmax.
Marshall slammed Schumer for refusing to support the GOP measure, which maintained funding at levels Democrats themselves approved in the past.
“What his base doesn’t realize yet is that they lost the election. That elections have consequences,” Marshall said. “All we’ve asked them to do is continue funding at the levels that they chose, and instead, they want one and a half trillion dollars more. So Chuck Schumer owns this.”
Marshall added that Democrats’ actions are rooted in their obsession with opposing President Trump at all costs:
“Their hatred for Donald Trump is so strong they’re willing to shut down the government at the expense of the American people as well.”
A Shutdown of Schumer’s Own Making
Marshall predicted Schumer will try to milk the shutdown for political theater.
“I think that Chuck Schumer has a drama plan, probably to keep the government shut down over the weekend and to appease his base, and suddenly he’ll see the light next week, hopefully before anybody misses their paychecks,” Marshall said. “But I think he wants the drama. He loves the camera.”
As the hours of the shutdown tick by, Republicans insist the blame rests squarely on Schumer’s shoulders — and if the “Schumer Shutdown” label sticks, it could leave lasting damage for Democrats in 2025 and beyond.