Where Key Democratic Senators Stand on Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

Senate Democrats are staking out their positions on a bill to temporarily fund the government, known as a continuing resolution (CR), which would avert a federal shutdown.

Why It Matters

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed the CR earlier this week, but the bill received support from only one Democrat. Now it must gain Senate approval before Friday’s end or the government will temporarily shut down. It will need the support of at least eight Democrats to overcome the filibuster, as one Republican senator has already signaled he plans to vote against it.

A shutdown could impact millions of Americans. Federal workers would be furloughed and not receive pay, while nonessential government functions would be paused.

If passed, the CR would fund the government through September 30 without requiring new appropriations legislation.

What To Know

While some Senate Democrats say they are leaning toward voting in support of the funding bill to avoid consequences of a shutdown, others view the bill as unacceptable, pledging to oppose it.

Democrats who say they’re against the bill have raised concerns about cuts to the federal government imposed by Trump and Elon Musk under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Senator Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat who is voting against the bill, wrote in a statement that the bill “enables Trump’s and Musk’s devastating and unconstitutional cuts that have reduced our government’s ability to protect public health and safety, made it harder for seniors to get their Social Security checks, and created an opening for China by dismantling our foreign aid partnerships.”

But other Democrats seem more inclined to vote in favor of the bill. Senator John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, signaled he plans to support it in a post to X, formerly Twitter. “The weeks of performative ‘resistance’ from those in my party were limited to undignified antics. Voting to shut the government down will punish millions or risk a recession. I disagree with many points in the CR, but I will never vote to shut our government down,” he wrote.

Senator John Hickenlooper, of Colorado, told reporters he is “leaning toward that direction” when asked if he would vote for the bill. “I’ve gone back and forth on this thing three times, because it is two horrible choices. It’s hard to imagine two worse choices, where in either case you can imagine terrible things happening,” he said in a video posted by CBS News. “People losing funding for essential things in Colorado that people depend on.”

Politico reported that Democratic Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Tim Kaine of Virginia remain undecided. Kaine told the publication he would like to see amendments “to make it better” before committing to a position.

Moderate Democrats representing swing states, like Arizona’s Ruben Gallego, Nevada’s Jacky Rosen or Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin, haven’t said how they intend to vote on the bill.

Although Republicans have 53 Senate seats, GOP Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has already said he’s a “no.”

“These are the Biden spending levels,” he said. “We know one result that will come from these spending levels, a $2 trillion deficit. These spending levels exceed revenue by $2 trillion. There’s no escaping that. There’s nothing conservative about these spending levels.”

What People Are Saying

Representative Sean Casten, an Illinois Democrat, on X: “If you stand up to bullies, they back down. If you fold, they keep bullying. The @HouseGOP folded because they’re cowards. Senate Dems may not want to be held to a higher bar, but defending the Congress and the Constitution demands that of us. Stand up and vote no, Senators.”

Representative Jared Golden, a Maine Democrat who voted in favor of the bill, on X: “This CR is not perfect, but a shutdown would be worse. Even a brief shutdown would introduce even more chaos and uncertainty at a time when our country can ill-afford it.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to reporters: “Now that the government funding bill has been passed out of the House, we send it to the Senate. It falls on the desk of Chuck Schumer. He is the leader of the Democrats on that side, and he must determine whether he wants to fund the government, do the responsible thing, or shut the government down.”

What Happens Next

If the bill fails to garner enough support to pass through the Senate, leaders in Congress will have only until the end of Friday to reach a new deal and avert a shutdown.