The Senate Takes a Vote?

At some point this afternoon, the Senate will take up and vote on the pending CR to fund the government for the balance of FY2025. It is expected that enough Democrats will join with Republicans to do the right thing and pass it.

Late yesterday, after a contentious caucus meeting, where it was reported that Senator Gillibrand was heard screaming at her colleagues, both Senators Fetterman and Schumer announced they would support the CR. Fetterman had previously said that he would not vote to shut down the government.

“I’m in the camp of like, don’t ever, ever shut the government down,” said Senator John Fetterman, D-PA.

He has become a voice of Reason that other Senators need to listen and emulate.

But of course, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), trying to make herself relevant, and who has no vote in the Senate, slammed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for saying he would vote to advance the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government, which was largely opposed by Democrats in the lower chamber.

“There is a deep sense of outrage and betrayal,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters late Thursday, referring to Schumer’s decision. “And this is not just about progressive Democrats, This is across the board, the entire party.”

But Schumer, realizing it would be the Democrats who would be blamed for the government shutdown, decided it was the better part of valor, and his potential loss of his leadership, when he said he would vote for rhe passage of the CR. 

“The Republican bill is a terrible option,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “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.”

President Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to praise Senator Schumer for saying he will vote for the GOP spending bill.

But Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has snarkily called Trump and Musk “two billionaires who don’t know the first thing” about what American families need. As opposed to her, a millionaire. Right, Patty?

It will be an interesting afternoon as we watch the Democrats try to save face as they jockey their positions as the time to vote closes in upon them. And they can live to fight another day on a different hill.

Meanwhile, the American people will benefit as the government continues to serve, as expected.