The Senate approved a government financing bill approved by the Chamber that avoids a closure of the government that should be activated at the end of the day on Friday.
The Senate voted from 54 to 46 to approve the bill. The approval of the bill follows several Democrats who vote with the leader of the Senate minority Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., to maintain the financing bill despite the setback of other members of their party.
Senator Angus King, an independent who is hunted with the Democrats, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen voted in favor of the bill. All other Democrats voted against.
Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Ky., Was in the only Republican to cast a vote against the bill.
Previously, 10 Senate Democrats provided the necessary votes to allow a test vote. The Democrats voted with the minority leader Chuck Schumer to maintain the future financing bill, despite the setback of other members of their party.
The vote occurs after Schumer resorted to the Senate Floor on Friday morning to defend his decision to support the short -term republican financing bill, a measure that has generated criticism from other Democrats.
His surprise reversal, he announced for the first time on Thursday night, one day after he said that he and the Democrats would try to block the bill, it means that there will surely be enough democratic votes to advance to the extent to a final vote of the Senate on Friday only hours before the closing deadline.
“As everyone knows, government financing expires at midnight tonight. As I announced yesterday, I will vote to keep the government open. I think it is the best way to minimize the damage that the Trump administration will make to the US people,” said Schumer on Friday.
He said he believes that the short -term financing bill, or a continuous resolution, is a “bad bill,” but said he believes that the government closed, it would be a much worse result for the country.
“The CR is a bad bill. But no matter how bad the CR is, I think that allowing Donald Trump to take even more power through a government closure is a much worse option,” said Schumer.
The leader of the Senate minority, Chuck Schumer, speaks on the floor of the Senate, on March 14, 2025.
Senate TV
Schumer said he believed that a government closure would mean that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and his government efficiency department (Doge) would have even more authority to “destroy the vital services of the government at a much faster rate.”
He said that they would also have the power to determine which federal employees are considered essential, which potentially gives them more power to dismiss or fire more government workers and federal agencies.
“A closure would allow Doge to change to Overdrive. Allow me to repeat, a closure will allow Doge to change to Overdrive. I would give Donald Trump and Doge the keys of the city, the state and the country,” he said. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy the services of the vital government at a much faster rate than they can at this time and about a much wider field of destruction they would do.”
He continued: “In a closure, Donald Trump and Doge will have the power to determine what is considered essential and what is not and their views about what is not essential would be bad and vicious and tithe vital services and cause unimaginable damage to the US people.”
“Musk has told everyone that he wants a closure because he knows that he will help him achieve his horrible objective of tithing the federal government from one end of the other. In other words, if the government closes, Dege has a plan to exploit the crisis for maximum destruction,” Schumer said.
“A closure would be the best distraction Donald Trump could ask for,” he added.
Schumer also defended some of his Senate Democratic colleagues who have opposed the short -term financing bill. He recognized the difficult decisions that as Caucus had to weigh.
“Our members of Caucus have been divided between two horrible alternatives, and my colleagues and I have fought with which the alternative would be worse for the American people,” said Schumer.
President Donald Trump talks to the press while he meets with NATO general secretary Mark Rutte at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on March 13, 2025.
Pool through AP
Trump praised Schumer in a publication on his social media platform on Friday, saying that the New York senator took “Agallas” to point out his support for the Republican bill.
“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing, he took” Agallas “and courage! The large tax cuts, the fire solution of the, the draft of debt roof and much more approaches,” Trump published in Truth Social.
“We should all work together in that very dangerous situation. A non -pass would be a destroyer of countries, approval will lead us to new heights. Again, a really good and intelligent movement of Senator Schumer. This could lead to something big for the United States, a completely new direction and start,” Trump wrote.
On Friday, two separate cards were sent to Schumer, urging senators to reject the continuous resolution of the Republican Party, one from Freshman California Derek Trance representative And the second of the Member Classification of the Chamber Assignments Committee Rep. of Connecticut.
The letter of Tran, which has 66 signatures so far and is directed directly to Schumer, affirms that “as members of the democratic chaucus of the Chamber, we write to express our strong opposition to the approval of a continuous partisan resolution that potentially legitimizes President Trump and the dismantling of the Government of the Republican Party.”
“We urge you to reject the continuous partisan resolution that comes before the Senate and face the American people to oppose these draconian republican cuts. All parties must return to the negotiating table and work on the party’s lines to keep the government open in a responsible manner,” the legislators wrote.
The Delauro letter, which came from Democratic legislators in the Assignments Committee, echoed similar feelings.
“As members of the Assignments Committee of the House of Representatives, we urge our Democratic colleagues in the Senate to reject the continuous partisan and harmful resolution that will only serve to allow President Trump, Elon Musk and the continuous efforts of the Republican Party to destroy unilaterally and illegally to the agencies and programs that serve the American people,” the appropriates said.
“We urge all Senate Democrats to be with the Democrats of the House of Representatives and with the American people, reject this continuous resolution,” they added.
Former President Nancy Pelosi, seemed to distance himself from Schumer’s decision, criticized the Democrats to support the bill of the Republican Party of the House of Representatives.
“The United States has experienced a Trump closure before, but this harmful legislation only worsens things. Democrats should not buy in this false option. We must fight for a better way. Listen to women, for people,” he said in a statement on Friday.
At the same time, Pelosi applauded the Chamber Democrats for their almost unanimous vote against the measure.
“Saluta, the leader Hakeem Jeffries for his brave rejection of this false choice, and I am proud of my colleagues in the democratic Caucus of the Chamber for his overwhelming vote against this bill,” he said.
Isabella Murray of ABC News contributed to this report.
