3 Democrats break with Schumer and back the GOP plan to reopen the government

Shampoo. Rinse. Repeat.

Three members of the Senate Democratic caucus broke with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) on Tuesday and voted for a House Republican-drafted bill to fund the government through Nov. 21, revealing divisions among Democrats about how aggressively to confront the Trump administration.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), a member of the Senate Democratic leadership team, joined Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Sen. Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, in voting for the GOP funding proposal.

The measure, which needed 60 votes to advance, failed 55-45.

Cortez Masto said she didn’t want to add to the difficulties of constituents already struggling with high costs and a slowing economy by risking a government shutdown.

“This administration doesn’t care about Nevadans, but I do. That’s why I cannot support a costly shutdown that would hurt Nevada families and hand even more power to this reckless administration,” she said in a statement.

She said a government shutdown would “force tens of thousands of Nevada military personnel, union members, law enforcement agents and military nurses to work without pay” and that it would throw hundreds of union contractors at the Nevada National Security Site and across her state out of work.

King called the vote to keep the government open one of the toughest of his Senate career.

“I just came from the Senate floor, where I took one of the most difficult votes I’ve taken since I’ve been in the Senate,” he said in a video statement. “Many feel that this was an opportunity to stand up to Donald Trump, to vote no and to fight back.

“The irony, the paradox is by shutting the government, we’re actually giving Trump more power. And that was why I voted yes. I did not want to hand Donald Trump and Russell Vought and Stephen Miller additional power to decimate the federal government,” he said, referring to the White House budget director and Trump’s senior domestic policy adviser, respectively.

King pointed to Trump’s statement in the Oval Office threatening to do “irreversible” damage to Democratic priorities if the government shuts down.

“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them [Democrats] and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like,” Trump told reporters.

Cortez Masto and King voted against the House-passed bill when it first came up for a vote on the Senate floor on Sept. 19.

Fetterman, the only Democrat to vote for the GOP funding proposal earlier this month, has repeatedly said he wants to avoid a government shutdown and has warned fellow Democrats about overplaying their hand on a funding stopgap.

The Pennsylvania senator warned Tuesday that a shutdown would empower President Trump to gut Democratic priorities and enable White House budget Director Russell Vought to implement Project 2025, the conservative blueprint to overhaul the federal government.

“The president has a lot of levers he could pull. This is one we could pull, but why would we pull that lever? Because that allows him to pull a lot more levers,” Fetterman told reporters on Capitol Hill.

“I think that would be the ideal for Project 2025,” he added.

Senate Republicans hailed the three defections as a sign that Schumer has a weaker political position heading into a shutdown, which will likely last for several days.

“There are some Democrats who are very unhappy with the situation they’re in,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said at a press conference after the vote.

“We need … another five” Democratic votes to pass the stopgap funding measure, Thune noted. “We need eight total.”

Republicans control 53 Senate seats but need eight Democratic votes to pass the funding bill because Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) opposes its continuation of Biden-era funding levels.

The continuing resolution needs 60 votes to pass.

Disgusting.

Is Fetterman our Susan Collins?

He should pull their Committee Assignments immediately.

But he won't. Democrats are useless and feckless. They are all - including Schumer - why we will never again be the majority in the Senate. Never.

We are a joke. At this point we should be taking lessons from the Republicans and learn how to fight effectively.

Susan Collins votes reliably with her party, R4. I wish he was our Susan Collins. Fetterman is another Manchin/Sinema.

Fetterman is the new Sinema and Manchin.

More like Sinema and Manchin…

And Chuck Schumer is a fool.

Just goes to show how powerful a leader Schumer is.

When will the Democrats ever get a party boss with a functioning spine who will crack the whip and keep all these mother fucking assholes in line?

A James Daley (the original) would be great at this time.

Shutting down the government is tricky business. You cannot do it with a deranged despot at the helm. He would have used the opportunity to eliminate workers.

[quote] Some Democrats ALWAYS break ranks and side with Republicans.

[quote] Republicans NEVER do this.

Democrats live in a democracy. Republicans live in an autocracy. Each do things expected of them by their constituents.

Primary their asses!

Amy, throw a stapler at these idiots.

Enjoy Las Vegas' faltering economy, cunt.

No small part of which is due on behalf of Californians and Canadians deliberately avoiding Trumpian Nevada.

Cortez-Masto is from a state that went for Trump in 2024, so you'd best believe she's going to protect herself. Whatever happens to NV now won't be laid at her feet.

The same goes for Fetterman but he's only semi-functional anyway.

I'm sure Schumer was aware of their votes beforehand as it was already clear that it wouldn't pass, so they agreed to vote as they did with the objective of protecting the seats. The GOP does this too, BTW.

Cortez-Masto outlined how the stoppage would hurt her fellow citizens in Nevada. She is representing them. That's why she is there. Maybe Nevadans pressed her on the issue.

These people are not elected to kowtow to the majority opinion in their political party. They should have no personal opinions. They should react to what their state's citizens are concerned about. Unfortunately, many people have lost that perspective.

[quote]Some Democrats ALWAYS break ranks and side with Republicans. Republicans NEVER do this.

This clearly isn't true. The current example is that four Republicans are voting with all Democrats to release the Epstein files (or will, if Mike Johnson ever has the courage to bring it up for a vote). And think of all the right-wing Republicans who voted not to approve Kevin McCarthy as Speaker, or refused to approve the budget. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski break ranks all the time.

[quote]Shutting down the government is tricky business. You cannot do it with a deranged despot at the helm. He would have used the opportunity to eliminate workers.

R12 I have no idea why you're using past tense. The government IS shut down as of this morning. It's shut down right now. Even with these 3 turncoats they're still several votes shy of securing the Republican deal to reopen.

And it IS an opportunity to eliminate workers. That's their plan. That's the whole point. It's been the plan since day 1 and DOGE.

None of this is "tricky business." You make it sound like they give a shit. All of it is designed to cause pain, chaos and fear. Taking a chain saw to the federal government is violent and disruptive. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are either furloughed today or working without pay. There's nothing "tricky" about it. It's all going exactly as they intended it to.

Again: this is their plan and it's already happening.

[quote] Some Democrats ALWAYS break ranks and side with Republicans. Republicans NEVER do this.

Usually I just roll my eyes when someone uses hyperbole to state something that is obviously factually incorrect, but I’m getting so tired of the stupidity (or deliberate lying) of people doing that. On this very same vote, Rand Paul, a Republican voted against his party. The same fucking vote. NEVER is patently untrue. In the Senate, it’s not unusual to have Collins, Murkowski, or someone breaking ranks, and it happens even more often in the House. On the vote in the Senate in 2021 to convict Trump, SEVEN Republicans sided with the Democrats to convict. NOT NEVER.

Oust them all. All the useless Democrats. Dissolve the party and start anew. Otherwise the same horrible Democrats will linger (and complain of their painful concerns) and cling to power for decades.

Fetterman was still a better choice than Dr. Oz, but he needs primarying.

Expect more Dems to cave as the shutdown gets into a second or third week.

It's what they do.

Dems got out-played.

DOGE.2 to the bloated government until they cave.

Democrats are always so goddamn polite because we weren't raised to act like trailer trash. Some behaviors are hardwired. But we need someone who is not afraid to get on Dump's level and talk some shit. Eric Swalwell and Jasmine Crockett are the the only ones who come close.

Trump WANTS this shutdown so he can manufacture a state of emergency to really assume absolute power, unchecked by either house. Why would people give him exactly what he wants???

This budget "negotiation" was no negotiation at all; the Republicunts demanded Democrats go along with their already horrible and draconian cuts, thereby passing blame for everything awful that will result directly back on the Democrats. Republicunts offered Democrats nothing for their votes but threats. Finally, at long last, for the first time since Trump took office, Democrats stood up and said "no." No, you will not cut the funding to healthcare that keeps millions of Americans insured, that failing to fund those healthcare subsidies will force millions of Americans to pay higher healthcare premiums (in some cases, tripling the cost of insurance) or lose their insurance altogether. And Republicunts know that they cannot pass these cuts the honest, forthright way (you know, proposing a bill, debating it and influencing enough of our representatives to vote for it) so they'll go after them in the dark of night. And when the premium bills come due, Republicunts will turn around and tell their constituents that it is the Democrats' fault.

What everyone is forgetting is that we're going to have this showdown now or later, but it's coming regardless. The problem with having it later is that Republicunts have already passed legislation (the big beautiful bill, to be specific) that delay the worst impacts until after the midterms in hopes of fooling enough Americans to vote them in again, or if the Democrats manage to somehow gain control of the House and/or Senate, there is nothing they'll be able to do to prevent the cuts from taking place... in which case, they will be blamed for them.

No, let's get to the fulcrum and see the effect that Republicunt control and governance bring. We're all going to suffer, but like recovering drug addicts and alcoholics preach, no one can do the hard work for you and sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can get back on the path to recovery and growth. Self realization is hard. And ultimately, the American people have to do things the hard way every. damn. time.

[quote] No, you will not cut the funding to healthcare that keeps millions of Americans insured, that failing to fund those healthcare subsidies will force millions of Americans to pay higher healthcare premiums (in some cases, tripling the cost of insurance) or lose their insurance altogether.

FYI, the bill before the Senate does not cut the enhanced subsidies. The enhanced subsidies, which were originally temporarily enacted for Covid, were intentionally given an expiration date of year-end 2025 in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, so it really goes back to that.

[quote]And it IS an opportunity to eliminate workers. That's their plan. That's the whole point. It's been the plan since day 1 and DOGE.

In addition to mass layoffs, the administration is using the shutdown to cancel a lot of formerly approved projects. Today, for example, they canceled billions of dollars in green energy and infrastructure funding away from blue states. Each of the states voted against President Trump in 2024 and is represented by two Democrats in the Senate.

But you'll be happy to know that construction on Trump's WH ballroom is continuing apace.

Dems really are elitist and don't care about their grubby little constituents . they only want to make deals and fundraise, grandstand and act morally superior. No one is coming to save us. get the fork, we are done.

[quotes]Dems really are elitist and don't care about their grubby little constituents

We’re in this shutdown because Dems listened to constituents demanding they fight.

Democrats are typically Type B people. They want to compromise and avoid conflict. They are civil, and this is often read as passive.

Republicans are Type A people, and this has led to a bullying situation between the two parties.

I've only seen one obnoxious Democrat who was Type A and who I thought was going to climb the ranks and make a difference. That was Huma's husband (Carlos Danger), and he messed it all up with his gross behavior.

I hope and pray Fetterman gets kicked to the curb in the mid terms.

Angus King is not a Democrat. He is an Independent that usually caucuses with the democrats.

Ahem.

Ahem.

Ahem.

Have Democrats figured out yet why they lost so many key demographics in the last election? I still haven’t heard them acknowledge that some of their policies were flat-out unpopular and need to be disavowed. If we have free and fair elections, they’ll probably take back the House—but not because of their strong positions, more because voters are swinging away from MAGA’s failures. That’s not a sustainable way to stay relevant. Please, Democrats: get it together, build a strong platform that most Americans can rally behind, and drop a few of the “woke” policies that are holding you back.

Trump's not involved, he's asleep at the switch.

[quote]In the poll from Quinnipiac released on Wednesday, Fetterman's approval rating with Democrats is 54 percent compared to a 33 percent disapproval rating. In a poll from January 2024, the pollster notes that Fetterman's approval with Democrats was 80 percent versus a 10 percent disapproval rating.

[quote]Fetterman's approval rating among Republicans is higher, with 62 percent compared to a 21 percent disapproval rating, Wednesday's poll also shows. In January 2024, Fetterman had a 75 percent disapproval rating with Republicans compared to a 16 percent approval rating.

Republicans are like the slime timeshare salespeople. Democrats are customer service reps that try and fix the problems caused by people being sold phony timeshares.

Fetterman is nuts.

We could have had Conor Lamb.

Whose wife, understandably, can't stop fucking him: They've had three kids in five years.

Blaming Schumer is such jumping on the bandwagon. It's lazy and destructive, but most Democrats loving picking off other Democrats for sport. They always have.

Government shutdowns always get blamed on the opposition party, and just wait for the screeching when air traffic is slowed to nothing which happens in these cases. Thinking there is a black and white solution which won't decimate all citizens, especially government employees is puerile.Trump is salivating for a shutdown to decimate government agencies and employees to consolidate power. It's as good a take as any.

The problem with most Democrats is they cannot abide anything other than black and white thinking. I doubt they'd win a government shutdown under any circumstances and the GOP is still five votes short. Nothing has been agreed to.

R1, well, that IS the problem with that frau from Nevada. She obviously only does the shampoo and rinse….but neglects the conditioner. Good god.

Trump has proven he will break norms, go after individually. Now is not time for a shutdown that will give him cover for crude, cruel acts—like eliminating another African American memorial

Chuck Todd and Chris Cillizza said that Schumer should resign.

Fucking hell, look at that monster at R41.

He makes Peter Boyle's monster in 'Young Frankenstein' look stunningly handsome.

GOP senators would never break off like this. No matter how ridiculous the situation, the GOP is disciplined and acts as one

Dems should own this shut down.

“We are shutting down the government because Trump thinks he’s a dictator and he’s taking your healthcare away”

[quote]GOP senators would never break off like this. No matter how ridiculous the situation, the GOP is disciplined and acts as one

Rand Paul broke off and voted against it, so they didn't act as one.

Hate to say that Fetterman is right. I detest them but they do have the leverage here. I expect this to end as a complete failure for Dems and contribute to an even greater loss of confidence and hope. Unfortunately - but that’s the harsh reality of the negotiating status. It sucks.

Leverage for what? The Dems are so far down in approval ratings that they HAVE to show some balls

I'm a Democrat. I opposed Bidens Build Better Back Bill because it was too big. It had a $7500 ELECTRIC CAR TAX CREDIT? When RICH people are the only ones who can afford an electric car? Biden (and Bernie) ran for president promising to expand Medicare to cover dentures and dental care. They did NOT do that. In fact when Bernie was asked why dentures weren't covered he said "you can't get everything you want". WTF? Do you know how expensive dentures are?. Sadly a lot of the money they spent was wasted because Trump shut those things down (climate change, clean energy)....

Both sides overspend. Democrats need to open the fucking government and get focused on elections...