Schumer announces he'll vote to keep government open, likely avoiding shutdown

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday night that he plans to vote to keep the government open, signaling that there will almost certainly be enough Democratic votes to advance a House GOP funding bill before a shutdown deadline at the end of the day Friday.

In remarks on the Senate floor, Schumer conceded a government shutdown is the worse outcome.

"While the Republican bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much much worse. For sure, the Republican bill is a terrible option," he said. "It is not a clean CR" or continuing resolution, he said. "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 in a government shutdown is a far worse option."

Schumer's announcement amounted to a major break from House Democrats who voted nearly unanimously against the GOP funding bill earlier this week. Following Schumer's remarks, top House Democrats released a joint statement reiterating that they remain "strongly opposed" to the GOP funding bill and say instead they support a four-week spending bill that would allow lawmakers to continue negotiating.

In his remarks on the Senate floor, Schumer argued Republicans are to blame for a "Hobson's choice" that "brought us to the brink of disaster."

"Unless Congress acts, the federal government will shut down tomorrow at midnight. I have said many times there are no winners in a government shutdown. But there are certainly victims: the most vulnerable Americans who rely on federal programs to feed their families to access medical care and to stay financially afloat," Schumer said.

A decision to shut down the government would give President Donald Donald Trump and his senior adviser Elon Musk too much power to continue their federal worker cuts without discretion, he asserted.

"A shutdown would give Donald Trump and Elon musk carte blanche to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now. Under as shutdown the Trump administration would have full authority to deem whole agencies programs an personnel nonessential, furloughing staff with no promise they would ever be rehired," Schumer said. "In short: a shut down would give Donald Trump Elon musk and DOGE the keys to the city state and country."

Earlier Thursday, Schumer told his Democratic colleagues during a closed-door lunch that he would vote to clear a path for final passage of a House-GOP funding bill, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

That move would clear the way for Republicans to pass the bill with a simple majority.

Senate Democrats remained tight-lipped after huddling behind closed doors ahead of the fast-approaching government funding deadline.

"What happens in caucus, stays in caucus," Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin said as she left the weekly lunch.

"Ask somebody else," Democratic Sen. Cory Booker grumbled.

"I don't have any comment," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Several Democrats have privately admitted they likely don't have the votes to block a Republican proposal to keep the government funded through September, multiple sources told ABC News.

Tensions were on full display at the private meeting. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was yelling so loudly about the impact of a shutdown that reporters could hear her through the walls.

One Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity told ABC News, "We lost this two weeks ago ... we should've been beating this drum for a month."

At that point, only Democratic Sen. John Fetterman had publicly signaled he would vote to keep the government open.

Fetterman insisted that he won't succumb to the posturing he sees from party leaders after he urged Republicans to keep government open in the past when Democrats controlled the upper chamber.

"Never, ever, ever, ever, ever shut the government down," Fetterman told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday afternoon. "Democrat, Republican, independents, anyone. Never shut the government down. That's one of our core responsibilities."

Fetterman called the political pressure "spicy" -- telling reporters that he's remaining "consistent" in his principled belief not to vote for a shutdown.

Fetterman acknowledged that Republicans "are daring" Democrats to shut down the government, but the freshman Democrat worried that furloughed workers and people depending on federal services are the ones who are "really going to hurt."

Now that Republicans cleared their bill through the House, Fetterman said he believes the battle is over.

Fetterman said the only time Democrats have leverage is if the Republicans need the votes in the House.

"The GOP delivered, and that effectively iced this out. And that forces us to say, 'Are you going to shut the government down, or you are going to vote for a flawed CR?' And now for me, I refuse to shut the government down."

Schumer on Wednesday said Senate Democrats would not provide the votes needed for Republicans to advance the House-approved deal to fund the government through September. Instead, Schumer proposed a one-month stopgap measure to allow more time for appropriators to negotiate and complete full-year funding bills.

Republicans and the White House, meanwhile, are preemptively pointing the finger at Democrats if a shutdown ensues.

"If it closes, it's purely on the Democrats," President Donald Trump said as he took reporter questions while meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on Thursday.

Trump was asked whether he's step in to negotiate with Democrats and he said he would if Republicans requested it: "If they need me, I'm there 100%."