Schumer Threatens Government Shutdown Over Health Care, Spending Disputes
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is now signaling a willingness to risk a government shutdown at the end of the month if Republicans fail to meet key Democratic demands on health care and spending.
The stance represents a sharp turnaround for Schumer, who earlier this year sided with Republicans to keep the government open—a move that drew fierce criticism from Democrats, according to Newsmax.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Schumer stressed that the landscape has changed since March.
“Things have changed,” he said, pointing to legislation Republicans have since passed that enacted President Donald Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts, including reductions to Medicaid and other programs. “We are now united as a party, unlike in the spring when my vote angered our base.”
Schumer emphasized that he and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries are now aligned in opposing any funding bill that does not include critical health care provisions and guarantees that those protections won’t be rolled back.
The new approach signals that Democrats would rather endure a shutdown than compromise on these priorities.
“A shutdown won’t necessarily worsen tensions with the White House,” Schumer said. “It will get worse with or without it, because Trump is lawless.”
Republicans are reportedly weighing a short-term stopgap measure to keep the government running past Sept. 30. But Schumer warned that Democrats will not support any plan that lacks health care protections and assurances that foreign aid funding will remain intact.
Republicans have repeatedly insisted that Democrats would bear the blame if the government closes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has urged Schumer to present a concrete health care proposal, noting the impending expiration of expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits and suggesting some Republicans are open to extending them.
Democrats, however, are demanding more: the reversal of Medicaid cuts included in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” on tax breaks and spending, and commitments that the White House will not claw back funds already approved by Congress.
“How do you pass an appropriations bill and let them undo it down the road?” Schumer asked, referring to the Trump administration’s recent actions to block $4.9 billion in foreign aid in August and earlier cuts totaling $9 billion.
The standoff comes amid intensifying partisan tensions in the Senate. Negotiations over the confirmation process collapsed again Thursday, and Republicans are pushing rule changes to bypass Democratic objections.
Schumer’s current position is a stark contrast to his March vote, when he supported legislation to avoid a shutdown, arguing that doing so would prevent Trump from gaining even more control. That vote left him isolated within his party, with House Democrats, including Jeffries, distancing themselves and activists calling for Schumer’s resignation.
This time, however, Schumer and Jeffries are presenting a unified front. At a closed-door Senate Democratic lunch Wednesday, Schumer shared polling showing that most Americans would blame Trump—not Democrats—for a shutdown.
With his party more cohesive and the White House under pressure, Schumer is betting that his bold threat will strengthen Democrats’ hand in negotiations.
