Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Need For Republicans To Come To The Table And Work On A Bipartisan Deal To Fund The Government And Avert A Shutdown

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Republicans having less than 20 days to work with Democrats and come to a bipartisan agreement to avert a government shutdown. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

In less than 20 calendar days, government funding runs out. And a shutdown will happen if nothing is done.

How Congress proceeds is up to our Republican colleagues.

They are in charge. They run the House. They run the Senate. They have the presidency.

Well, if our Republican colleagues know what's good for the country, and for them, they'll realize that the longer they remain aboard this sinking ship that Trump is commanding, the greater danger they will face of sinking with the ship, if nothing changes.

What Republicans should do, then, is to commit working on bipartisan legislation to undo some of the terrible things Donald Trump has done during his time in office.

Working on bipartisan legislation that has real input from Democrats is the way to avoid a shutdown.

Of course, there is another path, a far uglier path: Republicans can continue to go it alone.

They can continue to bow down to Donald Trump.

They can continue to surrender Congress’s Constitutional powers over to the executive and enable Donald Trump and his evil minion Russell Vought as they illegally cancel and steal Congressionally approved funding.

So, if Republicans choose the path of “do what we say or go to hell,” then they will be the ones paving the bitter road that leads towards a government shutdown.

And we Democrats will not accept that.

We will not enable Republicans' carnage of this country.

We won’t bail Republicans out as the cost of healthcare, groceries, school supplies, rent, electricity all go up and up and up.

We still have some time to avoid that dismal outcome.

We Democrats don’t want to see a government shutdown.

But avoiding one means Republicans have to show they are serious about having a real, substantive, serious negotiation.

This week we need to see signs from Republicans that they are serious about avoiding a shutdown or time will run out.

And the American people will know Republicans will be responsible if a shutdown happens.

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