Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected the House’s plan to fund the government, saying it cannot pass the Senate and does nothing to avert a shutdown on Oct. 1.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy is laboring to pass a bill funding the government for a month past Sept. 30 with blunt spending cuts and a border policy bill as a point of leverage in the spending debate consuming Washington. That bill is a nonstarter in the Democratic Senate, however.
In fact, Schumer said a “shutdown is inevitable” if conservative members are driving the strategy.
“This is not a serious proposal for avoiding a government shutdown and if passed would never have enough votes to make it through the Senate,” Schumer said on the floor Monday, ticking off the lack of Ukraine aid, FAA reauthorization and deep spending cuts as all objectionable.
