Schumer, Jeffries Call For Bipartisanship To Avoid Government Shutdown

Authored by Jackson Richman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Democratic leaders in the Senate and House are calling for bipartisanship to avoid a government shutdown.

Congress returned this week from its August recess, and government funding runs out at the end of the month.

“The only way to avoid a shutdown is to work in a bipartisan way, with a bill that can get both Republican and Democratic votes in the Senate,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote in a Sept. 2 letter to colleagues.

Schumer accused GOP lawmakers of wanting to “go-at-it-alone.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) also warned of a government shutdown if Republicans don’t work with Democrats.

“House Democrats are very clear: We’re not down with that,” he said. “And so if what we see next month is simply a continuation of that reckless right-wing Republican approach, we won’t be down with it next month either.”

The National Republican Congressional Committee, the main fundraising and campaign arm of the House GOP, criticized Jeffries for threatening a government shutdown.

“Democrat ‘Leader’ Hakeem Jeffries admitted his radical party is plotting another government shutdown because they’d rather play politics than govern,” the group’s spokesperson, Mike Marinella, said in a statement.

“While Republicans are focused on keeping the government open and working for the American people, Democrats are threatening chaos to protect their extremist agenda.”

In his letter, Schumer criticized the Trump administration for seeking to unilaterally undo government funding.

“With the Trump Administration’s attempt of the so-called ’pocket rescission,’ it is clear that Republicans are prioritizing chaos over governing, partisanship over partnership, and their own power over the American people,” he wrote.

In accordance with the Impoundment Control Act, a rescission is when the White House requests Congress to reverse government funding that has been appropriated by Congress. It must be approved within 45 days of the request being sent to Congress, or else the money must be spent. With the fiscal year set to end on Sept. 30, a rescission request would take effect without Congress approving it.

The Trump administration sent a request to Congress to rescind $4.9 billion in foreign assistance.

“Last night, President Trump cancelled $4.9 billion in America Last foreign aid using a pocket rescission,” the Office of Management and Budget wrote on X on Aug. 29.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said that the request was a way for the administration to go around Congress.

“Republicans should not accept Russ Vought’s brazen attempt to usurp their own power,” she said in an Aug. 29 statement, referring to the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

“No president has a line item veto—and certainly not a retroactive line item veto.

“Congress should reject this request and this ridiculous, illegal maneuver—and instead insist on making decisions over spending through the bipartisan appropriations process.”

In his letter, Schumer said Democrats are ready to work with Republicans to fund the government.

“Senate Democrats have shown firsthand that we are willing to work in a bipartisan way to keep our government open by advancing bipartisan appropriations bills,” he wrote.

“However, the Trump administration is waging an all-out war against Congress’ Article I authority and the constitutional balance of power. Senate Republicans must decide: stand up for the legislative branch or enable Trump’s slide toward authoritarianism.”

Schumer said that he has spoken with Jeffries and the two “are aligned on our shared priorities for September: where Republicans obstruct, we press forward; where they sow division, we answer with unity; where they threaten shutdown, we hold them accountable.”