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Carl Hulse


NextImg:Ahead of Shutdown Deadline, Democrats Face a Dilemma on Spending

With a government funding deadline looming in September, Democrats face the same quandary that dogged them earlier this year: Should they cut a spending deal with an administration that has routinely undermined Congress’s power of the purse, or filibuster their way into a shutdown?

Back in March, Democrats agonized for days over whether to supply the votes needed to allow a G.O.P.-written stopgap spending measure to move ahead. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, and nine other members of his caucus ultimately voted to let it advance, arguing that a shutdown would only empower Mr. Trump to tighten his grip on federal agencies and unilaterally decide what money to spend.

But that led to an intense backlash from Democratic voters, activists and lawmakers, who accused Mr. Schumer of squandering an opportunity to challenge Mr. Trump. That has soured Democrats’ appetite for voting for Republican funding bills at a time when they are already outraged at the president’s escalating campaign to undercut congressional spending authority.

Republicans pushed through legislation this month to claw back $9 billion in congressionally approved spending, acceding to Mr. Trump’s request over unanimous Democratic opposition. The White House has signaled that it plans to send a second such package to Capitol Hill in the near future.

“It is no secret the path to advancing more of our bills is going to be harder because of the unprecedented, partisan rescissions bill that Republicans just passed,” said Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. “It is extremely frustrating to see so many of the colleagues that have worked with us to pass funding bills turn around and vote to rip away the funding that we all agreed on.”

Russell T. Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters recently that the appropriations process “has to be less bipartisan,” infuriating Democrats who said the comment poisoned the well as they worked with Republicans to put together spending bills.


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