Senate Democrats threaten to block the annual defense bill as a September funding deadline approaches
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Monday that Congress could face another government shutdown this fall as Democrats intensify their opposition to President Donald Trump’s proposed defense buildup and the ongoing war with Iran.
In a letter to Senate Democrats, Schumer accused Republicans of pursuing a partisan spending process and attempting to pressure Democrats into approving the administration’s defense priorities without meaningful negotiations.
Republicans, he wrote, are “manufacturing a partisan process” and then “accusing Democrats of wanting a shutdown because we refuse to rubber-stamp the result.”
The warning comes as Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to approve funding for the 2027 fiscal year. Failure to reach an agreement would trigger a shutdown beginning Oct. 1.
At the center of the dispute is Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, which the White House says is necessary to strengthen the military amid the expanding confrontation with Iran. The president has also called for an additional $350 billion defense package to be passed through budget reconciliation, allowing Republicans to bypass the Senate’s usual 60-vote threshold.
Democrats are also threatening to block consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act, legislation that traditionally receives broad bipartisan support. Reuters previously reported growing Democratic resistance to advancing the measure amid disputes over Iran, Israel, and the administration’s military strategy.
“It’s essentially an Iran War authorization bill,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Monday, announcing that he would vote against it.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said Congress had not held an up-or-down vote authorizing the war and accused the administration of demanding additional Pentagon funding without providing sufficient accountability or a clear strategy.
The confrontation comes after the Senate approved a war powers resolution in June challenging Trump’s authority to continue military operations against Iran without congressional authorization.
Republicans face additional complications following the death of Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham and the absence of Senate defense appropriations chairman Mitch McConnell, who is recovering from a fall.
Schumer argued that Republicans still have time to abandon what he described as a “my-way-or-the-highway” approach and begin bipartisan negotiations.
“Eleven weeks remain,” Schumer wrote. “Time enough for Republicans to abandon my-way-or-the-highway budgeting and begin the serious bipartisan negotiations required to fund the government responsibly.”
The approaching standoff follows repeated shutdown battles during Trump’s second term, including disputes over health insurance subsidies and Democratic demands for restrictions on federal immigration enforcement.
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