Majority Leader | Research | The Leader Board | THE NEWSR...Skip to primary navigation Skip to content×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNE×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUFacebookXInstagramFacebookXInstagramVisit Leader Thune's South Dakota Site Here THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUHomeTHE NEWSROOMThe Leader Board09.16.25Schumer vs. Schumer on “Harmful and Unnecessary” Government ShutdownsFor Years, Leader Schumer Has Warned About the Negative Effects of a Government Shutdown. But Now in the Minority and Feeling the Heat from Progressives, Schumer Is Willing to Oppose a Clean Continuing Resolution and Shut Down the Government. IN RECENT YEARS, LEADER SCHUMER HAS EMPHASIZED THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS A SHUTDOWN WOULD HAVE ON EVERYONE, INCLUDING VETERANS, FARMERS, AND SMALL BUSINESSES“Avoiding a shutdown is very good news for the country, for our veterans, for parents and children, and for farmers and small businesses – all of whom would have felt the sting had the government shut down.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (1/18/24)“As we speak, there’s still a loud contingent of hard right rabble-rousers who, amazingly, believe that causing a shutdown is somehow a good thing, if it gets them what they want. The MAGA hard right thinks that it’s perfectly fine to have VA offices close, or to endanger nutrition programs that help seven million moms and kids, or suspend disaster aid for farmers. In the twisted logic of the hard-right, the theory is if enough people feel the pain of a shutdown, the hard right can bully the rest of Congress into enacting their deeply unpopular agenda.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (1/18/24)“[A] shutdown would mean chaos and pain and needless heartache for the American people.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (9/23/24)“I just locked in an agreement to pass the government funding bill tomorrow without amendments, avoiding an unnecessary government shutdown. Families can rest assured that their lives won’t be needlessly upended due to an unnecessary shutdown.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (9/24/24)“The individual costs are even harder than the big number. Who knows how many federal workers missed a doctor’s appointment or fell behind on their payments because they were missing multiple paychecks… [N]o more shutdowns.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (1/29/19)SCHUMER HAS REPEATEDLY DECRIED ATTACHING SO-CALLED “POISON PILLS” TO GOVERNMENT FUNDING MEASURES, EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR CLEAN CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS (CRs)“If we are going to keep the lights on beyond this Friday, our Republican colleagues will have to work with Democrats in a bipartisan way to pass a clean extension without hard-right cuts and without poison pills.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (11/14/23)“Passing a clean CR this week is important for two main reasons: First, passing the CR, of course, will avert a harmful and unnecessary government shutdown. No reasonable member on either side – Democrat or Republican – wants a government shutdown.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (1/16/24)“So, if both sides work together, if we reject poison pills that can never become law, and if we tune out the extreme, radical voices of the hard-right, then the task before us becomes much, much easier.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (2/27/24)“Keeping the government open will mean no poison pills or reckless partisan posturing.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (9/9/24)“The only way we prevent a shutdown is through bipartisan cooperation, without any last-minute poison pills that only create controversy. Adding poison pills at the 11th hour would only make the risk of a Christmas shutdown greater. That would hurt Americans across this country.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (12/12/24)“Democrats have warned we can’t have poison pills, and this bill has no poison pills.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (12/18/24)AFTER SCHUMER RELUCTANTLY VOTED TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OPEN IN MARCH, HE SPOKE ABOUT THE CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES OF A POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN“I felt and those who voted with me felt that as bad as the CR was, and I know a lot of members didn't like the CR, a government shutdown would be far worse.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (3/14/25)“I felt I had to do it for the future, not only of the Democratic Party, but the country… as bad as that CR bill was — and it was bad — a shutdown is 10 times worse.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (3/18/25)“The CR was certainly bad, you know, the continuing resolution. But a shutdown would be 15 or 20 times worse… It was a vote of principle, you know? Sometimes when you're a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger that might come down the curve.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (3/23/25)“There is no exit ramp. Once you shut down the government, it is totally up to DOGE and Trump and Musk how long we’re in shutdown. We could have been in shutdown for months.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (3/14/25)“For me, the shutdown of the government would just be devastating and far worse than the Republican C.R. Let me explain: A shutdown would shut down all government agencies, and it would solely be up to Trump and DOGE and Musk what to open again, because they could determine what was essential.” –Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (3/16/25)“So it’d be horrible. The damage they can do under a shutdown is much worse than any other damage that they could do.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (3/16/25)“And finally, one final point here, and that is that right now under the C.R., you can go to court and contest an executive order to shut something down. Under a shutdown, the executive branch has sole power. So, in conclusion, I knew this would be an unpopular decision. I knew that. I know politics. But I felt so strongly as a leader that I couldn’t let this happen because weeks and months from now, things would be far worse than they even are today, that I had to do what I had to do.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (3/16/25)“For weeks and months, we had said a shutdown is awful. And by the way, every Democrat, no matter how they voted, wanted to make sure there was no shutdown.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (3/16/25)BUT NOW SCHUMER SEEMS INTENT ON CAVING TO PROGRESSIVES’ DEMANDS TO SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT – AND HE CAN’T EVEN SETTLE ON A REASON WHY“Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer weathered backlash from Democrats earlier this year when he voted with Republicans to keep the government open. But he’s now willing to risk a shutdown at the end of the month if Republicans don’t accede to Democratic demands.” (The Associated Press: Schumer warns of a shutdown if Republicans don’t accept Democrats’ health care demands – 9/12/25)“Schumer’s threat comes as Republicans are considering a short-term stopgap spending measure to avoid a Sept. 30 shutdown...” (The Associated Press: Schumer warns of a shutdown if Republicans don’t accept Democrats’ health care demands – 9/12/25)“‘Things have changed’ since the March vote, Schumer said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday.” (The Associated Press: Schumer warns of a shutdown if Republicans don’t accept Democrats’ health care demands – 9/12/25)But Democrats can’t seem to articulate why they want a shutdown – just that they want to prove to their base they’re fighting:“Democrats say that this time Schumer is serious.” (Semafor: Schumer faces Dem pressure cooker with shutdown fight – 9/12/25)“Asked if she’s worried that Schumer will change his position when the deadline approaches, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., replied: ‘Nope.’” (Semafor: Schumer faces Dem pressure cooker with shutdown fight – 9/12/25)“There’s now a different vibe on the Democratic side, people are more focused on the urgency of the fight. Democrats are sticking together.” – Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)“He deserves our support in making those negotiations. I think the caucus is not going to turn on him.” – Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.)“Every single day, there’s new evidence that our democracy is falling, and you’ve got to take stands. You have to take fights.” – Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)“I think we’re in a different place than March.” – Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.)Slotkin’s “reflecting a desire among the party’s base to fight back harder against the Trump administration.” (Punchbowl News: AM: Dems are digging in for a funding fight – 9/10/25)“Progressives are watching Schumer’s moves closely after another government funding showdown earlier this year. In March, Schumer came under fire from liberal activists and House Democrats when he voted to advance a Republican bill to avoid a shutdown.” (Politico: MoveOn demands Schumer and Jeffries ‘hold the line’ on health care in shutdown fight – 9/12/25)“Plunging into a shutdown is risky for Democratic leaders, who rejected the option earlier this year. But a shutdown fight might be the only action that appeases their deeply unsatisfied party base.” (Axios: Democrats embrace government shutdowns in Trump 2.0 – 9/10/25)“They want Democratic leaders to take the fight to President Donald Trump and Hill Republicans — even if it means a government shutdown.” (Punchbowl News: Midday: Democrats spoiling for a shutdown fight – 9/10/25)PrintEmailTweetNextPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram
