With One Week to Go and More Than $1 Trillion in Demands, Democrats Careen Toward a Shutdown

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 Board09.24.25With One Week to Go and More Than $1 Trillion in Demands, Democrats Careen Toward a ShutdownDemocrats Seem Perfectly Willing to Shutter Critical Health Care Services Despite Previously Decrying the Consequences of a Shutdown (Click here to download)DEMOCRATS SURE SEEM WILLING TO SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT AND ARE STILL HOLDING GOVERNMENT FUNDING HOSTAGE OVER THEIR UNSERIOUS PROPOSAL“The contrast between the Republican bill and the Democrat bill is glaring. The Republican bill is a clean, nonpartisan short-term continuing resolution to fund the government to give us time to do the full appropriations process. And the Democrat bill is the exact opposite. It’s what you might call, not a clean CR, a dirty CR – laden down with partisan policies and appeals to Democrats’ leftist base.” – Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)Democrats “want to use a showdown to extort more domestic spending. Democrats have offered a draft CR that would add nearly $1.5 trillion in new spending, says Matthew Dickerson at the Economic Policy Innovation Center.” (The Wall Street Journal: Editorial: Chuck Schumer Courts a Government Shutdown – 9/18/25)“Democrats think they can force Republicans to repeal health provisions in their big budget bill this year. The party also wants the GOP to extend—permanently—enhanced ObamaCare subsidies that Democrats passed for a pandemic emergency that ended more than two years ago.” (The Wall Street Journal: Editorial: Chuck Schumer Courts a Government Shutdown – 9/18/25)“There’s no chance that Republicans are going to roll back OBBB…” (Punchbowl News: AM: Inside Schumer's shutdown strategy – 9/19/25)“Republicans called Democrats’ demands unserious, instead pushing for the short-term measure to buy time to iron out comprehensive spending legislation for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The proposal also includes security funding for lawmakers and federal officials sought by both parties following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.” (The Wall Street Journal: Trump Rejects Meeting With Democrats as Shutdown Approaches – 9/23/25)“Schumer, who faced criticism in March for voting in favor of a Republican proposal to keep the government open, has indicated he is preparing to take the matter down to the wire.” (The Wall Street Journal: Trump Rejects Meeting With Democrats as Shutdown Approaches – 9/23/25)“Schumer is convinced that Trump and Republicans will own the shutdown, which flies in the face of decades of political history about the fallout from these types of showdowns.” (Punchbowl News: AM: Inside Schumer's shutdown strategy – 9/19/25)“But if Democrats court a shutdown, they’ll own the results. GOP leader John Thune noted on the Senate floor that most Democrats had no problem voting for short-term funding measures more than a dozen times when President Biden and Democrats ran Washington.” (The Wall Street Journal: Editorial: Chuck Schumer Courts a Government Shutdown – 9/18/25)A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WOULD STOP CRITICAL VETERANS AND HEALTH CARE SERVICES, INCLUDING VETERANS SUICIDE PREVENTION, NURSING HOME SERVICES, AND OTHER CRITICAL HEALTH PROGRAMS“Under a shutdown, federal funding for important national priorities would be halted, including grants to state and local law enforcement and other first responders, new funding and support for the Head Start program and child welfare services, as well as formula grants to states that support older Americans and individuals with disabilities.” – Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine)If a shutdown happens, these are some of the programs Senate Democrats will let expire:“Sec. 101. Extension for community health centers, National Health Service Corps, and teaching health centers that operate GME programs. This section reauthorizes the Community Health Center Fund, the National Health Service Corps, and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program through November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 201. Extension of increased inpatient hospital payment adjustment for certain low-volume hospitals. This section extends the Medicare low-volume hospital payment adjustment through November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 202. Extension of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program. This section extends the Medicare-dependent Hospital (MDH) program through November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 205. Extension of funding outreach and assistance for low-income programs. This section provides funding for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), and a contract with an entity to inform older Americans about benefits available under Federal and State programs through November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 206. Extension of the work geographic index floor. This section extends the 1.0 work geographic practice cost index (GPCI) floor used in the calculation of payments under the Medicare physician fee schedule through November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 207. Extension of certain telehealth flexibilities. This section extends Medicare telehealth flexibilities through November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 208. Extending acute hospital care at home waiver authorities. This section extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative, as currently authorized under CMS waivers and flexibilities, through November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 501. Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Amendments. This section reauthorizes the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program (OMUFA) for fiscal years 2026 to 2030. Reauthorization of this program includes the negotiated agreement on performance goals and procedures between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and industry for the upcoming five-year period, as well as provisions to improve transparency and accountability of the FDA relating to its regulation of over-the-counter (OTC) products.”“Sec. 102. Extension of requirement to provide nursing home care to certain veterans with service-connected disabilities. This section would extend VA’s authority to provide nursing home care to veterans with a service-connected disability rated at 70 percent or more, or who require nursing home care for their service-connected disability, from September 30, 2025, to November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 103. Extension of Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. This section would extend VA’s authority to operate the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program until November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 104. Extension of funding for expansion of Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) Program. This section would extend funding for VA’s RANGE program, which establishes rural mental health centers under the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act, from 2025 to 2026.”“Sec. 202. Extension of requirement relating to restoration of entitlement to educational assistance in cases of closure or disapproval of educational institutions. This section would extend VA’s authority to restore education benefits for veterans impacted by school closures or program disapprovals from September 30, 2025, to November 21, 2025.”“Sec. 204. Extension of authority to maintain regional office in the Republic of the Philippines. This section would extend VA’s authority to operate its regional office in Manila, Philippines, from September 30, 2025, to November 21, 2025.” (U.S. House Committee on Appropriations: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 Section-by-Section Summary – 9/16/25)IN PAST YEARS, DEMOCRATS HAVE WARNED ABOUT THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF A SHUTDOWN“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.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (1/18/24)“There is a time and a place to debate health care, just like there is a time and place to debate energy policy and immigration and education—but not when the funding of the federal government, and all the lives that are impacted by it, hang in the balance.” – Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) (9/27/13)While saying in 2013 that a “government shutdown would harm the people of Hawai’i,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said a government shutdown could “[d]elay new seniors and veterans from receiving benefits and payments, including Social Security.” (Sen. Schatz: Schatz Votes to Keep Government from Shutting Down – 9/27/13)In 2013, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said, “We cannot allow ideological issues to stop us from funding the basic operations of the government.” (Sen. Warner: Statement on Vote to Avoid a Government Shutdown – 9/27/13)In 2013, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) decried the tactics behind a shutdown and said, “The least we can do – the bare minimum that we can do – would be to pass a ‘continuing resolution’ to keep the doors open and the lights on. We could ensure that over a million federal workers aren’t simply sent home for no reason. We could avoid a government shutdown.” (Sen. Warren: Senator Elizabeth Warren Remarks on the Floor of the U.S. Senate – 9/30/13)In 2019, Sen. Warren even said a prolonged shutdown “could mean a health emergency.” (Sen. Warren: Senator Warren Delivers Floor Speech on Government Shutdown – 1/16/19)In 2013, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said a “shutdown would stop Hawaii residents from accessing basic government services, prevent military personnel from receiving their paychecks, stop the processing of new Social Security and veterans benefits and block access to loans and assistance for small businesses.” (Sen. Hirono: Hirono Votes to Prevent Government Shutdown and Protect Kupuna, Service Members and Working Families – 9/27/13)Last December, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) touted her work preventing a shutdown “that would have stopped military paychecks, threatened Social Security and Medicare, and failed Congress’ most basic responsibility.” (Sen. Slotkin: post on X – 12/20/24)At the same time, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) called a shutdown “the last thing Arizonans need,” adding that it “would delay paychecks to servicemembers, reduce services for seniors, and hurt our state.” (Sen. Kelly: post on X – 12/19/24)PrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram