WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Sunday that Congress can prevent a government shutdown when money expires this week, but only if Republicans engage in a “serious negotiation.”
In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Schumer told moderator Kristen Welker that he called Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Friday to encourage a meeting, which the White House accepted on Saturday evening.
Schumer said reaching a deal “depends on the Republicans.”
“We need the meeting. It’s a first step, but only a first step. We need a serious negotiation,” Schumer said. “Now, if the president at this meeting is going to rant and just yell at Democrats and talk about all his alleged grievances and say this, that and the other thing, we won’t get anything done.”
“But my hope is it’ll be a serious negotiation,” he said, adding that he avoided shutdowns as majority leader by negotiating with Republicans. “You don’t do this by one party putting together a completely partisan bill and saying take it or leave it.”
He said Trump’s decision to accept the meeting shows that Republicans “feel the heat.”
“The president at first said no,” he added. “Remember, he first said yes for a meeting, then he said no for a meeting. He went on a rant against Democrats. But I think they felt the heat and they now want to sit down. But the fundamental question hasn’t been answered yet, and we’ll see on Monday: Are they serious about negotiating with us in a real way?”
Schumer didn’t directly say whether an extension of expiring Obamacare funds must be included in a bill to win Democratic votes.
“We have two concerns. The first is health care. Our health care situation is a shambles in good part because of what the Republicans did in the ‘BBB,’ their so-called ‘big, beautiful bill,’” Schumer said. “People are losing their jobs. Rural hospitals are closing. People are going to get notices of $4,000-a-year increase in their premiums. So our job is to represent the people of America. So far, they’ve stonewalled and said we’re not discussing any of that. And we’ll see if it changes.”
It takes 60 votes to pass a funding bill in the Senate. Republicans control 53 seats in the chamber.
Schumer, who acceded to a Republican-written bill to keep the government open in March, denied that his change in posture is due to pressure he’s receiving from the Democratic base.
He added that he’s unimpressed by the White House budget office memo threatening mass firings of federal employees in the event of a shutdown.
“As for these massive layoffs, guess what? Simple one-sentence answer: They’re doing it anyway. There’s no shutdown. They’re laying off all these people,” Schumer said. “They’re trying to intimidate the American people, and us.”
