Senate Democrats will meet at lunch today to discuss how they will proceed on the House-passed funding bill, with many still unable to decide whether to vote for the measure that keeps the government funded through Sept. 30 or risk a shutdown starting Saturday.
“We’re never convinced that the House is gonna do anything until they do it, so meeting tomorrow to assess the path forward,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., last night.
Murphy said he would support a “clean” bill for 30 days “to keep negotiating,” but said the existing measure was “a Republican budget.”
While some Democrats have advocated for voting against the legislation, many are saying they disagree with the bill but are unable to say yet how they will vote, including Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who said “Stay tuned,” and Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who said she’s “undecided.”
The legislation needs 60 votes to advance in the Senate, and Sen Rand Paul, R-Ky., has said he will vote against it. That means eight Democrats would have to vote in favor of the measure if the remaining 52 Republicans support it.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has said she will support the bill.
“I just don’t want us to go through the costs and problems that are created by a government shutdown. And for that reason I’m going to be a ‘yes’ vote,” she said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the bill “shouldn’t fail.”
“I think we have a chance now the House has passed it if the Democrats will cooperate to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year and avoid a government shutdown,” Thune told reporters. “To me, it’s a pretty simple proposition.”