President Donald Trump's threat to lay off federal employees during a potential shutdown is deepening divisions among Senate Democrats, who face mounting pressure over whether to hold firm against a House-passed short-term funding bill, The Hill reported.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has insisted his caucus oppose the measure, signaling he will not back down even as some centrists seek a way out. Schumer, who faces the prospect of a primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2028, dismissed Trump's threat as an overreach that courts would likely strike down.
"This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government. Their unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back, just like they did as recently as today," Schumer said Wednesday.
Several Democrats were wary of relying on judicial intervention, however.
With the Supreme Court holding a 6-3 conservative majority and a track record of favoring Trump, some senators are questioning whether federal workers would be protected. The court recently cleared the way for Trump to remove Rebecca Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission, signaling a willingness to revisit limits on executive authority over independent agencies.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who is retiring in 2026, has quietly opened conversations with Republicans about a potential compromise. "I'm not going to draw a line in the sand and say it's got to be this way or that way," she told Semafor in an interview, suggesting she could support the House bill when Senate Majority Leader John Thune brings it to the floor.
According to Democratic sources, several senators share Shaheen's concerns.
Centrist and retiring members, including Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Gary Peters of Michigan and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, remain undecided. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has already broken ranks, casting the lone Democratic vote in favor of the stopgap last week.
At least eight Democrats would need to side with Republicans to advance the funding bill, a difficult threshold given Schumer's tight grip on the caucus. Still, Republicans say bipartisan talks are underway. "There is a small handful of intelligent Democrats who don't want to see the government shut down [and] are working behind the scenes," a GOP aide said.
Republicans hold 53 seats, although not all are in favor of the bill.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has vowed to oppose the measure, calling it an extension of "Biden-era spending levels." Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against the stopgap in the House last week but signaled she could support a clean resolution if it attracts broader bipartisan support.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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