The Republican-controlled House of Representatives earlier this week passed the measure, which largely leaves spending steady at about $6.75 trillion in the fiscal year that ends September 30.
Democrats expressed anger over the bill, which would cut spending by about $7 billion and they said does nothing to stop Trump’s campaign, spearheaded by Elon Musk, to halt congressionally mandated spending and slash tens of thousands of jobs.
Those moves are coming at the same time as Trump is locked in a trade war with some of the US’s closest allies that has sparked a major sell-off in stocks and raised recession worries.
Top U. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said he disliked the bill but said the consequences of a government shutdown would be a ”far worse option.”
”A shutdown would give Donald Trump and Elon Musk carte blanche to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now,” Schumer said. ”The Trump administration would have full authority to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel non-essential, furloughing staff with no promise they would ever be rehired.”
Blocking the bill would have required the support of at least 41 of Schumer’s Democrats, who have long opposed government shutdowns as causing needless chaos to American families.
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and a 218-213 edge in the House.
The partisan bill would reduce spending by about $7 billion from last year’s levels. The US military would get about $6 billion more, while non-defence programmes would see a $13 billion reduction.
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