At this point, it’s hard to tell what’s more chaotic—the government shutdown fight itself or the Democratic Party’s complete inability to agree on anything. House Democrats are furious with their Senate counterparts, and the divide within their party is reaching a boiling point.
As we reported on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) threw in the towel and announced he would vote for the House GOP’s stopgap continuing resolution (CR). That decision came after a heated Senate lunch meeting where Democratic infighting reportedly got loud. The reality? Schumer likely knew he didn’t have the votes to hold the line, so he caved. But now, House Democrats are losing their minds, especially since they wanted a 30-day CR instead—a measure that had little chance of making it through the Senate.
We strongly oppose the partisan and harmful Republican spending bill. pic.twitter.com/0AelLxkfqg
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) March 14, 2025
The outrage is on full display. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries put out a statement expressing the caucus’s deep frustration. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took to social media, ranting that Senate Democrats still had time to change their minds. Even Jaime Harrison, the immediate past DNC chair, couldn’t contain his anger.
Over on MSNBC, Schumer tried to explain his decision, arguing that forcing a shutdown would only give President Donald Trump more leverage. But AOC, in typical fashion, refused to accept reality.
Republicans’ partisan spending bill turns the federal government into a slush fund for Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
It’s unthinkable that any Senate Democrat would hand them a blank check by voting for cloture. pic.twitter.com/bAfJabwfkN
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) March 14, 2025
“I cannot underscore enough how incorrect that is,” she declared, insisting that the CR would “codify the chaos” and “empower Elon Musk’s reckless cuts.” She even accused Republicans of “robbing our federal government in order to finance tax cuts for billionaires.” A bold claim, but not one rooted in actual policy.
And then there’s Susan Rice, who went straight for the dramatic response: “WTF? @SenSchumer please grow a spine. And quickly.” Clearly, some on the left are watching their influence slip away, and they’re not handling it well.
The numbers tell the real story. Republicans need eight Senate Democrats to get the CR passed since Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is already a no. If Schumer and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) are on board, that’s two, and there are likely more—hence why Schumer folded.
