Senate Democrats could approve a Republican project to prevent the closure of the government, said minority leader Chuck Schumer.
The main American Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, said Thursday that he would vote to advance with a republican bill to finance a provisional projectpointing out that his party would provide votes to avoid a government closure.
“I will vote to keep the government open and not close it,” he said in a speech before the Senate.
Schumer acknowledged the difficulty of his decision, which will make him evidenced as a supporter of a bill drafted exclusively by Republicans and has raised strong attacks by the Democrats. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans, earlier this week.
At a press conference later on Thursday, Schumer did not give details about how other Senate Democrats would vote on Friday before the midnight deadline when current financing for programs other than the benefits of social security retirement and Medicare and Medicaid health insurance for elderly, poor and disabled.
“While the members study (the bill) and analyze it, each one makes their own decision,” said New York Democrat.
Schumer said he was still arguing with the leader of the republican majority of the Senate, John Thune, the possibility that senators are allowed to present amendments to the bill.
On Wednesday, Schumer raised the idea that the Democrats offer an amendment to extend the current financing for a month, instead of the republican approach of an extension of six and a half months, until the fiscal year that ends on September 30.
The objective would be to give the senators more time to write detailed bills adapted to this fiscal year instead of depending mainly on the approach of last year for spending.
But it is unlikely that the Democrats have the necessary votes to approve said amendment, even if their vote was allowed.
Block the Republican bill that was approved by the Chamber on Tuesday would have required the support of at least 41 of Schumer's Democrats and would have triggered a partial closure of the government, to which the Democrats have been opposed for a long time because it is considered unnecessary chaos.