Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer is threatening to risk a government shutdown at the end of the month if Republicans do not meet Democrat demands on health care and spending.
The move marks a sharp reversal for Schumer, who earlier this year sided with Republicans to keep the government open and faced fierce backlash from Democrats for doing so, Newsmax reported.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Schumer said the situation is now different than it was in March.
“Things have changed” since that earlier vote, Schumer said.
He argued that Republicans have since passed President Donald Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts legislation, which included cuts to Medicaid and other programs, and that Democrats are now unified — unlike in the spring, when his vote angered the party’s base.
Schumer said he and House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries are now united in opposing any government funding bill that does not include key health care provisions and a guarantee those provisions will not be rolled back.
