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Indian-American lawmakers condemn GOP spending bill
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, however, allowed the measure to advance, warning a government shutdown would pose an even greater risk to Americans.
Rep. Shri Thanedar, Rep. Ami Bera, Rep. Pramila Jayapal. / Facebook
Indian American Democrats Rep. Shri Thanedar, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and Rep. Ami Bera alongside 60 other House Democrats on Mar.14 urged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to reject a Republican-led full-year continuing resolution, calling it a partisan attempt to gut critical government services and cater to former President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s agenda.
In a letter sent to Schumer, members of the House Democratic Caucus warned that the Republican leadership had deliberately sidelined Democrats in the budget process. They called on Senate Democrats to oppose what they described as Republican "hostage-taking" that threatens seniors, veterans, and working-class families.
“If Republicans in Congress want to pass this bill, they should do so with their own votes,” the letter stated. “However, since they cannot, Republicans must work with Democrats to pass a clean 30-day continuing resolution and continue negotiating full FY25 appropriations.”
Despite initial resistance from Senate Democrats, Schumer ultimately allowed the measure to advance, warning that a government shutdown would pose an even greater risk to the American people. The Senate approved the bill in a 54-46 vote, with one Republican opposing it and two Democrats supporting it.
President Trump signed the stopgap funding measure on Mar.15, securing temporary government funding through September.
The vote followed days of tense deliberations among Senate Democrats, many of whom struggled with the political consequences of either allowing the bill to pass or risking a shutdown.
The measure called the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, would fund the government under a continuing resolution (CR) for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that this bill would set overall base discretionary budget authority for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 at $1.600 trillion, with $893 billion for defense and $708 billion for nondefense.
Democrats push back
The Democratic lawmakers accused Republicans of using government funding as a political weapon, pushing extreme policies while refusing bipartisan compromise.
Rep. Shri Thanedar posted on social media, "Alongside @RepDerekTranCA and 60+ Democrats, I’m calling on the Senate to say NO to the GOP’s CR. This is our moment to stand against Trump and Musk’s influence. A clean 30-day CR is the way forward to a bipartisan agreement."
Rep. Ami Bera criticized Schumer’s decision: “Rather than holding Republicans accountable for their reckless governance, Leader Schumer handed them a lifeline—validating their partisan strategy instead of using this moment as a point of leverage to demand accountability,” Bera wrote. “We were sent here to govern, not cave to Republican gamesmanship.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal also voiced her disappointment, saying: “I’m incredibly disappointed in the Senate’s vote to pass Republicans’ partisan spending bill. Democrats should not be complicit in giving a blank check to Trump and Elon Musk. Fighting back for the American people is the only way forward.”
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