Catie Edmondson

And so the argument is essentially this bill creates a lot of slush funds for the administration to be able to use however they want.

And so the argument is essentially this bill creates a lot of slush funds for the administration to be able to use however they want.

And at a moment where Democratic members of Congress already feel that the executive branch is running absolute roughshod over sort of congressional spending prerogatives. Yes.

And at a moment where Democratic members of Congress already feel that the executive branch is running absolute roughshod over sort of congressional spending prerogatives. Yes.

That's right. In order to get a final vote on the spending bill, Republicans need to be able to break a filibuster, which means if the bill is allowed to proceed, it's going to require Democratic support.

That's right. In order to get a final vote on the spending bill, Republicans need to be able to break a filibuster, which means if the bill is allowed to proceed, it's going to require Democratic support.

Well, that is the early indication.

Well, that is the early indication.

Because of that... This is not something Democratic senators can support. Let's try to draft some sort of bipartisan bill that we can all get behind.

Because of that... This is not something Democratic senators can support. Let's try to draft some sort of bipartisan bill that we can all get behind.

But clearly that's something Republicans don't want to do. And instead, what Democratic senators find themselves faced with is what many of them describe to me as a really agonizing decision.

But clearly that's something Republicans don't want to do. And instead, what Democratic senators find themselves faced with is what many of them describe to me as a really agonizing decision.

So they're faced with this dilemma, which is which path gives Trump the least amount of leverage? A lot of them, I think, viewed this as a moment to be able to use sort of the little remaining power they have left in Congress in the minority to say, we're going to shut the government down. We are not going to vote to allow Trump to continue the status quo.

So they're faced with this dilemma, which is which path gives Trump the least amount of leverage? A lot of them, I think, viewed this as a moment to be able to use sort of the little remaining power they have left in Congress in the minority to say, we're going to shut the government down. We are not going to vote to allow Trump to continue the status quo.

We are going to throw sand in the gears here. We will not lend our votes to support what you're doing.

We are going to throw sand in the gears here. We will not lend our votes to support what you're doing.

That's right. Now, the other option that senators are weighing is a lot of them are very concerned that if they do, in fact, vote to filibuster this bill, Democrats will be blamed for shutting the government down, which is something that we know voters hate. But there's a deeper fear, which is that by shutting the government down, you actually empower the Trump administration even more.

That's right. Now, the other option that senators are weighing is a lot of them are very concerned that if they do, in fact, vote to filibuster this bill, Democrats will be blamed for shutting the government down, which is something that we know voters hate. But there's a deeper fear, which is that by shutting the government down, you actually empower the Trump administration even more.

Well, in a shutdown, the Trump administration and specifically the Office of Management and Budget, which is run by a real conservative hardliner, gets to decide which federal workers are deemed essential and which are deemed non-essential.

Well, in a shutdown, the Trump administration and specifically the Office of Management and Budget, which is run by a real conservative hardliner, gets to decide which federal workers are deemed essential and which are deemed non-essential.