Senate will vote Wednesday to avoid government shutdown, Schumer says

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced the Senate will vote Wednesday afternoon on a stopgap measure funding the federal government until Dec. 20 and will not consider any amendments, such as a proposal to toughen voter registration requirements, that could have delayed the bill for days.

Schumer received unanimous consent for the Senate to immediately proceed to the three-month government funding bill once it passes the House, which is expected to happen mid-afternoon Wednesday.

“There is very good news tonight. I have just locked in an agreement to pass the government funding bill tomorrow without amendment and avoid an unnecessary government shutdown,” Schumer announced on the floor Tuesday evening.

Congress needs to pass a continuing resolution by Sept. 30 to avoid a lapse in government funding.

“American families can rest assured now that their lives won’t be needlessly upended due to an unnecessary government shutdown,” Schumer said.

The Senate will first vote midday Wednesday on a budget resolution sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that would cut six cents for every dollar spent over the next five years, which would balance the budget after five years.

Paul said earlier in the week that he would not insist on amendments to the stopgap funding measure, given the rapidly approaching deadline to fund the government.

Other Senate conservatives said they didn’t think they had much leverage to insist on a vote on the SAVE Act, which would require individuals to show proof of citizenship to register to vote.

“I don’t want to be threatening shutdowns here. I don’t like the outcome, I’ll let other people vote to pass it. I won’t. I’ll just register my disgust at the process by not supporting it,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a prominent conservative, said of the short-term funding measure.