Congressional Black Caucus members condemn spending bill as ‘blank check’ for Trump, Musk

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have condemned the House-passed spending bill and vowed to vote against it when it comes up in the Senate, even as other Democrats say they’ll support it to avert a government shutdown.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) accused Republicans of passing "draconian" policies, and called on Senate Democrats to take a stance against the budget.

“We're facing a hostile government takeover and @SenateDems can do something about it,” Pressley, who opposed the continuing resolution, wrote on social media Friday. “The Trump-Musk spending bill will make our constituents hungrier, sicker, and poorer. Listen to your constituents. Do not cede your leverage. Hold the line.”

Speaking to Wolf Blitzer on CNN, Pressley added that constituents are “afraid” and said Democrats in the upper chamber should not be “complicit.”

Her message follows Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s announcement that he would vote for the spending bill in order to avert a shutdown. His announcement drew immediate backlash from his fellow party members.

“It is clear that some of us understand the present danger & some don’t!” Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) posted on the social platform X. “I stand by the NO vote on the blank check for Trump & Elon… I’ve got no explanation nor agreement with Senate Dems being complicit in Trump’s Tyranny.”

All four Black Democratic senators said they will vote against the continuing resolution.

Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) said Democrats got a “dirty” deal from Republicans.

“I won't vote to give away your voice,” said Blunt Rochester, adding that she is working to “save democracy.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) said Republicans gave Democrats an ultimatum that would either do “great damage” or force the government to shut down.

“Both of those options are terrible,” Warnock said in a video posted to social media. He added that he cannot support a “partisan bill” that cuts funding for health care, education and veterans, and increases the price of groceries.

“And here’s more: It gives this president who is clearly engaged in an unprecedented power grab even more power to exact more damage on the people of Georgia as he chooses winners and losers, what he wants to fund and what he does not,” Warnock added.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said in a video that the proposal is not a continuing resolution, but rather a "surrendering of the powers of Congress to the president and Elon Musk.”

“This would give them six months to do some pretty awful things. We’ve already seen what they’re willing to do to the Department of Education, the VA, cancer research and more. And now this literally gives them license to destroy, to move large money around, to punish certain states over other states, cut funding to local communities. There is so much bad stuff baked into this,” Booker said.

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) said voting for the continuing resolution would be a “direct contradiction” to her mandate of fighting for her constituents and allow for a continued “witch hunt against our patriotic civil servants.”

“We have a unique opportunity at this moment to course correct and pass a clean, bipartisan funding bill that would address some of these concerns and mistakes,”Alsobrooks posted. “Republicans control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives. Whatever happens next is squarely on them.”

Topics

Top budget Democrat: GOP spending bill hands ‘a blank check to Elon Musk’

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, slammed the new House Republicans’ six-month stopgap funding bill, claiming it is a “blank check” for tech ...
The Hill - 6d
Congressional Republicans unveil spending plan to avert government shutdown

Congressional Republicans unveiled their plan for a spending bill to avert a government shutdown as the deadline approaches this Friday. NBC News’ Yamiche Alcindor reports.
NBC News - 5d
Spending Bill Omits Billions for Local Projects as Congress Cedes Power to Trump

The stopgap measure the G.O.P. is pushing to avert a government shutdown omits billions of dollars in member-requested projects, another way in which Congress has ceded its power on federal spending.
The New York Times - 9h
Aguilar: Democrats still working to unite party against GOP spending bill

The head of the House Democratic Caucus said Tuesday that party leaders are still working to unite their troops against the Republicans’ spending bill. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) bashed the GOP ...
The Hill - 3d
Trump denies Musk clashed with cabinet members

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pushed back against Elon Musk’s downsizing of the federal workforce in a recent closed-door cabinet meeting, according to two ...
NBC News - Mar. 7
Top House Democrats press Senate colleagues to sink GOP spending bill

The top House Democrats are pressing their fellow party members in the Senate to kill the Republicans’ spending bill when it reaches the upper chamber, saying the proposal will hurt Americans ...
The Hill - 2d
House spending bill facing Senate opposition with government shutdown deadline 2 days away

House Republicans' six-month spending bill will need Democratic support in the Senate to pass into law before Friday's government shutdown deadline. CBS News congressional reporter Taurean Small ...
CBS News - 2d
Senate Advances Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, and nine other members of the Democratic caucus joined the G.O.P. in voting to advance a bill to keep government funding flowing past midnight.
The New York Times - 1h
Lone Democrat to back House GOP spending bill explains decision

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) defied House Democratic leadership on Tuesday when he voted for the GOP’s bill to avert a government shutdown — the only one in the caucus to support the stopgap. ...
The Hill - 2d