Schumer backs down, Democrats seethe

12:30 REPORT

It’s Friday. Happy Pi Day, my friends! 🥧🍕 Several restaurants have special discounts today if you want to celebrate. Weather in DC: ☁️ 48°

In today's issue:

Trump praises Schumer
Progressives fume
Senators’ game plan for today
Tim Walz tours GOP districts
March Madness’s Selection Sunday

I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips to cmartel@thehill.com. Someone forward this to you?  Sign up.

⏱️ On Capitol Hill

Greg Nash, The Hill

Progressives rage after Schumer backs bill:

Government funding is set to expire in less than 12 hours, and the situation is quite delicate. Let me catch you up:

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) caught Washington off guard on Thursday evening when he took to the Senate floor and announced he would back Republicans’ six-month government funding proposal.

That came hours after he told colleagues in a closed-door lunch Thursday that he would vote to advance the GOP-drafted bill passed by the House earlier this week.

Schumer for days had declined to call the House bill dead on arrival in the Senate, while Democratic senators privately signaled for at least a couple of days that they would not allow a shutdown to happen starting Saturday — indicating at least eight of them would join Senate Republicans to pass the six-month bill.

After announcing his decision, Schumer published an op-ed in The New York Times explaining his rationale: “Trump and Musk Would Love a Shutdown. We Must Not Give Them One,” he argued.

Excerpt: “First, a shutdown would give Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk permission to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now. Under a shutdown, the Trump administration would have wide-ranging authority to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel nonessential, furloughing staff members with no promise they would ever be rehired.”

Why this angered Democrats: On Wednesday, Schumer had announced Democratic senators would not immediately help Republicans by advancing their six-month bill. He wanted the Senate to pass a shorter, one-month extension to buy more time.

The move was viewed as trying to help Democrats save face before some would ultimately back the GOP plan. The House left town earlier in the week, giving Democrats two options: pass the bill, or allow a shutdown.

🗨️ Follow today’s live blog as this saga unfolds

Trump takes an early victory lap: President Trump praised Schumer for having the “guts” to do “the right thing,” referring to his decision to vote for House Republicans’ funding plan. “The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more, is coming,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

The president is taking a victory lap before the Senate votes on the bill. Schumer is one of just a few Democrats who have said they will vote for the House bill, and eight total will be needed to avert a shutdown.

Trump’s praise for Schumer comes even after the Democratic leader tore into the president and his allies in an MSNBC appearance Thursday night amid rising progressive fury over his vote for the House legislation:

Patty Murray (Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the House bill a “dumpster fire.” She’s planning to vote “no.”
Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) argues the House bill would give Trump and Musk “a blank check to spend your taxpayer money however they want.”
Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) argues the bill would “literally take food out of the mouths of hungry children, take healthcare away from seniors, and give a huge tax break to the wealthiest people on the planet.”
Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) called the House Republican plan “horrific,” saying his party should say “Hell No.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called on Senate Democrats to “put a stop to it.”

Schumer justifies his decision: "Our caucus members have been torn between two awful alternatives — and my colleagues and I have wrestled with which alternative would be worse for the American people. Different senators come down on different sides of this question,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.

CNN’s Sarah Ferris reports that Ocasio-Cortez is mobilizing her base to push back on Schumer’s decision by “texting, calling, sending carrier pigeons.” Oh, and: “Privately, House Democrats are so infuriated with Schumer’s decision that some have begun encouraging her to run against Schumer in a primary.” 👀

📸 Spotted at Union Station: HuffPost’s Arthur Delaney saw a sign with a photo of Schumer that reads, “Does this look like a leader with a spine? Stand up, Chuck. Stand. Up. Vote no.” Now that was a quick turnaround!

➤ LOGISTICALLY, WHAT’S TODAY’S PLAN?:

Senators will hold a vote at 1:15 p.m. to end debate. Then, 30 hours of debate would usually be the norm, but negotiators are working on a time agreement to speed it along.

The plan is to get it passed by midnight to avoid a lapse in government funding.

Senators will have their first weeklong recess of the year next week, so I imagine everyone is eager to get out of town.

➤ AH, LAWMAKERS…:

Axios’s Stef Kight posted that “after [Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.)] was blocked from the Senate floor for his tennis shoes earlier this week, [Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.)] is testing the dress code loopholes — wearing a cowboy hat and carrying a printed copy of the rules saying they do not explicitly prohibit hats.” 📸 Mullin in his cowboy hat carrying a sheet with the rules

➤ HAPPENING ON CAPITOL HILL:

The Senate Finance Committee is holding a confirmation hearing for celebrity physician and television host Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 💻 Watch live

The Postal Service is playing ball with DOGE:

The United States Postal Service said it has agreed to a deal with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut costs.

For example: The Postal Service has agreed to cut its workforce by 10,000 employees through voluntary early retirement.

🔎 Read Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s letter to congressional leaders

➤ AT 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE. THIS MORNING:

Trump met with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) at the White House to discuss congestion prices and a plan to run an energy pipeline through her state.

➤ TIDBIT:

Vice President Vance was booed at the Kennedy Center while attending a National Symphony Orchestra performance on Thursday. Keep in mind that President Trump took over the center. 📹 Watch the clip

Trump’s envoy for special missions Richard Grenell, who was also named by the president as interim executive director of the Kennedy Center, knocked the crowd: “The intolerant Left are radicals who can’t even sit in the same room with people that don’t vote like they do,” Grenell posted on X.

✈️ Other News

Oh my gosh:

Justus Rainey via AP

An American Airlines plane caught fire at the Denver International Airport on Thursday. The aircraft, which was headed to Dallas-Fort Worth, diverted after the crew felt engine vibrations. Once it safely landed and taxied to the gate, the engine caught fire. Twelve people were injured.

Photos and videos have been circulating showing passengers standing on the wing of the plane. Plus, the FAA says the slides were deployed for passengers to evacuate.

📹 Watch passengers evacuate

📹 The fire and smoke

📸 Passengers standing on the wing

🐝 Internet Buzz

🥧 Celebrate: Today is National Pi Day and National Potato Chip Day!

🏀 Happy Selection Sunday to all who celebrate: The 2025 March Madness brackets will be chosen on Sunday. The men’s selection will start at 6 p.m. EDT and the women’s bracket will be unveiled at 8 p.m.

📆 On The Agenda

The House is out. The Senate is in. President Trump is in Washington.

(all times Eastern)

Noon: Trump signs executive orders.
1:15 p.m.: Three Senate votes, including a confirmation vote for
Stephen Feinberg to be deputy Defense secretary. 📆 Today’s agenda
3 p.m.: Trump delivers remarks at the Department of Justice. 💻 Livestream
4 p.m.: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) holds a town hall in Des Moines, Iowa. CNN reports this is part of Walz’s tour of districts represented by Republicans who haven’t held town halls. 💻 Livestream
5:20 p.m.: Trump leaves for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.

👋 And Finally…

Because I always want to leave you on a happy note, enjoy these clumsy critters.

Stay Engaged

Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com. A friend forward this to you? Subscribe here.

📺 Miss yesterday's newsletter? Catch up with a 1-minute video recap here. And check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time!

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