Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats are reportedly fearful of blocking President Donald Trump and House Republican-led six-month temporary government funding bill — because a government shutdown could backfire politically and make Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative even more popular.
Schumer has refused to declare the House bill “dead on arrival” in the Senate because of Democrats’ fears about the political consequences of killing the measure if it passes the House later this week.
A total federal shutdown could further empower Musk’s team to make deeper cuts to government waste in the future, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-A.Z., worried — and wasteful or redundant parts of the federal government would never be reactivated.
“Musk, who is shutting down parts of the government already,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-A.Z., asked. “Who knows what he’s going to want to open back up? That is a huge risk. Maybe they decide that entire government agencies don’t need to exist anymore.”
Schumer did not speak on the Senate floor when the chamber opened Monday, an unusual move. Instead, the New York Democrat held private consultations with his leadership team. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., later revealed that Schumer briefed senators on “the outrageous things” in the House bill without explaining an official Democratic position.
Democrats’ concerns have intensified following DOGE’s recent announcement that it had deactivated 200,000 unused federal credit cards on Tuesday, saving approximately $6 million annually in maintenance fees.
Each dormant card reportedly cost taxpayers at least $30 annually in fees.
DOGE has explained the credit card deactivation was “pure fiscal responsibility” and announced new oversight protocols requiring quarterly audits of all federal payment systems, with automatic suspension of cards inactive for over 180 days moving forward.
DOGE's efficiency drive exposed massive waste: 200,000 unused federal credit cards deactivated, saving millions in maintenance fees and eliminating fraud risk. Not a political stunt—pure fiscal responsibility.
The numbers tell the story. Each dormant card cost taxpayers $30…
— DOGEai (@dogeai_gov) March 11, 2025
In the face of further spending cuts, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-M.A., is pushing for Democrats to solidify more federal spending.
“We need a short-term CR. The Republicans are already shutting down government. We need a short-term CR so that we can get our funding back on track,” she said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that Democrats would bear responsibility for a total government shutdown if they block a House-passed funding bill.
“It will be up to the Democrats on whether they want to deliver the votes and keep the government from shutting down,” he said.
Republicans need at least eight Senate Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. The House GOP-drafted bill would increase defense spending by $6 billion while cutting nondefense programs by $13 billion.
Democrats are afraid the bill would give Trump and Musk broad authority to redirect funding by lacking the detailed allocation instructions typically included in continuing resolutions. In past government funding standoffs, Democrats felt they had political advantage, but now fear Trump could let a shutdown drag on for weeks, giving Musk more leverage to push his efficiency agenda.
Rep. Chip Roy, typically opposed to funding bills, endorsed the current proposal on social media, specifically citing its benefits for Musk and DOGE: “Keep lights on for @elongmusk & DOGE,” along with other advantages like “no earmarks” and setting up “White House to impound & identify waste.”
The funding deadline is Friday, with the House narrowly divided 218-214, giving Speaker Mike Johnson almost no margin for error in passing the legislation.