TRANSCRIPT: Leader Schumer Remarks And Q&A At Press Conference Following Senate Votes On Democratic And Republican Continuing Resolutions

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today held a press conference with Senate Democrats following votes on both the Democratic and Republican continuing resolutions in the Senate. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Leader Schumer: Look, what we saw on the floor makes it clear: the Republicans are following Donald Trump's orders to the letter. Stonewall, scapegoat, shirk responsibility. They are doing exactly what Trump told them to do. And then they skipped town. No plans, no talks, no urgency. And the House adjourned until October 1st. If there was ever a sign that the Republicans wanted a shutdown, that's it. Now, our bill, of the two bills, our bill was the only bill on the floor that got a majority of those present and voting. Theirs did not. Ours did. Donald Trump would rather shut down the government than even talk to Democrats about lowering the cost of healthcare for Americans, which is what is our goal. And Republicans, unfortunately, sadly, dutifully obeyed. Senate Republicans just voted to shut the government down with a partisan bill that gives Donald Trump everything he wants and nothing the American people need. Donald Trump says he doesn't want to talk. He's still in the go-to-hell mode. His marching orders to Republicans are don't even bother with Democrats. That is not governing. That's a recipe for a shutdown. And the American people know it. Well, neither bill was able to pass. The theater must end. Let's sit down and negotiate. Now that it's clear that neither bill will get the 60 votes that the Senate needs, it's time to negotiate. The theater must end.

The last four years, when Democrats were in the majority, we didn't have a shutdown because we always worked with the Republicans. We knew we needed their votes. When Democrats had the majority, no shutdown. Republicans have the majority. They seem to be headed for one, but we hope and pray that they will now see that the only way to avoid a shutdown is negotiate with Democrats, which is how we've always done it. We have only a week left. We're saying clearly, let's sit down, let's figure this out. But Republicans have now left town with no sign they want to avoid a shutdown in a week. They left town. Donald Trump is the shutdown president, and Senate Republicans are following him over the cliff. The stakes are real. A shutdown is devastating to Americans. Democrats are doing everything we can to sit down and negotiate. We do not want a shutdown. Our position has never changed. We need bipartisan legislation to keep the government open and meet the needs of the American people, especially on costs, specifically healthcare costs. But until Republicans break free from Donald Trump's grip, they're dragging this country straight into another shutdown. We remain ready to work together to fund the government and implore Republicans to come to the table.

Q&A

Schumer: Just to repeat again, the fact that the House adjourned until October 1st, that shows you it's clear evidence that they want to shut down. We don't. Yes?

Reporter: Do you think that your decision in March to basically not get much in return for assisting, avoiding a shutdown then, made it easier for them to make this play call now and say, let's just do a straight CR and make them-

Schumer: Absolutely not. First, as you saw, the only bill that got a majority of those voting was our bill, not their bill. But second, the world is totally changed from March. First, people have seen the damage the Republicans are doing. The reconciliation bill just decimated healthcare. Tariffs are now in effect and raising people's costs. Their costs are going up left and right. So they're very, very unhappy with what is happening. Second, we Democrats had plenty of time to be prepared. Our message has been the same for the last two, three months, which is we need healthcare. We need to restore Americans' healthcare, and we need to get down their costs. And we don't need them to break the law and undo anything the Appropriations Committee did. And third, we have seen the unlawfulness of the Trump administration after March, with the rescissions, with the impoundments, with the pocket recissions. So, the world's a different place right now. Yes?

Reporter: What's your plan now that this bill has failed?

Schumer: We want to sit down and negotiate. I think it's clear when you look at the votes on the floor of the Senate that a negotiation is the only way to avoid a shutdown. We want to do it. So far, they don't. We hope they change their minds. Yes?

Reporter: The President feels - it feels like he's pretty comfortable with his position here because you all are asking him to add something to the CR. You seem also very confident that Republicans are going to be the ones who are blamed for this -

Schumer: Absolutely

Reporter: - who are taking the votes against a continuing resolution.

Schumer: No, the bottom line is that they, by not negotiating, are causing the shutdown. And that is plain. And as I said before, when we had the majority, we negotiated with them. There was no shutdown. They are in the majority. They don't negotiate, they cause the shutdown, plain and simple. And what they did today by adjourning the House-October 1st-it's becoming clearer and clearer to Americans they want it. Yes?

Reporter: A lot of the complaints from the Democrats today sound very much like the Republican complaints of 2013 heading into that shutdown. They were insisting on negotiations over healthcare. They wanted to roll back the ACA. Obama said he wouldn't negotiate you ended up -

Schumer: Here's what's different: they were taking something away. We are trying to restore something that they took away. It's a world of difference when you're trying to do some good for people rather than doing negative stuff to people. Okay? Yes.

Reporter: Why can't you negotiate these healthcare provisions after? Separate you know?

Schumer: We've been asking for months to do it. Why not do it now? People are hurting. Jobs are being lost. People are getting notices that their healthcare premiums are going up. People are losing healthcare. Do it now. There's no reason not to do it now. Let's do it now. Thank you, everybody.

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