As the next fiscal deadline is months away, Senate Republicans are already laying the groundwork for what could become the third government shutdown of the 119th Congress.
But the question raises why a shutdown is being planned. As per Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), this is a political strategy. According to a memo circulating among GOP colleagues, Scott warned that Democrats are eager to force a shutdown on October 1 to gain momentum heading into the November midterm elections.
Scott wrote: “Democrats have been clear that they want to shut down the government on October 1st because they believe that is their path to a majority in November.”
Scott is trying to convince the Republican Party members to pass a continuing resolution, which will keep everything frozen until the midterms are over. According to Scott, if they pass the resolution now, they will be able to present Democrats as the bad guys when the negotiations fail. “We need to make sure that everyone knows that Democrats just want to shut down the government,” he said.
The planning comes as President Trump prepares to meet with Senate Republicans on Wednesday, June 24, to discuss strategy. Top of the agenda: The SAVE America Act, a voter ID bill that has stalled in the Senate due to filibuster opposition. Trump has pushed lawmakers to end the filibuster to pass the measure, a move Scott acknowledged the conference is “not united” on.
The hardline approach is also backed by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who wrote: “Cancel recess. Nuke the filibuster. WHATEVER IT TAKES.”
On their part, Democrats attribute this lack of progress to Republicans. The Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, has accused the Chairman of the Committee of Appropriations, Susan Collins, of failing to negotiate in good faith. Collins denies this accusation.
As the Senate prepares to go on recess this Friday for two weeks, little is left for compromise. It seems that Republicans are preparing themselves for a battle of blaming one another.
2026-06-25 18:49:00
