Colorado’s two U.S. senators, Democrats Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, say they intend to vote no on a Republican-drafted spending bill as the federal government lurches toward an imminent shutdown.
Hickenlooper announced his opposition during a Wednesday night virtual town hall, and Bennet confirmed his position in a Thursday news release. Both also will oppose a procedural move that would end debate and send the spending bill to a full vote by the Senate.
If no spending bill passes by late Friday, many functions of the federal government will shut down.
Senate Democrats are under intense pressure from their supporters to do whatever they can to stop the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency from taking a wrecking ball to long-established government agencies and purging thousands of federal workers from jobs.
Hickenlooper told viewers of his virtual town hall that the Republican spending bill “would wipe out congressional oversight, letting (President Donald) Trump cut and redirect funding however he wants.”
“The longer I look at it, this is a fundamental test of our democracy,” he said. “So when this bill reaches the Senate floor, I will vote no. We need a funding bill that preserves Congress’ authority and, by extension, your voice.”
In his statement, Bennet blamed Republicans for failing to work with Democrats on a compromise.
The GOP “refused to work with Democrats on a bipartisan deal to put American families first,” he wrote. “The Republican spending bill does not serve Coloradans well; therefore, I will be voting no.”
Democrats are pushing a stopgap 30-day funding bill as an alternative to the Republican proposal. But its prospects are dim in a Congress controlled by Republicans. It’s also unlikely the Democrats would allow a government shutdown, given worries about the further chaos they say Trump and Musk could cause.
Debates over funding the federal government routinely erupt in deadline moments. But this year it’s showing the political leverage of Republicans, newly in majority control of the White House and both chambers of Congress — and the shortcomings of Democrats, who find themselves unable to stop the Trump administration’s march across federal operations.
In a rare turn of events, House Republicans — including all four of Colorado’s GOP representatives — stuck together to pass their bill this week, leaving Democrats (including all four from Colorado) sidelined as they stood opposed. The House then left town, sending it to the Senate for final action.
Democrats are wary of fully withholding their votes and being blamed for a full shutdown of services.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Democrats were unified in pressing for a 30-day stopgap measure as an alternative to the House-passed bill, which would instead fund operations through the end of the budget year in September.
With his party united, Schumer said the Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority, lacked the support needed to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to overcome a filibuster.
But Senate Republicans have shown little interest in Schumer’s offer. And Trump has sought to shift blame to Democrats, saying during an Oval Office meeting, “if it shuts down, it’s not the Republicans’ fault.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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