Democrats reportedly were fuming at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in a venting session during a closed-door House Democrats' weekly caucus meeting discussing government funding.
House Democrats feel they were betrayed by Schumer, who supported a Republican funding measure in March that was almost unanimously opposed by Democrats, Axios reported Tuesday afternoon. They fear he could turn on them again in another rug-pull move.
"There was anticipatory anger rooted in what went down in March ... Schumer was named explicitly," an anonymous House Democrat told Axios about the private meeting.
"The overriding concern was that Senate Democrats will get cold feet. Schumer can't s--- the bed."
A senior House Democrat told Axios there was "mucho" anger in the meeting over Schumer and the Senate, with another anonymously saying that there is "lots of concern ... that we aren't sending a message that fights enough."
The government is set to shut down Oct. 1 if a budget isn't approved.
Neither the House nor the Senate is set to pass its annual appropriation bills by the end of September, signaling that Republican leaders are likely to add a short-term fix — a funding measure referred to as a continuing resolution — making that up for a vote.
Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have indicated that they want to reverse some of the healthcare provisions in the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" by exchanging Democratic votes.
"House and Senate Democrats have been in close touch throughout this process and we will continue to meet in regularity," Jeffries said.
On the Republican side, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said behind closed doors this week that he is waiting on President Donald Trump to give the House GOP caucus marching orders on how to proceed with spending bills, Politico reported.
"In particular, appropriators are waiting on 'anomaly' requests from President Donald Trump’s budget aides, Johnson said, according to three people in the room who were granted anonymity to describe the private remarks," according to the report.
