11 arrested outside Schumer's office as activists, parents urge Dems to reject continuing resolution

ByMariam Khan, Allison Pecorin, and Lauren Peller ABC logo
Friday, March 14, 2025 6:23PM
Senate works to avert partial government shutdown ahead of midnight deadline
Democrats confront two painful options Friday as a midnight deadline looms.

WASHINGTON -- Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor Friday morning to defend his decision to support a Republican short-term funding bill that will effectively help avoid a government shutdown at the end of the day.

His surprise reversal, first announced Thursday evening -- a day after he said he and Democrats would try to block the bill -- means there will almost certainly be enough Democratic votes to advance the measure to a final Senate vote Friday just hours before the shutdown deadline.

"As everyone knows, government funding expires at midnight tonight. As I announced yesterday, I will vote to keep the government open. I believe it is the best way to minimize the harm that the Trump administration will do to the American people," Schumer said Friday.

He said he believes the short-term funding bill -- or continuing resolution -- is a "bad bill" but said he believes if the government were to shut down, it would be a far worse outcome for the country.

"The CR is a bad bill. But as bad as the CR is, I believe allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option," Schumer said.

Schumer said he believes a government shutdown would mean President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would have even more authority to "destroy vital government services at a much faster rate."

He said they would also have the power to determine which federal employees are considered essential -- potentially giving them more power to lay off or fire more government workers and shutter federal agencies.

"A shutdown would allow DOGE to shift into overdrive. Let me repeat, a shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive. It would give Donald Trump and DOGE the keys to the city, state and country," he said. "Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy vital government services at a much faster rate than they can right now and over a much broader field of destruction that they would render."

He continued, "In a shutdown, Donald Trump and DOGE will have the power to determine what is considered essential and what is not and their views on what is not essential would be mean and vicious and would decimate vital services and cause unimaginable harm to the American people."

"Musk has told everybody he wants a shutdown because he knows it will help him achieve his horrible goal of just decimating the federal government from one end to the other. In other words, if government were to shut down, DOGE has a plan in place to exploit the crisis for maximum destruction," Schumer said.

"A shutdown would be the best distraction Donald Trump could ask for," he added.

Schumer also defended some his Senate Democratic colleagues who have come out opposed to the short-term funding bill. He acknowledged the tough decisions they as a caucus have had to weigh.

"Our caucus members have been torn between two awful alternatives, and my colleagues and I have wrestled with which alternative would be worse for the American people," Schumer said.

He added that just because some of his colleagues will vote no on advancing the short-term funding bill, it does not mean they support a government shutdown.

"Different senators come down on different sides of this question. But that does not mean that any Senate Democrat supports a shutdown. Whatever the outcome, our caucus will be united in our determination to continue the long-term fight to stop Donald Trump's dangerous war on our democracy and on America's working families," he said.

About the time Schumer was speaking, Trump praised him in a post on his social media platform, saying it took "guts" for the New York senator to signal his support for the GOP bill.

"Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing -- Took "guts" and courage! The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more, is coming," Trump posted on Truth Social.

"We should all work together on that very dangerous situation. A non pass would be a Country destroyer, approval will lead us to new heights. Again, really good and smart move by Senator Schumer. This could lead to something big for the USA, a whole new direction and beginning," Trump wrote.

Activists, parents and D.C. lawmakers launched an all-out blitz on Capitol Hill Friday, culminating in the arrest of 11 people outside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's office, Capitol Police confirmed to ABC News.

The demonstration was organized by the Sunrise Movement, which called for action in response to Schumer's support of the Trump-Johnson budget.

Sunrise said its protest was following the Senate leader's announcement Thursday that he's supporting the funding bill. "Schumer staff locked the office doors and young people sat-in outside the office demanding he face the people that his actions will affect for years to come," Sunrise said in a statement.

"This is bigger than politics. It's about protecting our communities, our democracy, and our planet from corruption and corporate greed. Schumer must fight back-now," Sunrise Movement Executive Director Aru Shiney Ajay said in a statement.

Capitol Police told ABC News, "At about 9:50 a.m., 11 people were arrested for illegally demonstrating in the Hart Senate Office Building. ... It is against the law to protest inside the Congressional Buildings.

On Friday, House Democrats sent a letter to Schumer saying their "strong opposition" to the funding bill.

"The Republican leadership has deliberately cut Democrats out of the process, and we must not give in to Republican hostage-taking of our vulnerable seniors, veterans, and working-class families to advance their destructive funding bill," the House Democratic Caucus' letter said.

The letter recommends a 30-day CR as a short-term solution.

"We urge you to reject the partisan continuing resolution coming before the Senate and stand with the American people in opposing these draconian Republican cuts," the letter said. "All parties must come back to the negotiating table and work across party lines to keep the government open in a responsible way."

"If Republicans in Congress want to pass this bill, they should do so with their own votes," the letter said. "However, since they cannot, Republicans must work with Democrats to pass a clean 30-day continuing resolution and continue negotiating full FY25 appropriations."

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, appeared to be distancing herself from Schumer's decision, slammed Democrats who support the House GOP bill.

"America has experienced a Trump shutdown before -- but this damaging legislation only makes matters worse. Democrats must not buy into this false choice. We must fight back for a better way. Listen to the women, For The People," she said in a statement Friday.

At the same time, Pelosi applauded House Democrats for their near unanimous vote against the measure.

"I salute Leader Hakeem Jeffries for his courageous rejection of this false choice, and I am proud of my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus for their overwhelming vote against this bill," she said.

ABC News' Isabella Murray contributed to this report.

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