After meeting with his conference, the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said "Republicans do not have the votes" to advance the House-approved measure.

Democrats are mostly worried about the discretion the bill gives the Trump administration on spending decisions. They are already alarmed by the administration’s efforts to make major cuts through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, run by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk. And they say the spending bill would fuel the effort.

Senate Democrats are still not committing to helping Republicans pass a seven-month funding stopgap, edging the country closer to a government shutdown as they attempt to force a vote on a shorter funding patch.