US Senate top Democrat slams Republicans for government shutdown

WASHINGTON

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday slammed Republican “intransigence” as the federal government shutdown entered its eighth day.

"It's now been a full week, a whole week, of Donald Trump's government shutdown, and the country is feeling the sting of Republican intransigence," Schumer said on the Senate floor.

More than 700,000 federal employees have been furloughed, and services are being disrupted, Schumer said.

He stressed that Democrats are ready to reopen the government, and again called for serious bipartisan negotiations, not just to restore funding, but to address the health care crisis.

Schumer pointed at House Speaker Mike Johnson as a central obstacle to progress, criticizing his leadership and strategy.

"Johnson has become the number one roadblock to ending a shutdown. He sent everyone home for three weeks now, if you care about fixing the crisis, if you care about reopening the government, how the hell do you keep your house not in session for three weeks?" he said.

Schumer urged Republicans to join Democrats in a "serious negotiation" to reopen the government.

For the sixth time, the upper chamber is expected to take up competing funding proposals later Wednesday, after both measures failed to clear a 60-vote threshold for the fifth time during Monday’s session.