Adam Schiff: My Vote on the GOP spending bill. -You definitely want to read this.

[Amaryllis]

https://schiffnotes.substack.com/p/my-vote-on-the-gop-spending-bill?

I'm a hard NO on the Republican spending bill. On cloture. On all of it. When a wannabe dictator is trying to seize power, it must not be given to him. Not without a fight.
Sen. Adam Schiff
Mar 13, 2025

Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate will have a very significant vote on a CR, a six-month CR, that is a six-month continuing resolution. I will be a hard no.

I hope this CR is defeated. I fear that it may not be, and I want to tell you why I'm voting no and why this needs to be defeated.

First of all, this is not a bill that would simply continue the funding levels of the government for the next half a year. This is a power giveaway to an executive already drunk with power.

This would embolden the president to continue tearing down government services, closing Social Security offices, illegally withholding funds, illegally seizing more and more authority from the U.S. Congress.

But worst of all, in my view, is we would be giving it to him.

It is one thing for those who aspire to dictatorship to take power. It is another to knowingly give it to him. I will not do that.

One thing is certain, if we pass this continuing resolution for the next half year, we will own what the president does. I am not willing to take ownership of that. I'm not willing to continue to see Donald Trump, Elon Musk ,and their minions continue to arrogate to themselves the power to fire anyone in the federal government.

They want the power to fund or defund anything in the federal government. The power to lay off veterans, to close Social Security offices, to cut health care, to cut Medicaid, to go after Social Security.

I am not going to take any vote to empower them to do that for one day, one month, one year. I'm just not going to do it.

Now, many argue that, well, wouldn't a shutdown of the government be worse?

If the government shuts down, let's be clear, they control everything. They control the House, they control the Senate, they control the White House, they control the Supreme Court.

If they shut down the government, it is on them. That is their decision.

If we give them power for the next six months to do whatever they choose, that is our decision. I am not going to make that decision.

Now, I don't know what happens if they shut down the government. And some argue, and I understand their concern, “Well, wouldn't they have more power to do more wreckage, more damage if the government shuts down.” The answer is, we simply don't know.

They're violating the law now. They may violate the law then. But I would trade the uncertainty of knowing what they would do if they shut down the government for the certainty that we have of knowing what they will do if we give them more power over the next six months.

So, for me personally, this is not a hard decision.

I am a hard no.

I am desperately worried about the direction of this country. We are seeing an executive run away with authority he does not have, merely because he claims to have it, merely because our courts have often acted too slowly to stop him.

And now, if we go along with this because we are willfully and willingly ceding him that additional power.

I will not go there.

I'm voting no. I urge all of my colleagues:

Vote no.

159 Likes
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25 Restacks

[SheltieLover]

1. Ty, Sen. Schiff!

[Katcat]

43. Spineless. Schumer

Is voting yes

[ancianita]

44. Bullshit. Schiff doesn't know half of what Schumer knows.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1324&pid=2606


https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1324&pid=2613

[PatSeg]

59. Sadly, I don't think there is a good answer

[DAngelo136]

60. I Must Respectfully Disagree With You

We all knew this was coming from Project 2025. They made their plans well known.

It appears to me that the Republicans are willing to bully people to get their way, but don't want the smoke that comes from it. Witness their reticence in appearing in town halls to irate constituents.

I fully understand that it is indeed a losing battle since the Dems are not in the majority. But that doesn't mean they have to get the cover for their incompetence. House Democrats know full well what a shutdown entails and how it would hurt their districts. But they voted "no" anyway.
Schumer owes them that much for their courage. The question that comes to mind is: What would Mitch McConnell do? We all know he'd threaten to unleash hell if didn't get his way. And even when he got his way, he did it anyway.

Schumer is trying to "make a deal" with Trump and Republicans who aren't interested in making one. If they want to burn it all down, at the least make them own it.

[SheltieLover]

47. I heard.

😓

[sdfernando]

2. Thank you Senator!!!! /nt

[kacekwl]

3. Thank you Senator.

[Captain Zero]

7. Schiff for Dem Senate leader, tomorrow

Kick Schumer to the curb.

[Lovie777]

4. Hopefully the actual vote will not pass......................

[ImNotGod]

5. Well said Senator! nt

[bluestarone]

6. HARD NO!

Hard NO!!!!

[Raven123]

8. I hope his colleagues read this.

Don’t take the bait. This is NOT A CR. They can just say that.

[yellow dahlia]

18. I keep saying the same thing. It is not a clean CR.

And apparently - it is even more convoluted than that. It essentially treats the next six months as if it is one day. Huh!? I don't get that.

[Think. Again.]

9. Thank you Senator Schiff.

[Rhiagel]

10. I wish he was my senator.

[LoisB]

41. I very happily voted for him.

[Daleuhlmann]

48. I Did, Too!

We need more Democrats like Schiff! In having not chosen to filibuster, Schumer has thrown away his party's only leverage in the Senate and could be forcing vulnerable, ordinary Americans, whom he claims to support, to swallow poison for the next six months.

[LoisB]

50. We need leaders who are not "members of the club".

[mamajudi]

53. Adam Schiff...

Me too…glad I voted for him.

[JanMichael]

11. He gets it. Wish they all did.

[calimary]

20. Boy-oh-boy does he ever!

And your wish is my wish also.

What’s it going to take for the rest of them to start waking up? Scary times.

[Liberty Belle]

12. Proud to have him as our Senator in California.

[cer7711]

13. Well said! Churchillian in its ringing clarity and moral certitude.

[defacto7]

14. Good man, Schiff

[SunImp]

15. Schiff is right on this issue

If they shut down the government, it is on them. That is their decision.

If we give them power for the next six months to do whatever they choose, that is our decision. I am not going to make that decision

.

[Jersey Devil]

16. Bravo Sen Schiff, a real Dem leader

Schumer should retire to a blanket at Coney Island.

[AllaN01Bear]

17. like.

[markodochartaigh]

19. Disable the Enabling Act!

n/t

[Wild blueberry]

21. Bravo!

All Dems should oppose this. Hard NO.
Thank you, Senator Schiff!

[Hekate]

22. My Senator -- many thanks, sir

[spanone]

23. K&R

[mountain grammy]

24. And there you have it

Just as clear as it can be. Thanks for posting and thank you Senator Schiff.

[FirstLight]

25. well... I'll believe it when I see it...from any of them...

The concept is correct, let's see if the spines hold firm...

[Javaman]

26. Schumer just stated he's voting for it 😔nt

[Amaryllis]

29. Voting for what? THe CR as it stands?

[Javaman]

32. Yup. 😔 nt

[EnergizedLib]

27. At least Schiff has a spine

[dchill]

28. I knew I was going to like this guy in the Senate!

[kelly1mm]

30. Wasn't he a strong proponent of ending the filibuster durring the last congress? Didn't his campaign for Senate

make that one of his central themes?

[Traildogbob]

31. Senator Schiff

Would you please slap the fucking glasses off of Schumer nose? The country will welcome you as a liberator.

[bob4460]

33. Please go convince Schumer

He needs to vote no on all of it just like you!

[yorkster]

34. Every Dem. senator must read this

Schumer and Gillibrand must read this.

[Gimpyknee]

35. Your spineless leader just announced he's going to vote for it.

Fuck Chuck.

[GP6971]

49. Really? Question...Have we met before?

[oasis]

36. What he said!!!!

[wordstroken]

37. Well said. Right to the point -- hard no!

Thank you Senator Adam Schiff!

Let’s pray that his comments persuade other senators who are on the fence.

[NNadir]

38. I hope my Senators will do the same. I wrote them both.

Last edited Thu Mar 13, 2025, 09:34 PM - Edit history (1)

[Cirsium]

39. Gratifying

Let's hope this is the start of a wave of resistance.

[crimycarny]

40. Can't cloture be taken up for a vote more than once?

I apologize for my ignorance, but can't the Dems just vote NO on cloture, force the GOP to negotiate, then vote on cloture again? Yes, the government will shutdown but that doesn't mean the shutdown is permanent or forever. Put the ball back into the GOP's court and at least try to get them to negotiate.

I don't understand why Schumer is capitulating without any fight at all. Part of me thinks he's just too old and burnt out. He wants to go home, have a nice dinner, and drink a glass of red wine in his cozy home. Time for younger blood who isn't burnt out.

[LaRaven]

42. VOTE NO! Let them sit in their own BS!

[BadgerMom]

45. Thank you, Senator!

THAT is what I want to hear!

[aggiesal]

46. Yesterday, I sent messages to both my Senators Schiff & Padilla ...

I basically stated NO on everything.
A single YES on anything, means I will not vote for you in your next election.

I'll have to thank them if they vote NO on everything.

I recommend that everyone here should send a message to your (D) Senator, and let them know you're watching.

[skylucy]

51. I contacted both my Senators (Schiff and Padilla) today and said to please vote NO. I knew that Schiff would, but I

also wanted him to know that I respect and appreciate his vote. I was surprised how easy it was to phone them with the number that AOC gave on bluesky. I'm going to keep that phone number handy!

[aggiesal]

55. Yea ...

[H2O Man]

52. Recommended.

[dalton99a]

54. Kick

[Bayard]

56. K&R

[Magoo48]

57. Thanks Senator Schiff, you represent our California Republic admirably.

[Martin68]

58. Hard no!

[Bengus81]

61. This is the kind of leadership that is required NOW........