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Rep. Hinson blames Senate Democrats for 'Schumer shutdown' amid government spending stalemate

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. shutdown-amid-government-spending-stalemate.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, October 12th 2025 at 12:21 GMT by ABC Kcrg 9

Rep. James Hinson (R‑NC) has leveled a sweeping indictment at Senate Democrats, naming Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as the chief culprit behind the looming federal shutdown that has stoked a year‑long stalemate over the next government’s spending plan. In a press briefing held Friday afternoon, Hinson told reporters that the only “real problem” in Washington is the Democratic caucus’s unwillingness to negotiate a balanced budget and that the potential for a shutdown is “a direct result of the Democratic leadership’s unwillingness to reach a deal.”

Hinson’s remarks come amid the federal government’s 2025 fiscal year deadline of September 30, which has left the House and Senate at an impasse over the continuing resolution (CR) needed to keep the government open past that date. The House passed a $1.5 trillion CR that extends operations through October 30, but the Senate has yet to act on a matching CR. The Senate’s “defense authorization” and “non‑defense appropriations” bills have both been stalled, and Hinson says that the Senate Democrats’ “persistent refusal to compromise” on the defense spending level is the root cause of the crisis.

Hinson also singled out Schumer, accusing him of “playing politics with the nation’s budget” and of “allowing the Republican opposition to threaten a shutdown in order to get a larger share of federal funds for partisan projects.” He cited Schumer’s recent statements in the Senate chamber that the Democratic leadership was “open to a broad bipartisan compromise” but that “the Republicans will never accept that level of funding.” The Rep. added that “the Democrats keep pushing for higher spending while they refuse to cut back on programs the country needs.”

The article notes that the source of the current stalemate is twofold. First, there is the debate over the fiscal policy of the 2024 budget, where Republicans want a larger deficit‑reduction package while Democrats want to preserve spending on public health, infrastructure, and national defense. Second, the “fiscal cliff” of the 2025 federal spending deadline creates a hard timeline that forces both chambers to act. According to the Washington Post, “the federal government will shut down if no CR is passed by October 1, which would force all non‑essential federal agencies to cease operations.” The article also includes a link to a previous KCRG story that examined the history of the 2024 budget negotiations, which noted how the previous year’s deadline was met through a bipartisan agreement on a $2.5 trillion CR that included a modest increase in defense spending.

In his remarks, Hinson referenced the 2023 “government shutdown” that had previously ended after a deal that raised the debt ceiling and provided a temporary funding bridge. He said the Republicans’ “tactical use of the shutdown threat” had worked before, but this time “the Democrats are making it harder for us to keep the government funded.” The article provides a brief overview of the Congressional budget process, explaining that the House and Senate must each pass a separate appropriations bill, after which the President must sign the bill into law. The article includes a link to an NPR segment that explained how the “separate appropriations” mechanism can lead to a mismatch between the two chambers, a problem that has been highlighted by both sides in the current stalemate.

Hinson’s comments also touch on broader policy points, such as the debate over the “border security” package that has been a Republican priority. He claims that the Democrats are unwilling to fund border security “unless it comes with a cost‑cutting package on other programs.” The article references the Senate’s “border control” bill that has been in committee, which the Rep. says was blocked by Democrats who fear it would “encourage illegal immigration.” Hinson said the Senate’s refusal to accept a compromise package that included both border funding and spending cuts was “the single biggest obstacle to closing the funding gap.”

According to the article, Schumer’s own statements on the Senate floor earlier that week emphasized a “balanced approach” to the budget, with a “two‑tier” plan that would maintain essential services while cutting “redundant” spending. He also warned that a government shutdown would have “devastating impacts” on veterans, small businesses, and federal employees. Hinson’s rebuttal noted that “the President is not the only one who could have signed a deal to avoid the shutdown; it’s the Senate that’s blocked it.”

In addition to Hinson’s press conference, the article contains a link to a KCRG video interview with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who echoed Hinson’s frustration with the Democratic leadership, noting that “the Democrats want to dictate the terms of the budget, but they are unwilling to back up their demands with any real willingness to cut.” McConnell also said that the “risk of a shutdown is real, but it is a risk that the Senate can mitigate by working with the House to find a workable compromise.” The article concludes with a reminder that the deadline is fast approaching and that the American public is watching closely as Congress battles over whether to keep the government funded or let the nation face a shutdown.