Chuck Schumer calls out Republicans for ‘wasting time’ as tentative funding deal is announced

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took a swipe at his Republican colleagues for “wasting precious time” after his GOP counterpart unveiled a plan to avoid a government shutdown.

The bipartisan plan was announced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., earlier on Sunday. The tentative agreement maintains government funding until Dec. 20, with the House likely to vote on the bill as early as Wednesday. 

The agreement – which still needs to be voted on in order to be implemented – comes after weeks of uncertainty about whether a government shutdown could be avoided before the current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. The hypothetical government shutdown would begin on Oct. 1.

In a statement released by Schumer on Sunday evening, the New York Democrat accused Johnson of “follow[ing] the MAGA way.”

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., leaves at a news conference on Capitol Hill. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

“Over the past 4 days, bipartisan, bicameral negotiations have been underway to reach an agreement that maintains current funding through December 20 and avoids a government shutdown a month before the election,” Schumer’s statement read.

“While I am pleased bipartisan negotiations quickly led to a government funding agreement free of cuts and poison pills, this same agreement could have been done two weeks ago.”

Schumer referred to Johnson’s attempt to try passing a more Republican-friendly continuing resolution (CR) that would have extended funding for another six months, despite the awareness that many Republicans would not support it. The CR failed by a narrow 202-220 vote last week.

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UNITED STATES – SEPTEMBER 12: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol  after the last votes of the week on Thursday, September 12, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Instead, Speaker Johnson chose to follow the MAGA way and wasted precious time,” Schumer said in his statement. “As I have said throughout this process, there is only one way to get things done, with bipartisan, bicameral support.”

Johnson also attempted to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a Republican-backed bill that would require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process.

The Republican leader’s funding agreement, which is closer in line with what the Senate Democrats wanted, is expected to anger the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.

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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., hand medals to family members during the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for the fallen service members killed in the 2021 terrorist attack at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.  (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The bill also includes $231 million for the U.S. Secret Service with conditions that the agency cooperates with congressional investigations. The bipartisan deal made on Sunday excludes any agreement to pass the SAVE Act.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.