Government shutdown updates: Senate to convene Sunday session, but no votes scheduled

Schumer says GOP dismissal of Dem backing program is simply a 'terrible mistake'

Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said connected the Senate level Saturday that it’s a "terrible mistake" for Republicans to disregard his connection to reopen the authorities with a one-year hold of authorities funding.

Republicans person called the connection a "non-starter.”

"I cognize galore Republicans stormed retired the gross to disregard this offer, but that's a unspeakable mistake," Schumer said. “Our connection is not a caller policy. This is not negotiating successful a shutdown. It is simply agreeing to support existent backing levels.”

He said Republicans are refusing to adjacent admit the healthcare issues.

"It's alarming that Republicans adjacent garbage to admit we person an contiguous situation close present that needs fixing," Schumer said.

Schumer continued to knock Republicans for the damaging effects of the record-shattering shutdown, blaming Republicans for delays and cancelations astatine airports and for ongoing issues with SNAP.

He besides said the medication displayed "pathological levels of vindictiveness" by taking the lawsuit astir paying retired SNAP benefits to the Supreme Court.

Houston residents enactment up successful their cars for a peculiar escaped nutrient organisation by the Houston Food Bank astatine the NRG Stadium successful Houston, Texas, connected Nov. 1, 2025.

Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

"This greeting tens of millions of Americans stay successful limbo arsenic this medication continues its crusade against SNAP,” Schumer said. “The Supreme Court has allowed the medication to withhold benefits arsenic the lawsuit makes its mode done the little courts. For this medication to spell each the mode to the Supreme Court conscionable to get retired of having to wage SNAP benefits for bare kids is pathological levels of vindictiveness.”

He said the SNAP contented is "in the administration's hands."

"The infinitesimal the medication wanted to, it could find a hole for SNAP and guarantee that radical don't spell hungry,” Schumer said.

Schumer besides called the monolithic airdrome cancelations "transparently political.”

"What's happening astatine America's airports close present is not an mishap -- it's a stunt,” helium said.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin