Arizona Democrats say they'll vote towards GOP invoice to avert shutdown

A pair of Senate Democrats from a key battleground state on Thursday stated that they’d vote towards the GOP’s six-month spending invoice, elevating questions on the opportunity of a authorities shutdown when funding expires on Friday.

Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly (D) and Ruben Gallego (D) stated they may oppose each the spending invoice itself and a procedural movement to advance the measure, which requires 60 votes.

“I cannot vote for the Republican plan to give unchecked power to Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” Kelly stated in a press release. “I told Arizonans I’d stand up when it was right for our state and our country, and this is one of those moments.”

Gallego echoed that sentiment, which has emerged as one of many fundamental Democratic issues.

‪”This can be a dangerous decision that offers Elon Musk and his cronies permission to proceed chopping veterans’ advantages, slashes sources for Arizona’s water wants and abandons our wildland firefighters,” Gallego stated in a press release. “I can’t stand by that, and that’s why I’m voting no.”

“We must come together to pass a bipartisan solution — I’m committed to putting in the work to do that — but this resolution is a grab bag of extreme policies that harms Arizona families,” Gallego added. 

The pair of Democrats from a key swing state had been broadly thought of prime targets for Republicans, who want eight members of the minority celebration to hitch with them to advance the partisan spending measure. 

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is the lone member to definitively say they’d vote in favor. 

Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) all additionally stated they’re towards it, additional winnowing potential “yes” votes.

Senate Democrats on Wednesday had privately indicated they’d not let the federal government shut down so long as they first bought a vote on a 30-day spending invoice. Whether or not that is still a risk is unclear.