Is a shutdown happening? The Senate says ask the House.
The Senate is in limbo as it waits for the House to piece together its crumbling government-funding strategy.
Soon-to-be GOP Leader John Thune told reporters Thursday morning his understanding is that Vice President-elect JD Vance and Speaker Mike Johnson are “trying to work it out” and that the "action is in the House.”
Thune added that he has not yet talked to Johnson on Thursday morning, though he expects he will, and is “hoping that they make some headway.” When asked about Trump's proposal to include an increase to the debt limit in the year-end funding package, Thune reiterated "they're trying to sort that out in the House."
And Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) downplayed the chaos unfolding in the lower chamber. "This is just the typical drama we have," he told reporters later. "We end up avoiding the shutdown. I don't think anybody wants a shutdown."
Meanwhile, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Speaker Mike Johnson that the only way legislation is getting through both chambers — stop us if you've heard this before — is through bipartisanship.
Schumer on Wednesday night said he’d wait to see what the House does on the continuing resolution before moving forward.
CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story misattributed a quote from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).