**WASHINGTON**
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that he would vote to advance a House-passed government funding bill to avert a government shutdown.
"I believe it is my job to make the best choice for the country, to minimize the harms to the American people. Therefore, I will vote to keep the government open and not shut it down," Schumer told the Senate floor.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted 217-213 to pass Republicans' six-month spending legislation backed by President Donald Trump to extend government funding through Sept. 30.
Schumer said that while the continuing resolution (CR) bill is "very bad," the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are "much, much worse."
"For sure, the Republican bill is a terrible option," he said, adding it doesn't address many of the country's needs.
Schumer said that a shutdown would give Trump and tech-billionaire Elon Musk "a carte blanche to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now."
"President Trump and Republican leaders would like nothing more than to pull us into the mud of a protracted government shutdown. For Donald Trump, a shutdown would be a gift," he argued.
A government shutdown would lead to the shuttering of regional Veterans Affairs offices, leaving veterans without crucial services, he said.
With Republicans holding a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, eight Democrats are needed to join Republicans in supporting the measure to clear the 60-vote threshold and send the bill to Trump’s desk before current funding expires at 11.59 p.m. local time on Friday.
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