Privately, many Senate Democrats conceded that their leader was doing his job by protecting his members from a tough vote and making a politically painful decision. But the backlash from his party was intense.

Chuck Schumer has given Senate Democrats an out — drastically lowering the chances of a government shutdown Saturday.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer’s calculated call to avoid a disruptive government shutdown alienates a political base enraged by President Donald Trump’s policies and frustrated at party elders’ cautious response.

In failing to demonstrate what they stand for, Democrats fumbled the chance to show why they deserve a return to power, centrists and progressives say.

The U.S. Senate on Friday passed a stopgap spending bill, averting a partial government shutdown, after Democrats backed down in a standoff driven by anger over President Donald Trump's campaign to slash the federal workforce.