Chuck Schumer's message comes the day after he and fellow Senate Democratic leaders wrote to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with a similar message. | AP Photo Schumer to GOP: Funding the wall means government shutdown

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Republicans on Tuesday that they'd risk a government shutdown if they try to attach money for President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall to a must-pass bill to keep the government open. The same applies to any attempt to defund Planned Parenthood, Schumer said.

The New Yorker's message came the day after he and fellow Senate Democratic leaders wrote to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) with a similar message. Schumer's warning grew starker on Tuesday, as he began to try to blame Republicans if a shutdown occurs.


"If they put these poison pill amendments in and try to shove them down the American people’s throat," Schumer told reporters, "of course they might be responsible for shutting the government down."

Schumer added that Republicans agreed to Democrats' request last year that a government funding measure move ahead without controversial policy add-ons. Next month's funding debate will be Washington's first of the Trump era, however, and Republicans are still undecided about how hard to push Democrats, whose votes will be needed in the Senate to keep the government open.

McConnell struck a relatively conciliatory note on Tuesday, telling reporters that Democrats will be players "when it comes to" the government funding debate and acknowledging that the minority "will have the opportunity to ball up [the funding bill] like they did last year."

McConnell also noted the irony of the turnabout for Democrats, who savaged the GOP for its role instigating the 2013 government shutdown under former President Barack Obama.

"I’m amused by the Democrats apparently warming up to the idea that threatening to shut down the government is a good idea," he said.