WASHINGTON — Facing tough re-election battles during an election cycle already favorable to Democrats, a shutdown — or even the threat of a shutdown — is the last thing a group of vulnerable Republican senators wanted.
But with less than a week to go before the government runs out of money and no funding deal yet, Democrats are already attacking Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Richard Burr of North Carolina.
A spending measure that includes defunding Planned Parenthood — a priority for conservatives — failed 47-52, as expected, to clear a procedural hurdle in the Senate Thursday afternoon. All but two of the vulnerable senators up for re-election (Ayotte and Kirk) voted in favor of moving the bill forward, knowing it wouldn't ultimately pass the Senate.
Ayotte, who is running to keep her seat in a presidential year in a crucial state — New Hampshire — has criticized her colleagues on the Senate floor for risking a shutdown over an effort that was sure to fail.
Congress has until midnight Wednesday to pass a spending bill to avert a shutdown.
"I'm tired of the people on my side of the aisle who are pushing this strategy even though they know they don't have the votes to have it pass the United States Senate and they certainly don't have the votes to override a presidential veto," Ayotte said. "And so they can't answer the question – what's the end game for success here?"
After voting in favor of the spending bill that would have defunded Planned Parenthood, Portman told BuzzFeed News he was sure Republicans would be able to avert a shutdown this time around, but the threat of the shutdown — which probably wouldn't play well back home in Ohio — wouldn't be over.
"I think the bigger issue is going to be in December," Portman said.
The Senate is expected to take up a bill that funds the government through the fall and does not strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding next week, but whether the House Republicans will go along with the Senate's plan remains unclear.
In the meantime, eager for Democrats to take back control of the Senate, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is already spending five-figures on digital ads on Facebook and Twitter targeting Senate Republicans up for re-election.
Big-money Democratic outside groups are also jumping in. The opposition research group American Bridge has been circulating a 21-page report with quotes from Republicans promising there wouldn't be a shutdown, and the super PAC that spends on behalf of Senate Democrats, Senate Majority PAC, is using the shutdown to build its list and raise money online.
One recent missive from Senate Majority PAC with a subject line titled "This. Is. Insanity" encouraged recipients to give $5 and sign up as founding members. "We're on the brink," the emails said. "Ted Cruz and his extremist cronies have vowed to SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT unless Congress defunds Planned Parenthood! The GOP is dead set on denying cancer screenings, checkups and contraception to millions of women. DO THEY REALLY HAVE THIS MUCH DISDAIN FOR WOMEN? (Yes, yes they do.)"
The threat of a shutdown, Democrats say, is firing up their donors and voters ahead of an election year that could give the party control of the Senate once again.
"We plan on holding Republicans accountable each day of the week every time they do anything other than avoid a shutdown," said Justin Barasky, spokesman for the DSCC about the group's plans for the coming days.
If Republicans are able to avert a shutdown, Barasky said, the fact the party brought America to the brink of another shutdown will remain part of the Democrats narrative. "It becomes one of many things that show a pattern of irresponsibility."
Toomey and Burr, two of the senators being targeted by the DSCC, said in interviews they weren't too worried about the attacks yet.
"I'm not worried about the Democrats attacks," Toomey said. "I think that's pretty predictable."
Burr, who doesn't yet have a Democratic opponent challenging him in North Carolina, added: "They can run all the ads that they want. I feel confident that the voters of North Carolina are going to judge me on my record."