By Niels Lesniewski and JM Rieger

Even before GOP lawmakers had filed a budget resolution conference report, Senate Democratic Conference Chairman Charles E. Schumer was firing a warning shot about the next step in the process of funding the federal government. “Republicans should be warned right here, right now, Democrats are not going to help you pass appropriations bills that lock-in senseless, automatically triggered cuts that hurt the middle class,” the New York Democrat said. “Instead, we’ll be eager to work with our Republican colleagues to prevent those cuts from taking effect and restoring both defense spending and vital middle class funding in an even way, one dollar for defense, one dollar for the middle class.” Schumer made the statement just after rattling off a list of provisions Democrats oppose in the Republican budget blueprint, after the ink was supposed to have been dry, but before it actually was.