WASHINGTON ― Democrats on Capitol Hill are fuming about President Donald Trump’s Monday night time announcement that he’s freezing all federal grants and loans, a surprising motion that looks as unconstitutional as it’s damaging to tens of millions of American citizens.
Additionally they appear to have been jolted conscious in some way they haven’t been in months. For the primary time since Trump’s win in November, there’s a whiff of resistance again within the air.
“This is a 5 alarm f-ing fire,” Rep. Sean Casten (D-Sick.) mentioned Tuesday on social media. “We work hard not to shut government down in Congress. Trump has decided he can do by fiat out of petulance and blind allegiance to the Project 2025 crowd. You either enable him or stand up to him in this moment. There is no other option.”
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Democrats, all however informed his colleagues to step it up of their position as federal lawmakers or pass house.
“What happened last night is the most direct assault on the authority of Congress, I believe, in the history of the United States,” King mentioned at a Tuesday media match. “If this stands, then Congress may as well adjourn. The implications of this is the executive can pick and choose which congressional enactments they will execute.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) had a extra blunt take at the president’s declare he was once simplest quickly halting all federal grant spending: “Bullshit.”
“What happened last night is the most direct assault on the authority of Congress, I believe, in the history of the United States,” mentioned Sen. Angus King (I-Maine).
Trump’s sweeping motion, directed by way of the Place of work of Control and Finances, is so vaguely written that it’s now not even transparent which techniques, if any, are exempted, which means billions if now not trillions in federal bucks will forestall flowing to even probably the most essential of techniques all over the place the rustic. Some already suffering from the freeze come with Head Get started, essential scientific analysis or even Medicaid, which has reportedly observed its portals pass down in all 50 states.
As anticipated, a federal pass judgement on quickly blocked Trump’s motion past due Tuesday.
The president has signed numerous harmful government orders in his first week again within the White Space, together with his mass firing of unbiased inspectors normal at a number of federal businesses, his mass firing of Justice Division attorneys who up to now labored on Trump’s prosecutions and his reinstatement of a ban on transgender folks serving within the army.
However his OMB directive is such a lot broader in scope and has the prospective to inflict ache on such a lot of prone folks (and is so unlawful) that it’s landed in a different way with Democrats. They’re appearing indicators, despite the fact that simply early indicators, that they’ve were given a combat in them once more.
Just about two dozen Democrats on Tuesday antagonistic affirmation of Trump’s transportation secretary nominee, Sean Duffy, who’s somewhat noncontroversial. Some explicitly mentioned their explanation why was once on account of the president’s freeze on federal cash.
“I was ready to confirm Sean Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation, but I cannot vote for him after the chaos President Trump has unleashed with his order to pause critical federal funding to Nevada,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) mentioned in a observation.
“The funding being held up by President Trump includes support for Nevada’s seniors, veterans, and families ― not to mention grants for job-creating transportation projects statewide,” mentioned Cortez Masto. “Working families deserve real answers from the Trump Administration about how they are going to fix the mess they’ve created.”
“Heading into this week, I was prepared to vote to confirm Rep. Duffy. Our conversations were productive and encouraging, and I thought he was sufficiently qualified to serve as Transportation Secretary,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Sick.) mentioned in a observation. “But President Trump’s sweeping order to freeze federal grant funding … is illegal and hurting Americans in red and blue states alike, and I cannot vote to confirm a Transportation Secretary while transportation funding is being unlawfully withheld.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) informed journalists that his vote towards Duffy was once on account of ”this government order this is growing chaos and confusion” throughout the Division of Transportation, amongst different businesses.
“So we can no longer do business as usual when the president is recklessly and reprehensibly seizing the power of the purse unlawfully,” he mentioned.
It would now not appear to be a profound display of power that 22 of 47 Senate Democrats voted towards Duffy’s nomination. However imagine that only a day ahead of, on Monday, the Senate voted 97-0 on a procedural step to advance Duffy’s nomination. As a substitute of simply going alongside to get alongside, senators are rediscovering their talent to ship a message with votes.
“You either enable him or stand up to him in this moment. There is no other option.”
– Rep. Sean Casten (D-Sick.)
Democrats additionally banded in combination Tuesday to dam a Republican-led invoice to sanction World Prison Court docket officers. Just one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.), voted with the GOP to advance the invoice.
In the meantime, some Democrats are hinting at broader plans to jam Senate trade.
“While President Trump illegally pauses federal funding from Congress, the Senate must not be business as usual,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) mentioned Tuesday on social media. “We do not consent to this lawless power grab.”
To make sure, Democrats have little keep watch over over what Senate Republicans need to do within the subsequent two years, no less than. They are able to filibuster regulation in the event that they stick in combination, however with a 47-53 minority, Democrats must win over no less than 4 Republicans each and every time they need to save you affirmation of any of Trump’s government or judicial nominees.
It doesn’t imply they’re helpless, even though. Even within the minority, in the event that they keep unified and feature the desire to do it, Democrats may just make an actual mess of ways the Senate purposes and does (or doesn’t) advance Trump’s priorities.
Democrats may just, for instance, vote towards each and every so-called “cloture” movement ― a procedural step that ends debate on no matter trade is pending at the Senate ground. They might vote towards giving unanimous consent any time a nominee or invoice is in a position for ground motion. They might call for recorded votes on each and every Senate motion that calls for a vote, as a substitute of agreeing to a handy guide a rough voice vote and transferring alongside.
None of those steps would essentially save you Republicans from pushing during the expenses or nominees that Trump needs. But when Democrats did this at the common, it might drag out the method of having anything else finished by way of hours, days, in all probability weeks.
“The Senate must not be business as usual,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
ALLISON ROBBERT/AFP via Getty Images
Progressive advocacy groups, too, seem to be treating Trump’s OMB directive as a renewed call to action for anyone who cares about protecting democracy.
“If Trump gets away with this, every law Congress passes becomes optional for future presidents. We can’t let that happen,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, a progressive movement formed in resistance to Trump. “This is a revolution, not a memo ― and it’s time to meet the moment with relentless, uncompromising pushback.”
“We will not stand by while this administration blatantly tries to take away the freedoms and programs that support families and strengthen our communities,” vowed Lupe Rodriguez, executive director at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice.
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It’s too early to inform if Senate Democrats have it in them to mount an actual resistance to Trump’s excessive plans over the following 4 years. However one approach to gauge the hearth of their bellies is how they vote within the coming days and weeks on extra of the president’s Cupboard choices. And no less than one in all their colleagues within the Space shall be staring at.
“If you are a Senator right now confirming ANY Trump nominee who will not unambiguously defend their oath to the Constitution even if that means standing up to Trump you are completely misunderstanding the risk of this moment,” Casten mentioned on social media.
Igor Bobic contributed reporting.
