In March, 10 Senate Democrats gave Republicans the votes they needed to avoid a government shutdown. Democrats reasoned that the timing was wrong for a big fight with Trump, who was just a month into his second term, and they didn't yet have a unifying demand to organize a shutdown around.
Two things then happened. The Democratic grassroots responded angrily, telling their representatives that they wanted them to fight back against Trump harder. And Republicans continued caving to Trump.
A key moment came when Trump used rescission — essentially breaking the law passed by Congress directing him to spend money on certain programs, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — and then asked Republican lawmakers to pass a bill giving him the OK after the fact. Democrats tell me that the GOP's decision to go along with rescission meant they were disregarding all of the bipartisan work that had gone into those spending bills.
Since the summer, senior Democrats have met to talk through how to take a stand when the next funding deadline comes. But they aren't just angry. They also see Trump's sinking approval numbers and low ratings for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, his signature legislative accomplishment. In other words, the political timing may be right for a showdown.
That just leaves the question of what to demand. This is a preview of Eugene Daniels' latest column. Read the full column here. For more thought-provoking insights from Eugene Daniels, watch "The Weekend" every Saturday and Sunday from 7 to 10 a.m. ET on MSNBC. |
