The Democratic leader plans to fight the new administration with whistleblowers, lawsuits, legislation, and messaging.
Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Feb. 10 unveiled a four-point plan to oppose sweeping changes implemented by President Donald Trump during his second term in office.
“Suspending entire government programs and offices, trying to bully civil servants into retirement, gutting consumer protections for working families, purging law enforcement, and firing independent watchdogs is not about promoting government efficiency or helping working families.”
The letter comes just three weeks after Trump’s reentry into the Oval Office.
During that time, the White House has moved with break-neck speed to overhaul the federal government, implementing freezes on foreign aid, grants, and government loans—with exceptions for food, medicine, and individual assistance programs.
The newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting advisory commission headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, has vowed to shut down long-established agencies such as the Department of Education and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Trump administration has also offered federal employees a buyout: resign now with eight months of continued pay and benefits, or face an uncertain employment future.
To halt—or at least slow down—the changes, Schumer is attempting to mobilize Democratic opposition in a four-pronged attack.
Oversight
Schumer said the Democrats are flooding the new administration with “hundreds of oversight inquiries from our committees and members, probing the intent, legal justification and real-world impact” of Trump’s changes.
Democrats are also planning “independent ‘spotlight’ hearings” to bring closer public scrutiny to any purported mischief conducted by the new administration, in the hope that popular outcry will bring Republicans to heel.
Litigation
After reminding his colleagues that President Joe Biden’s administration was able to confirm and appoint a record-breaking 235 federal judges, Schumer said he intends to fight Trump in the courts.
This method has already borne some fruit, as a number of the administration’s recent moves have been temporarily halted by federal courts, with more lawsuits cropping up every few days.
DOGE’s examination of the Treasury Department’s payment system has been restricted to only two of its employees, and strictly in “read-only” form.
On Feb. 7, a federal judge partially halted a potential downsizing of USAID, preventing 2,200 workers from being placed on paid leave, pending judicial review.
Other suits are expected, and Schumer says the Democrats stand ready to file amici curiae—friend of the court—briefs to support legal action against the Trump overhaul.
Legislation
Schumer has also turned his eyes toward Congress and its exercise of the “power of the purse.”
The government is facing a funding deadline of March 14.
While it is true that a full budget has not been passed since 1996, Congress has kept the machine running by passing giant omnibus bills, or temporary spending bills known as continuing resolutions, or CRs.
If a new spending bill cannot be passed before the previous funding expires, it will trigger a government shutdown.
“Democrats stand ready to support legislation that will prevent a government shutdown,” Schumer said, but he added that Republicans are working on a budget reconciliation bill he described as “radical.”
Noting that it takes 60 votes to pass this legislation in the Senate—and the GOP has only a 53-47 majority—Schumer said that more bipartisan cooperation will be necessary to secure any pending legislation and avoid a shutdown.
“Senate Democrats will use our votes to help steady the ship for the American people in these turbulent times,” he said.
Communication and Mobilization
As the final angle of the attack, Schumer said he intends to harness the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and Democratic Strategic Communications Committee (DSCC) to act as a coordination hub to keep Democrats united and organized, and keep relevant issues before the public eye.
Last week saw a group of Democratic lawmakers protesting outside the Department of Education building. They were prevented by security personnel from entering the building.
