WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Senate Democrats were grim Friday as they left Washington after a brutal 10-week stretch that consistently showed the limits of their power in the minority 鈥� and culminated with a deeply personal rupture over how to best counter President Donald Trump.
鈥淓veryone made hard decisions, right? Really hard decisions,鈥� said Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, of the position in which Democrats found themselves over the last week as they had to decide between voting for a and shutting down the government. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like two horrible things, and you can鈥檛 imagine either one.鈥�
Internal dissension burst into the open Thursday evening after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on the Trump-backed spending measure, ensuring its eventual passage even though Democrats said it would give Trump broad discretion on decisions that are traditionally left to Congress.
The intraparty backlash was unusually swift as activists and House Democrats who had uniformly opposed the bill heaped criticism on Schumer. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Schumer鈥檚 New York colleague, joined other top party members in a statement saying, 鈥淲e will not be complicit."
The heat on Schumer came after several other Democratic setbacks in the dizzying weeks since Trump鈥檚 inauguration, and as Republicans have only become more unified under the president鈥檚 second term.
Republicans confirmed Trump鈥檚 entire Cabinet swiftly and with , denying Democrats the needed votes to block nominees they saw as extreme, including Defense Secretary and Health and Human Services Secretary .
Democrats were also unable to stop a series of moves by Trump鈥檚 administration that would normally be left to Congress under the law, including across the government. Adding to their challenges, the outlook for future Senate elections grew even gloomier after Democrats in three swing states 鈥� the latest being 鈥� announced their retirement.
The days leading up to Friday鈥檚 vote on government spending were particularly bleak after several hourslong meetings that became contentious. Senate Democrats repeatedly left the meetings stone-faced and refusing to talk with reporters. The angst was particularly acute among rank-and-file who have spent years messaging about the perils of shutdowns.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a momentous decision,鈥� said Shaheen, one of nine Democrats who voted with Schumer to keep the government open.
The tension was unusually high after Senate Democrats had remained solidly unified through Trump鈥檚 first term and through most of Democrat Joe Biden鈥檚 presidency, when Democrats passed several major policy bills and in the 2022 midterm elections.
Schumer鈥檚 move to support the spending legislation put him in the rare position of bucking his party鈥檚 base. He said that of two bad options, a partial government shutdown was worse because it would give Trump even more control to shut down agencies and there would be 鈥渘o off-ramp鈥� to get out of it. 鈥淚 think people realize it鈥檚 a tough choice,鈥� he said.
Reaction to Schumer鈥檚 decision was mixed. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who voted not to move forward on the spending measure, wouldn鈥檛 answer when asked by reporters if she still has confidence in the Democratic leader. But Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who voted to move forward, said Schumer 鈥渋s showing leadership鈥� by taking a stand.
Schumer and Democrats in his caucus say they believe they will eventually gain more political ground as members of their party become more motivated, and as they continue to criticize Trump on what they predict will be the economic ramifications of his policies.
On Friday, as he walked into the Senate to vote, Schumer said Democrats will 鈥渞esume pounding away at Donald Trump鈥� and arguing that he鈥檚 hurting the middle class economically. 鈥淚t鈥檚 brought down his numbers some, and we鈥檙e going to keep at it, keep at it, keep at it.鈥�
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said that spending vote was a 鈥渢ough political call,鈥� but the party would continue to be unified on the economic message.
鈥淎ll of our base wants us to fight, and I'm with them,鈥� said Welch, who voted not to move forward on the spending measure. But he questioned whether the party ever had any leverage, as Trump was preparing to blame them if there was a shutdown.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Democrats need to 鈥渒eep their eyes on the ball.鈥�
鈥淭he stark reality is, we鈥檙e the minority in the House, we鈥檙e the minority in the Senate, and we don鈥檛 control the White House, so we need to use every tool as nimbly and ingeniously as we can,鈥� Blumenthal said. 鈥淏ut most importantly, the growing anger.鈥�
Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press
