Littwin: Democrats cave on Trump’s “terrible” spending bill

As I write this on Friday afternoon, the Senate just voted on whether to filibuster the Trump/Musk spending bill, and, as expected, nine Democrats and one independent caved.

Meaning at least three things happened: The federal government won’t shut down. Republicans in Congress have given Trump/Musk even more ability to ignore Congress. And Democrats have confirmed what we already knew — that they have no idea how to be an opposition party. So, of course, they shut down.

If you’re furious with Democrats, you’re not alone. Many Democratic politicians are furious with Democrats, especially with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who said he would vote against the bill as late as Wednesday and then changed his mind.

Republicans needed at least eight Democrats to avoid a filibuster. Without Schumer’s help, they never would have gotten those votes, which came mostly from Schumer’s leadership bloc.

There was a CNN report from Dana Bash that an angry Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, who along with John Hickenlooper voted against the bill, had  “erupted” at a recent private Democratic meeting, saying the leadership had “no strategy, no plan and no message.”

Bash cited two sources. I don’t have any sources from that meeting, but I have had many conversations with Bennet in which he voiced his dismay — and that’s putting it nicely — with party leadership.

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As an opposition party with almost no power — not in the White House, not in the House, not in the Senate, not on the Supreme Court — Democrats would seem to have no option but to do whatever they can, whenever they can, to obstruct the Trump/Musk assault on democracy.

In the Senate, they still have the filibuster. I don’t like the filibuster. It makes the Senate — which already favors small-population states — even less democratic.

But — and this is an important but — it’s the only tool left to Democrats. It’s there. They needed to use it, and they didn’t. There is no excuse for it.

I’m not saying it was necessarily an easy decision. It was a “Hobson’s choice,” as Schumer calls it, meaning there’s no actual good choice to make. He called the bill “terrible,” which it is. But the bill should pass, he said, because it’s too dangerous to enable a shutdown that, in his view, would give Trump/Musk even more power.

OK, with a shutdown, Democrats might have gotten the blame, although I think there’s reason to believe otherwise. With a shutdown, it might mean even fewer barriers in the way of the Trump/Musk assault on democracy, as if they recognize any barriers now. 

But how else do you register your horror at what’s going on in Washington? As many Democrats are saying, Schumer made a terrible choice to back the terrible bill.

I don’t know what Schumer’s game is, but if he thought that moderate Dems would rush to vote to keep the government open, he seems to have played his cards wrong. 

Bennet and Hickenlooper are Democratic moderates. And both voted against the bill because passing it would give an official imprimatur to the Trump/Musk destructive rampage while also enabling it to do even more damage. Hickenlooper said he understood that Schumer was in a difficult position but that the country was in an even tougher position.

Bennet is absolutely right about the Democrats’ failures. Democrats failed when they allowed Joe Biden to run for a second term. They failed when Biden dithered after Bennet was the first senator to publicly suggest Biden would lose if he didn’t step aside. They watched Biden continue to dither until it was too late to hold any kind of mini-primary to find a replacement. They said nothing when Kamala Harris, who was really the only choice as Democratic nominee at that late hour, did almost nothing to separate herself from the unpopular Biden.

And now, when this critical vote arrived — a continuing resolution to keep the government running for the next few months — Democrats floundered again. No wonder they’re in such bad shape. No wonder the party is sinking in the polls. No wonder the base is restless.

The base of the party wants its leaders to do all they can to stand up to Trump/Musk. Voting for the bill is backing down. It may not be a complete surrender, but the flag — in these anti-DEI times — looks awfully white.

Over in the House — where all but one Democrat voted against the bill, which passed anyway — there may be even more fury. And younger Democratic politicians are definitely furious.

When House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was asked by a reporter Friday if it’s time for new Senate leadership,  he answered: “Next question.” When asked if had lost confidence in Schumer, he offered the same reply: “Next question.”

Dozens of Democrats sent letters to Schumer on Friday, including one signed by Colorado’s Rep. Jason Crow, asking him to change course — again  — and oppose the bill.

Nancy Pelosi, who is still a powerhouse even after giving up her leadership position, said that Trump/Musk “offered the Congress a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check that makes a devastating assault on the wellbeing of working families. Let’s be clear: neither is a good choice. But this false choice some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable.”

She didn’t name Schumer, but she didn’t have to. She didn’t have to say Schumer is now in trouble with his party, but she didn’t have to.

Pelosi said Democratic senators should listen to the women — citing Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Sen. Patty Murray, who are the ranking Democrats on their respective appropriations committees.

On the Senate floor Friday, Murray spoke strongly against the “C.R.” which is shorthand for continuing resolution. “In this case,” she said, “C.R. stands for complete resignation.”

I don’t know how much more complete it could be. As the vote was happening, Trump was at the Department of Justice saying that it should be against the law to criticize judges — as he does, but I guess he has immunity — and to say that the 2020 election wasn’t rigged. And waiting to hear his buddy Vladimir Putin put the expected kibosh on Trump’s ceasefire plan in Ukraine.

You don’t support this man, whatever the risks. You oppose him, especially if you’re in the opposing party. You oppose him, knowing that his polls are slipping, the stock market is faltering and that people are turning in their Teslas. 

Democrats failed. And we, the people, will pay the price.

Mike Littwin has been a columnist for too many years to count. He has covered Dr. J, four presidential inaugurations, six national conventions and countless brain-numbing speeches in the New Hampshire and Iowa snow. Sign up for Mike’s newsletter.

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