With options limited, Democrats lay out plan for opposing Trump agenda

WASHINGTON (CN) — Democrats on Monday previewed their strategy for hampering President Donald Trump’s agenda and what they say is the White House’s constitutional overreach — vowing to use every tool in their arsenal as Congress’ minority party to keep Republicans in check.

The plan for Democratic resistance, laid out in a “dear colleague” letter from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, comes after a week of decisive executive action from the Trump administration, some of which appears to trample on congressional authority.

“Make no mistake about it: The Republicans’ entire agenda is to further enrich the rich and powerful by cutting investments in working families and handing out democracy over to 21st century robber barons,” Schumer told Senate Democrats. “Trump’s ultimate goal is to contort our democracy to serve the elite few at the expense of hardworking American families.”

At the direction of the White House, billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have taken a hacksaw to federal agencies, interviewing staff and demanding access to confidential information.

Framed by the Trump administration and Republicans as a much-needed audit of government spending, Musk and his allies have effectively shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development and are threatening the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The White House is also eyeing the Department of Education for closure.

All these agencies were created by acts of Congress, and the White House does not appear to have the legal authority to shutter them unilaterally. And the judiciary has already blocked some of Musk’s efforts — a federal court last week blocked an administration order that would have put a huge swath of USAID employees on indefinite leave.

The Trump administration has also issued a bevy of executive orders, including actions rolling back birthright citizenship for the children of immigrants and freezing the disbursement of certain federal funds. Judges have similarly blocked those orders from being implemented.

But despite the possibility that the White House is running afoul of the law, the Republican majority in Congress has defended Trump’s actions and rejected constitutional concerns. Now, Democrats say they are taking matters into their own hands.

“Senate Democrats have a responsibility to fight back on behalf of American families as Republicans look the other way in obedience to Donald Trump,” Schumer wrote Monday.

Among the limited strategies Democrats are deploying to counter the White House, the New York senator pointed to what he said was ongoing congressional oversight led by the minority. Lawmakers have already sent “hundreds” of letters to the administration demanding answers for the intent, legal backing and impact of Trump’s executive actions so far.

Schumer on Monday also unveiled a new online portal for government whistleblowers to report “corruption, abuses of power and threats to public safety,” he said.

The Senate minority leader added that Democrats also plan to hold independent hearings, separate from those scheduled by the Republican majority, aimed at spotlighting the harms of White House policies.

“Ultimately, if Senate Republicans continue to refuse to uphold their congressional duty to provide oversight on the Executive Branch, Senate Democrats stand ready to act alone,” he said.

Schumer further detailed Democratic efforts to support litigation against the Trump administration, telling his colleagues that the party is “actively exploring” opportunities to file so-called “friend of the court” briefs in cases challenging White House policy. And he suggested that some of these lawsuits were already making headway, pointing to recent rulings against administration orders as proof.

“These actions are all preliminary, but I am hopeful the law and our system of justice will prevail.”

Democratic opposition to the Trump White House is taking shape as Congress prepares once again to take up the federal budget — a short-term spending patch negotiated late last year is set to expire next month.

Republicans are attempting to circumvent the usual appropriations process and pass a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that package trillions in federal spending cuts with Trump-requested tax cuts and increased border security spending. Democrats, meanwhile, have demanded their GOP colleagues follow regular order.

“Congressional Republicans, despite their bluster, know full well that governing requires bipartisan negotiation and cooperation,” Schumer said Monday, adding that the onus is on Republicans to “get serious” and work across the aisle to avoid a government shutdown.

While Democrats commit to using their limited minority power to hold the Trump administration to account, Republican leaders in Congress have expressed little concern about the White House’s actions.

During a news conference last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared frustrated with questions about the constitutional implications of allowing Musk to dismantle federal agencies. Johnson told reporters that the GOP did not see the administration’s actions as a threat to congressional authority.

“We see this as an active, engaged, committed executive branch doing what the executive branch should do,” he said.

Johnson also refused to directly say whether Congress would step in to pass legislation shuttering the Education Department if the White House attempted to do so via executive action — instead telling reporters that he was waiting for more details but that there would be “a lot of support” among Republicans for handing education regulation back to the states.

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