I’ll be coming back very soon to post more diaries but I wanted to highlight this that just came out in The New York Times:
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, urged Democratic senators on Tuesday to join him in voting against all of President Trump’s nominees in a show of protest against Mr. Trump’s unilateral moves to dismantle and defund major portions of the federal government.
The plea for blanket opposition was only symbolic. Relegated to the minority in the Senate, Democrats have no power to block Mr. Trump’s nominees unless they can persuade a handful of Republicans to join them, and the Republican Party has largely fallen into line behind the president’s picks.
But the entreaty was a notable change in strategy for Mr. Schumer, who has come under increasing pressure from progressive activists, Democratic governors and some senators to take a more aggressive and confrontational stance against Mr. Trump in response to the president’s efforts to steer around Congress on spending and policy.
The Times noted that this is a different tone for Schumer since his phone call with six Democratic Governors last week:
During the Wednesday call, Mr. Schumer defended Senate Democrats’ posture toward Mr. Trump. He said Senate Democrats had damaged the political standing of Pete Hegseth, who was confirmed last week as defense secretary, and of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who faced a bruising hearing on Wednesday for his nomination to be Mr. Trump’s health and human services secretary.
Mr. Schumer told the governors that he could not force all Senate Democrats to oppose every Trump nominee but that he could unite the caucus to oppose certain high-profile appointees. He said Democrats’ combined outrage over the Trump effort to halt federal government funding to a wide range of schools, hospitals, nonprofits and other groups had been successful and had forced the administration to abandon its plans.
The Senate Democratic leader told the governors that Republican elected officials in New York were asking him for advice on how best to respond to Mr. Trump’s actions.
And if you think the Resistance is dead, think again. This is happening in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA where U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D. PA) better get the message sooner than later:
Over 100 people gathered Wednesday afternoon in front of Mr. Fetterman’s Downtown office to demand the senator oppose Trump’s cabinet nominees and administration at large.
The demonstration was organized by the Brockport and Clarion chapters of Indivisible, a national progressive group. Organizers from 50501, a social media movement protesting the president’s early actions nationwide today, were also present
“When he campaigned he was a stalwart Democrat,” Glenshaw resident David Smith, who voted for Mr. Fetterman in 2022, said at the event. “So my question is, what happened between then and now?”
“He’s a complete fraud,” Mr. Smith added.
Mr. Fetterman, who denied rumors last month that he had considered switching parties, has frequently said he’ll meet with Republicans and work with the Trump administration to help all Pennsylvanians. Hearing out the other side of the aisle and meeting with the president, he said, is simply part of his job.
“[Trump] has been doing essentially what he actually campaigned on,” the senator told “The View” last week. "There's things I'm going to agree with, I'm going to disagree with, but I'm in the business of finding wins for Pennsylvania and for the nation, and engaging the president."
Wednesday’s protest came a day after Mr. Fetterman broke with other Democrats in the chamber, voting to confirm Pam Bondi, the president’s pick for Attorney General — and endorsing a potential American occupation of the Gaza Strip.
Fetterman and U.S. Senator Pete Welch (D. VT) were the only two Democrats to confirm HUD Eric Turner and Schumer and Senate Democrats are preparing to unite against Russell T. Vought, Trump’s pick for budget director and the architect of Project 2025. While we may not be able to stop all of Trump’s nominees, we need all Democrats to stand united against Trump from here on out.
Click here to contact your Democratic U.S. Senator and oppose all of Trump’s nominees.