Democratic lawmakers are criticizing what they call the “extreme” efforts of the Trump administration to reshape the U.S. government, vowing to oppose these changes despite having limited political power in both houses of the U.S. Congress.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Monday that Republican lawmakers were not respecting their campaign pledge to avoid implementing Project 2025, a conservative plan aimed at altering the structure of the U.S. government.
“This year, Republicans have spent all their time implementing the most extreme parts of Project 2025, and they’ve done nothing to lower the high prices of everyday goods,” said Jeffries.
Republican lawmakers argue that President Trump is exercising broad presidential powers to evaluate federal agencies.
President Trump is doing so through billionaire Elon Musk, whom he appointed to head the Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to reduce federal spending.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to his Democratic colleagues outlining a four-pronged strategy to counter the Trump administration’s actions: oversight, litigation, legislation, communication, and mobilization.
Schumer also said Democrats would continue supporting judicial processes to halt the freezing of funds and prevent the firing of federal employees.
Vice President JD Vance criticized the judicial decisions in these cases. He wrote on the X platform, “If a judge tries to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, it would be illegal. If a judge tries to direct a public prosecutor on how to perform his duties, it would also be illegal. Judges are not allowed to control the legitimate powers of the executive.”
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy responded: “For those who believe we are in the middle of a constitutional crisis, this is proof. Trump and Vance are laying the groundwork to ignore the courts – the last line of defense for democracy against unchecked executive power,” he wrote on the X platform, VOA reports.
Democratic senators also announced the creation of a new platform for whistleblowers from the ranks of federal public servants and civil servants who wish to report violations.
In a statement, they said, “While Republican senators refuse to fulfill their constitutional duty to oversee the executive branch, Democratic senators remain committed to uncovering the truth. We are prepared to make demands, preserve public documents, hold hearings, and take legal actions when necessary.”
Senator Schumer said that Democratic lawmakers would support the budget bill but urged Republicans to negotiate it in a bipartisan spirit. The short-term budget bill for the U.S. government expires on March 14. After that date, the budget bill must be supported by 60 votes in the Senate. Republicans currently hold the majority in the Senate with 53 seats.
