Spineless Schumer must force a shutdown this time. Here's why

Given Republicans' breathtaking control of the federal government, there are precious few opportunities for Democrats to leave their mark. But a real opening lies just ahead, and Dems must be ready to go to the mat, forcing the GOP to shut the entirety of the government down on Sept. 30 if they don't honor Democratic demands.

Nothing less than the framing of the stakes for the 2026 elections, combined with longstanding expectations for subsidized health care and a minimal social safety net, is at stake. Last time, Dems cratered. They no longer have that luxury.

Back in March, as the current spending bill approached, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Fetterman (D-PA), and a few others, made almost no effort before caving in to Republican demands, out of fear of what President Donald Trump and Elon Musk (and DOGE) might do with "emergency powers" that might flow from a shutdown.

The bill went through with nearly every Republican cut in place. Since then, and as Project 2025 unfolds, we've been given a masterclass in how fiercely Trump seizes shocking levels of executive power even absent an emergency.

Trump is going to Trump without regard to exigencies. Inaction in hopes of normalcy is dangerously naive.

The current Republican bill guarantees cuts to Obamacare subsidies, Medicaid funding, FEMA funding, and other cuts that hurt poor and middle-class Americans. If Republicans stay in line, the bill will pass the House. It must be stopped in the Senate.

This gives the Democrats a unique opportunity to invest heavily in the right messaging, starting now to get out in front.

This week, Rep. Rose DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the leading Democrats on spending matters, said Republicans “walked away from negotiations and are now threatening a shutdown by trying to jam through a funding bill on their terms alone.”

That was a good start. From here, Team Blue must stand firm, with resolute focus on our increasingly expensive American lives.

It is the right time to do it. Trump is still polling poorly at about 43 percent approval and has been seen as "extreme" throughout his second term. Team Red on Capitol Hill is nothing more than a distribution center for Trump Inc., headquartered just down Pennsylvania Avenue. The GOP is Trump. The coming shutdown is about him, period — not Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) or John Thune (R-SD), or House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).

It is about "the Trump cuts" or the "Trump money grab." Brand it. Personalize it. He deserves it.

To be sure, one takes a massive risk in shutting the government down during a period of economic uncertainty. A shutdown could slow the economy further. Thus, Democrats must stand tall and say that they must stop cuts to these social programs precisely because the economy is slowing and may turn downward in the near future.

Lingering economic worries will make Trump's cuts that much more devastating. Hold the line.

What Democrats can't do is get into a fight that looks like they are shutting the government down over politics. Playing the usual politics, whether about issues such as Voter ID or just obstructing to obstruct, is a loser. Dems must singularly and clearly stand their ground over the cost of the Republican bill to ordinary Americans, and not get into the weeds.

The GOP "money grab" must be the sine qua non of the Blue.

It will not be easy. But this is the perfect opportunity to paint Trump as an extremist, one trying to tear every remaining shred of government support from Americans' hands. Note the economic risk by screaming that Trump is doing all he can to run the economy into the ground as it is, with tariffs, layoffs, inflation — especially grocery prices. Pound on the need to help Americans, "more now than ever."

What Democrats cannot do is fold again, as they did in March. Chances to really improve American lives are so rare in this political dynamic that they must be seized when presented.

It will take some real political skill, but it most certainly can be done. Simply message that Dems won't consider anything that hurts ordinary Americans. Don't even mention any potential riders. Color Trump as the bad guy, stealing from the poor, willing to shut the government down to grab even more.

Trump owns the GOP with a totality that takes one's breath away, but that allows the Dems to make this personal. Whatever happens, it will be them against "Trump" and his demands. Talk about hospital closures, rising health care costs, and disaster relief. Put it all in the context of a very uncertain and somewhat painful economy, the Trump economy.

Do not back down. If we have learned anything under Trump's rule, it is that he will make things worse. He will use every inch of rope, grab powers heretofore unknown to exist, and lash out at minorities, women, LGBTQ Americans, immigrants, and the poor. He will do that anyway. There is no reason to let that concern get in the way of stopping this bill.

Republican cuts are deeply unpopular, so make Trump eat them. Make it such that Trump has to take the hit. He is the one who wants to hurt Americans so badly that he's willing to shut the government down in order to do it. And then let all the consequences shower onto him.

But for the love of God, stand up and be counted for once. Hold the line. Force them to shut it all down, over "a bill that enables Trump's money grab."

• Jason Miciak is a former Associate Editor at Occupy Democrats, author, and American attorney. He can also regularly be found on Politizoom