Thread by @SenWhitehouse

I voted against the horrible MAGA “continuing resolution” — a fake and partisan CR loaded up with executive power for Trump. I hated it. But respected colleagues voted otherwise, and not just to “cave in” versus “stand up.” 🧵

I did a lot research into how a shutdown might play out, and there was lots to fear; not least that the Trump/Musk/Vought axis of MAGA extremists would love a shutdown, and want a long one, and use it to cruel advantage. What was there to fear?

In shutdown, executive powers are at their apex, including power to close whole departments and agencies and divisions, “Reduction in Force” all their personnel, and make massive cuts of programs and firings of people they deem “non-essential.”

The horrible stuff they’re now doing illegally and sloppily with their DOGE Musk-rats, they could do in shutdown mode under a veneer of legality, directed by Trump’s “Project 2025” OMB, with added executive powers from declaring an “emergency.”

MAGA extremists and their spineless Congress would decide what agencies or parts of agencies to bring back out of shutdown, and when. Defense, Homeland Security and the VA (with parts they don’t like removed) would likely come first.

But when would they bring the Department of Education back out of shutdown, or the EPA? Ever? What courts would they keep open for “essential” judicial functions (with Roberts’ blessing)? The MAGA-ized Fifth Circuit? Trump’s MAGA district judges?

I was willing to walk into that valley of government death to bring the battle to a head, make a clear break between sides, and (I believe) help brightly spotlight for voters the evil at work. But it’s reasonable to reach the other conclusion, and good people did.

House Democrats had a clear path. First, stick together to challenge Republicans to unify their oddball majority, and when that happened, stick together for a protest vote once they could do nothing. They almost completely did, and good for them.

But Senate Democrats had to handle actual shutdown dynamite. It was a different set of choices for my Senate colleagues. Shutdown or no shutdown was in our hands. Good people had to make hard choices between horrible alternatives.

Democrats (and pundits) love a good family feud, but we’re in a battle for our democracy against dangerous forces, and every moment we spend quarreling amongst ourselves lets the other team score while we fight. It’s a luxury we cannot afford.

Here’s the leadership change we need: we need Leader Jeffries to be replaced by SPEAKER Jeffries, to check the Trump administration’s wanton destruction and end the madness. Any effort not targeted to that goal is a waste at best and a harm at worst.

Remember, MAGA Republicans set this up. THEY killed the sane third path — a clean 30-day CR leading to a bipartisan spending agreement (one ready to be concluded) — to jam Democrats between two terrible options, and set us against each other. It’s worked.

Everybody deserves to have their say, to vent their anger, and to demonstrate their passion. I’m pissed myself. But job one is to get back in the fight, back to the work of spotlighting the corruption, the chaos, and the looting of our country by creepy billionaires.