Leader Schumer Dear Colleague Letter On Confronting The Trump Administration’s Assault On American Families
Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer sent the following letter to Senate Democrats on the strategies Democrats will continue to implement to confront the Trump Administration’s assault on American families, through means of oversight, litigation, legislation, and communication and mobilization. In his Dear Colleague letter, Senator Schumer says now more than ever, it is imperative for Senate Democrats to continue to work overtime to push back, to fight for American families, and to deliver real results to lower costs, protect communities, and ensure accountable government.
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February 10, 2025
Dear Colleague:
Three weeks into the second Trump Administration and the President’s trademark gold veneer is already peeling away from his declaration of a new “golden age for America.” While he made sweeping promises on the campaign trail, President Trump is breaking them at head-spinning rate, raising costs for working families, weakening our national security and unleashing rampant corruption.
Unwilling to do the hard work of bipartisan governance, President Trump has handed the keys of the Presidency to his cronies, sycophants, and radicals who are hell-bent on pursuing a coordinated agenda – mapped out in grave detail in Project 2025 – to hollow out the government and cut off critical services to American communities across the country. This is all for one purpose: More power and wealth for the very rich.
Donald Trump and his lackeys have fired independent watchdogs across the government. They have attempted to illegally terminate or suspend public servants without cause – the same dedicated Americans who dutifully fight every day to keep our food safe, protect our communities, and ensure our skies remain safe. Beyond that, they have hijacked government databases, recklessly compromising Americans’ private information – including Social Security numbers and personal tax records – putting millions at risk and potentially giving foreign adversaries, like China, access to our nation’s most sensitive information.
This coordinated assault is not what most Americans and our constituents voted for in November. 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 our democracy over to 21st century robber barons. Suspending entire government programs and offices, trying to bully civil servants into retirement, gutting consumer protections for working families, purging law enforcement, and firing independent watchdogs is not about promoting government efficiency or helping working families. Quite the contrary: Trump’s ultimate goal is to contort our democracy to serve the elite few at the expense of hardworking American families.
Look no further than President Trump’s top legislative priority: Tax Cuts for the Wealthy.
This past week, Senate Republicans announced their first Budget Resolution to clear the way for their tax scam. While House and Senate Republicans continue to squabble over whether to pursue one or two reconciliation bills, one reality remains painfully clear: Congressional Republicans’ shared end goal is to enrich their wealthy benefactors, and they are planning to do so on the backs of the American people. The Republican plan will explode the deficit, dismantle access to affordable health care, education, and housing, abandon investments in manufacturing jobs across the country, and squeeze the pockets of average Americans.
Senate Democrats have a responsibility to fight back on behalf of American families as Republicans look the other way in obedience to Donald Trump. And we are. The fight is being waged across multiple fronts:
Oversight: Senate Democrats, led by our committees, are using every tool at our disposal to hold the Trump Administration accountable for its lawless actions. We are fully leveraging our congressional authority to uncover the truth, sending hundreds of oversight inquiries from our committees and members, probing the intent, legal justification and real-world impact of the Trump Administration’s reckless actions. This critical work has been strengthened by the heroic courage of whistleblowers who have come forward to expose the dangers of Trump’s actions.
Today, I sent a public letter with Ranking Member Gary Peters to federal civil service employees and public servants, announcing Senate Democrats’ launch of a new Whistleblower Portal for individuals to report corruption, abuses of power, and threats to public safety. We are committed to working with these brave whistleblowers across America to fight back against the Trump Administration’s cruel and illegal actions.
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.
Senate Democrats are prepared to hold independent “spotlight” hearings to expose the rampant wrongdoing of the Trump Administration – wrongdoing that our Republican counterparts, for the time being, refuse to acknowledge. These hearings will shed light on the harm inflicted by Trump’s policies on the American people while applying public pressure on Congressional Republicans to answer for their unwavering complicity.
In addition, Senate Democrats will issue demand letters, preserve public records, and take legal action when necessary to safeguard our democracy.
Litigation: The Courts are the first line of defense in blocking illegal action of this Administration. Over the last four years, Senate Democrats did historic work in rebuilding the federal judiciary. Senate Democrats are now working overtime to support litigation from our states, our Attorneys General, as well as impacted state agencies and non-governmental organizations.
These legal efforts are already bearing fruit:
- Federal courts have issued injunctions stopping the reckless OMB funding freeze;
- Attempts to purge civil servants have been blocked; and
- The hijacking of the Treasury Payment System has been stymied.
These actions are all preliminary, but I am hopeful the law and our system of justice will prevail.
We must not relent. Our committees and my office are in regular communication with litigants across the country, including plaintiffs, and are actively exploring opportunities for the Democratic Caucus to file amici curiae that support their lawsuits. I encourage you to meet with your constituents and relay their stories to your state Attorneys General, highlighting how the lawless actions from the Trump Administration are harming their communities. This information will be invaluable as the AGs and advocates continue developing their cases.
Legislation: As you know, the FY25 Continuing Resolution expires on March 14, 2025–less than 5 weeks away. Senate Democrats are fully supportive of efforts by our Vice Chair, Senator Patty Murray to secure a topline Appropriations deal – the way the process is meant to function. Unfortunately, Leader Thune seems to have already abandoned regular order for the appropriations process, instead choosing to focus solely on confirming the Trump nominees and pushing through the radical Republican reconciliation plan.
Democrats stand ready to support legislation that will prevent a government shutdown. Congressional Republicans, despite their bluster, know full well that governing requires bipartisan negotiation and cooperation. Of course, legislation in the Senate requires 60 votes and Senate Democrats will use our votes to help steady the ship for the American people in these turbulent times. It is incumbent on responsible Republicans to get serious and work in a bipartisan fashion to avoid a Trump Shutdown.
Communication & Mobilization: Senator Amy Klobuchar with the DSPC and Senator Cory Booker with the SCC are leading a coordinated, aggressive effort to keep Senate Democrats informed, united, and amplifying the truth behind the Trump Administration’s agenda, a massive giveaway to the wealthy at the direct expense of working families. These mobilization efforts are having real effect – look no further than the OMB freeze that was rescinded after the public outcry. But we must not rest.
While Republicans hide behind procedural games, we are making their real priorities clear through our coordinated strike teams: higher costs, gutted health care, weakened public safety, and increased costs for the American people. Through a relentless messaging push, we are exposing how their policies will drive up everyday expenses, strip essential protections, and prioritize the wealthy over working Americans.
And the public is responding. Grassroots energy is surging. From town halls to protests, Americans are pushing back. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and Senate Democrats are standing with the people to fight back, expose the truth, and stop the Trump agenda.
A mere three weeks into the new Trump Administration and it is clear Trump’s promise of a “golden age” for America seems to merely be glitter. Now more than ever, it is incumbent upon all of us to continue to work overtime to push back, to fight for American families, and to deliver real results to lower costs, protect communities, and ensure accountable government.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
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