Becca Balint

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday night that he would surrender to President Donald Trump and vote to fund Trump and financier Elon Musk’s ongoing rampage across the face of American democracy.Schumer said that he had decided to back the partisan government spending bill proposed by Republicans that had been opposed by all but one Democrat in the House. His remarks came less than 24 hours after the senator touted the claim that Republicans did not have the votes to invoke cloture, the Senate procedural vote required before a full vote on an issue.In a New York Times op-ed defending his pro-Trump posture (which would indicate that Schumer used some element of pre-planning to roll out his position), Schumer made the laughable argument that Republicans would prefer a shutdown over congressional assistance to advance their agenda.“But even if the White House says differently, Mr. Trump and Elon Musk want a shutdown. We should not give them one. The risk of allowing the president to take even more power via a government shutdown is a much worse path,” he wrote.Senate Minority Leader Chuck SchumerThe premise of Schumer’s piece was almost immediately shattered as the social media account for Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee expressed the party’s unbridled glee at the capitulation.“Schumer caved. Trump won. Incredible,” the @JudiciaryGOP account noted.Former Republican congressman and Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows explained in a Newsmax appearance, “[Trump]'s got Schumer right where he wants him.”The federal government is already in a state of near shutdown since Trump took office on Jan. 20.He has ignored longstanding laws and precedents and fired thousands of federal workers. He is using government funds for a full force attack on American civil rights, purging evidence of advances made across American history by multiple ethnic groups, including Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, and others. He is purging LGBTQ+ people who want to serve and protect their country. He is shifting back and forth on nonsensical tariffs that are converting the growing economy he inherited into a state of near-recession.Before Schumer’s announcement, moderate Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons made it clear why he would oppose the bill, noting, “I don't want my vote to give an imprimatur to what President Trump is doing.”The Schumer announcement of his betrayal led to an unusually strident expression of anger and dismay from House Democrats.“I know I speak for so many in our caucus when I say Schumer is misreading this moment,” Vermont Rep. Becca Balint told Axios. Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee added, “I don't know where Schumer is coming from. ... It doesn't look good for the leader.”A senior House Democrat told Axios that “people are furious” at Schumer, and that some have floated the notion of marching to the Senate floor to protest his actions. Another member told the outlet that Schumer’s position has led to a “complete and utter meltdown on all text chains” on the Democratic side.“People are pissed,” one member told them, while another explained, “There is definitely a primary recruitment effort happening right now ... not just Schumer, but for everyone who votes no.”New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who since January has been unequivocal in her opposition to Trump’s actions, has been leading an effort to oppose the bill. Ocasio-Cortez urged the public to call Democratic senators and lobby them to vote “no,” and criticized the Schumer-led Senate Democratic Caucus for their attempts to hide behind procedural games while ultimately clearing a path for the bill to pass.Following Schumer’s announcement, Ocasio-Cortez told reporters, “I think there is a deep sense of outrage and betrayal.”House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries“Just to see Senate Democrats even consider acquiescing to Elon Musk, I think, is a huge slap in the face. And I think there is a wide sense of betrayal if things proceed as currently planned,” she added.House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the other members of House Democratic leadership released a statement after Schumer made his decision public, restating their opposition to the bill.They described the legislation that now has Schumer’s backing as a Republican attempt to “jam their extreme partisan legislation down the throats of the American people.” The statement didn’t mention Schumer by name but the timing indicated a highly unusual rebuke of a senior Democrat.The one person who’s praising Schumer for caving to Trump? Trump:Schumer is out on a political limb with his extreme position. Recent opinion polling shows the public is extremely opposed toTrump’s attack on democracy. In Quinnipiac University’s poll released Thursday, 60% of voters said they were opposed to Elon Musk and DOGE. Additionally, 54% of voters said that Musk/DOGE are hurting the country.Schumer has served in Congress since 1981. He swore an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” as both a representative and a senator.By siding with Trump and Musk, the senator betrays his oath of office.Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a response from Trump.Campaign Action

House Democrats erupted into apoplexy Thursday night after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he would support Republicans' stopgap government funding measure.Why it matters: House Democrats feel like they "walked the plank," in the words of one member. They voted almost unanimously against the measure, only to watch Senate Democrats seemingly give it the green light."Complete meltdown. Complete and utter meltdown on all text chains," said the member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer sensitive details of members' internal conversations.A senior House Democrat said "people are furious" and that some rank-and-file members have floated the idea of angrily marching onto the Senate floor in protest.Others are talking openly about supporting primary challenges to senators who vote for the GOP spending bill.Driving the news: Schumer said in a floor speech Thursday that while the GOP measure is "very bad," the possibility of a government shutdown "has consequences for America that are much, much worse.""A shutdown would give Donald Trump the keys to the city, the state and the country," Schumer said.The comments likely clear a path for at least eight Senate Democrats to vote for the bill — enough for Republicans to overcome the upper chamber's 60-vote filibuster threshold.Zoom in: All but one House Democrat voted against the bill earlier this week, in large part because it lacks language to keep the Trump administration from cutting congressionally approved spending."There were many battleground Dems in the House ... that were uncomfortable, semi-uncomfortable, with the vote," said one House Democrat. "The Senate left the House at the altar."House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), in remarks to his House colleagues at their annual retreat Thursday, lauded them for standing up to President Trump by voting against the bill, according to multiple sources.When he praised House Democrats' votes, he received a standing ovation. When he mentioned Senate Democrats, members booed.What we're hearing: House Democrats' text chains lit up Thursday night with expressions of blinding anger, according to numerous lawmakers who described the conversations on the condition of anonymity."People are PISSED," one House Democrat told Axios in a text message.Several members — including moderates — have begun voicing support for a primary challenge to Schumer, floating Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) as possible candidates, three House Democrats said.One lawmaker even vowed at the House Democratic retreat to "write a check tonight" supporting Ocasio-Cortez, said the senior House Democrat.Another Democrat told Axios the ideation has gone a step further: "There is definitely a primary recruitment effort happening right now ... not just Schumer, but for everyone who votes no."What they're saying: Plenty of members have also gone public with their dismay at their Senate colleagues."I know I speak for so many in our caucus when I say Schumer is misreading this moment. The Senate Dems must show strength and grit by voting no," said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.).Said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.): "I don't know where Schumer is coming from. ... It doesn't look good for the leader."What to watch: Members have spent the day frantically texting and calling their home-state senators, hoping to persuade enough of them to vote against the bill to block it. That outreach has continued late into Thursday night.Said one member: "Folks are still working the phones tonight with their senators. We have not given up."Some House members, in turn, have gotten an earful from constituents. "I have also never had so many people from home personally texting me—ANGRY," said another House Democrat."I don't think they knew who Chuck Schumer was before today," the lawmaker said. "But they know now and they hate him."Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from a senior House Democrat.

During trump’s horrendous State of the Union speech, there were a miniscule handful of Democrats who actually acted as if they were as angry as most of the non-MAGA population of the country. Becca Balint and Chris Murphy did not...

President-elect Trump sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill on Friday by announcing that his inaugural ceremonies will take place indoors, leaving members of Congress guessing about their plans.Why it matters: Monday's proceedings will now take place in the Capitol rotunda — an extremely limited space — meaning many lawmakers will likely not be able to attend. When Ronald Reagan was inaugurated in the rotunda in 1985, only 96 people were invited, according to contemporaneous reports.That's significantly fewer than the 435 House members and 100 senators — not to mention Trump's family members, Cabinet and staff appointees, Supreme Court justices and other invited VIPs. Driving the news: Trump wrote in a post on his social media app Truth Social that there is an "Arctic blast sweeping the Country" that "could take temperatures into severe record lows" in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20."Therefore, I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda," he said.The Capital One Arena, a downtown D.C. stadium with a capacity of 20,000, will screen the swearing-in live and host the presidential parade, Trump said.What we're hearing: Lawmakers and staffers told Axios that the move to the rotunda throws their plans into serious doubt.Several House members who had planned to attend said Friday afternoon that they were trying to get more information."We are still trying to figure out what this announcement means," said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), noting that there is "definitely not enough room" in the rotunda.Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) acknowledged he will likely not be in the rotunda but may be at the arena, telling Axios: "I have 46 guests attending the Inauguration and I will remain with them throughout."Between the lines: The move comes as a relief for some Democrats who had been experiencing heartburn over whether to attend the inaugural ceremony of a man they revile.Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who had not decided whether to go, told Axios: "Reminds me of Aaron Burr's rejoinder to Ben Franklin's admonition to 'never put off until tomorrow that which you can do or decide today.'""Burr said, 'Never decide today that which you can put off until tomorrow because something may happen in the meantime to make you regret your premature action.'" "The weather gods have spoken!"

House Republicans on Tuesday passed a bill to bar transgender student-athletes from competing in girls’ sports from kindergarten through twelfth grade, putting the contentious issue front and center following an election cycle that saw it become a frequent target of Republicans. The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act would amend Title IX — [...]

A growing spate of health scares and violent threats targeting lawmakers on Capitol Hill is underscoring the vulnerabilities that members of Congress face.

Data: Axios reporting; Note: Axios contacted every Democrat serving in the 119th Congress. The chart includes those who responded; Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios Visuals.More than a dozen congressional Democrats plan to sit out President-elect Trump's inauguration, and many more are anxiously grappling with whether to attend, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Not every Democrat skipping the ceremony will do so to protest Trump — but a formal boycott is materializing as a first act of resistance against the incoming president.For many Democrats, the scars of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol remain fresh in the mind, marking Trump as a threat to democracy."For somebody who he said he's going to lock me up, I don't see the excitement in going to see his inauguration," former Jan. 6 committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told Axios.State of play: Martin Luther King Jr. Day coinciding with the Jan. 20 inaugural ceremony gives many Democrats an easy out, though others planning to stay away cited a distaste for inaugurations, a loathing of Trump — and even fears for their safety.Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said that as a Latina, she doesn't "feel safe coming" with Trump's supporters pouring in for the ceremony. "I'm not going to physically be in D.C. on that day," she told Axios.Similarly, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said that attending MLK Day events instead "makes sense, because why risk any chaos that might be up here?"For other members, the reasoning is more mundane: Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) "almost never attends inaugurations" and has only been to two during his 28 years in office, his spokesperson told Axios.What we're hearing: Incoming Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas), who hasn't decided whether to attend, told Axios, "I think you'll have some number of Democrats who go and a substantial number who don't.""There are civil rights organizations that are trying to set up alternatives," said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), adding that Trump's inauguration "seems like the worst place to spend Martin Luther King Day."Several progressives predicted that the boycott won't be confined solely to the party's left flank.Data: Axios reporting; Note: Axios contacted every Democrat serving in the 119th Congress. The chart includes those who responded; Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios Visuals.Zoom in: Dozens of Democrats boycotted Trump's first inauguration in 2017, led by the now-deceased congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis.But the Jan. 6 attack, for which Democrats hold Trump squarely responsible, has added a new layer of disgust for some.Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) told Axios he "cannot be a part of that spectacle" as someone who was "locked in my office ... as the insurrectionists tried to overthrow our government.""I was trapped in the [House] gallery on Jan. 6," Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) said, explaining her intention to skip the ceremonies.Between the lines: Many undecideds are painfully trying to balance their sense of obligation with their detestation for Trump, as USA Today first detailed on Thursday.Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) expressed alignment with his colleagues who cannot bring themselves to go — but said he also believes members of Congress are "supposed to go to all of that stuff.""I'm struggling," the veteran lawmaker conceded.The other side: A sizable number of Democrats are prepared to grit their teeth and show up — if only to try to rebuild public faith in national institutions after the events that followed the 2020 election."I'm planning to attend ... because I believe in the peaceful transition of power and I respect the Office of the President," Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) told Axios.Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said progressives "are coming down in different ways," but that she feels "it's important that we try to establish norms again" after Jan. 6.The bottom line: For many lawmakers, the question simply isn't a priority at the moment.Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), asked whether he plans to attend, told Axios: "Pssh, is that the burning issue of the day?"Axios' Stephen Neukam and Stef Kight contributed reporting for this story.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill with a bill to keep Sarah McBride, soon to be the first transgender member of Congress, from accessing the women's bathrooms at the Capitol.Why it matters: The measure is not being immediately dismissed by Republican leadership, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) telling Axios, "We're going to talk about that. We're working on the issue."House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), asked about the bill, told Axios: "Haven't seen it."But other Democrats expressed fury at the effort: "The cruelty is the point," fumed Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), a co-chair of the Equality Caucus.Driving the news: Mace's two-page resolution, first reported by Fox News, prohibits House members and staffers from "using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex."The measure covers bathrooms in the Capitol and House offices, charging the House sergeant-at-arms with enforcing the prohibition. Mace told reporters on Monday night: "Sarah McBride doesn't get a say in this. If you're a biological man, you shouldn't be in women's restrooms."The other side: "This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing," McBride (D-Del.) said in a statement."We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars," she added.Said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.): "This is not just bigotry, this is just plain bullying.""Is that what we want the sergeant-at-arms to be doing when we had an attack on the freaking Capitol?" exclaimed Balint.Zoom in: Despite Jeffries' demurral, his top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), pushed back hard."I think we have a lot of problems in America, I don't think spending time worrying about the restrooms is an order of priority here. I think Nancy Mace should focus on other things," Morelle said.He added of McBride: "She's a woman. She should use the ladies room."Yes, but: Even some of Mace's moderate Republican colleagues expressed openness to her resolution."I'll need more info," said one.Another told Axios: "I mean — a presidential election may have been decided on this issue."

A large, raucous pro-Palestinian protest Tuesday at a U.S. House office building is spiking lawmakers' concerns about security around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming speech.Why it matters: The protests spilled over from a common area to several individual lawmakers' offices, with one office calling the police on demonstrators.Rep. Dan Kildee's (D-Mich.) office "had to call U.S. Capitol Police for assistance" after "hundreds of protesters outside the office became disruptive," Kildee's chief of staff Mitchell Rivard said in a statement.Rivard said protesters were "violently beating on the office doors, shouting loudly, and attempting to force entry into the office."Spokespeople for Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, the groups that organized the protest, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.State of play: The protest, in which hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in the Cannon House Office Building, prompted Capitol Police to make scores of arrests for demonstrating in a restricted area.It may just be a taste of what's to come when Netanyahu arrives on Wednesday. The U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights has said "tens of thousands" of people will gather at the Capitol.Capitol security officials and law enforcement are already taking precautions, erecting a fence, restricting entrances to the complex and encouraging staffers to move through the building's tunnel system.House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Tuesday that additional police officers will be posted outside the Capitol and inside the House chamber.What they're saying: Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) told Axios that protesters were camped outside his office, prompting the Capitol Police to instruct his staff to remain inside."It crosses the line ... when it makes it impossible for people within the Capitol – not just people who work here but others who are visiting their representatives – to even get around," Schneider said.Kildee told Axios the protest is escalating safety concerns for Wednesday, saying "obviously, we're going to take extra precautions going forward.""I'm concerned about my safety," said Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), who told Axios he isn't wearing his member pin because "I don't want to be a target."What to watch: Some Democrats have told Axios that, in addition to sitting out the speech, they may avoid Capitol Hill altogether tomorrow afternoon to avoid the protests.Democrats got a briefing on security around the speech during their closed-door caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, according to multiple lawmakers present.The other side: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who said she may leave Capitol Hill after votes on Wednesday out of concern for her personal safety, defended the protest on Tuesday.JVP and IfNotNow "have a history of powerful, peaceful, non-violent protests at the Capitol, and I think that their actions are inspiring," she told Axios.The bottom line: "I think the new normal is that everyone is always concerned about safety since January 6," said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.).Go deeper: Democrats' chaos makes Netanyahu speech an "afterthought"

Some LGBTQ people shared their support of Kamala Harris memes and videos. And there was no shortage of campy and queer-coded posts referring to her as “mother.”

A number of Democratic lawmakers, governors and past leaders were quick to rally behind Vice President Harris as she pursues the Democratic Party's presidential nomination following President Biden's withdrawal from the race. Shortly after dropping out of the presidential race, Biden endorsed Harris as his successor, stating it is "time to come together and beat" [...]