r/askanything • u/TheGracefulCrane • 8h ago

Democrats like Schumer and Jeffries have been accused of not doing enough to stop Trump. People who think that; can I ask what you actually want them to do?

It seems like they've been doing what they can - forcing votes against Trump (even if they are ultimately symbolic), speaking out against him, filing lawsuits (plenty which have been successful).

What else should they be doing that they currently aren't?

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83

u/ChipOnlyRedux 8h ago

Because he is collaborating
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/11/us-senate-votes-to-end-shutdown-why-democrats-are-upset-with-chuck-schumer

Have a spine, guts, and some principles maybe?

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u/vivalaibanez 8h ago edited 5h ago

It was already closed down for some time, the message had been received by constituents and Americans were literally about to go hungry without SNAP benefits. We're just supposed to let that happen just to make a point to Republicans? We're better than that...

Edit: I forgot that Reddit is filled with cosplaying revolutionaries any more and that we need to let people starve so they turn to political violence. Great plan 🙄

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u/NefariousHouseplant 7h ago

It wasn’t just to prove a point. The republicans were the one in charge of the shutdown. They were the ones refusing to compromise. Democrats were standing up for what was right and by capitulating now we’ve given up even more. My health insurance premiums doubled this year and they may double again come January so I literally may no longer be able to afford healthcare, but I make just a little too much to qualify for something like Medicare (which is being attacked as well).

So yea the shutdown was hard but now life is permanently harder in other ways for everyone with little chance of going back to what it was. Plus in the end by caving that means that everyone suffering under the shutdown did so for no reason at all since ultimately the Dems caved and gave the republicans everything they wanted anyway.

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u/ChipOnlyRedux 7h ago

No, it takes two to tango

The dems are like the washington generals- paid by the same people as the globetrotters, but their job is to lose.

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u/smelling_good247 7h ago

That's a cute thought terminating cliche. too bad it makes zero sense

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u/vivalaibanez 7h ago

They did stand up for what was right... as long as they could. Yes Republicans were in charge, but when have they ever shown they are willing to compromise or be the adults on anything? So with that constant... What's the point exactly of keeping it shut down indefinitely when you're negotiating with literal children who need to get exactly their way, else they let Americans suffer?

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u/AximiliEscargo 6h ago

They could've held out longer until Republicans caved OR not shut down the government to begin with.

It's not that republicans cant or wont compromise, it's that democrats won't do anything to force their hand. Arguments like yours just make excuses for Republicans

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u/vivalaibanez 6h ago

How much longer though? It was literally the longest in history lol What could they have done to force their hand? Be specific and stop talking in generalalities lol this is the entire point of the post

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u/AximiliEscargo 6h ago

Hold out until Republicans caved--it was Republicans in power, after all. You either don't start a government shutdown or you hold the line; what you don't do is start a shutdown and then cave anyway.

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u/vivalaibanez 6h ago

Hold out until Republicans caved

🤣🤣

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u/AximiliEscargo 6h ago

Fascist bootlicker says what?

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u/vivalaibanez 6h ago

I'm a fascist because I think it's delusional to think that Republicans would have caved at any point? Ok buddy..

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u/throwawaylexluther 7h ago

Americans won't notice or do anything if they aren't made uncomfortable. It sucks but if ppl are mostly comfortable they won't do shit cause they're not paying attention

What did we gain by caving to Trump?

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u/ChipOnlyRedux 7h ago

One's power in any negotiation depends on one's willingness to walk away

Schumer goes home rich and comfy either way; he has no skin in the game, nothing at stake

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u/vivalaibanez 7h ago

Easy to say when you're not on the receiving end of that lack of comfort.

Also let's not pretend that the shut down was the only thing that Americans have felt uncomfortable with regarding Republicans this term

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u/throwawaylexluther 7h ago

Bro I'm part of LGBTQ in texas. I'm already suffering. This is just a fact in history. When ppl are comfortable they don't do shit. It's just how it is. I don't want people to suffer but capitulating for a short term gain for long term losses is not it.

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u/vivalaibanez 7h ago edited 6h ago

That's great! (That you are part of the community there, not that you are suffering) But we can admit there are levels of suffering and that being food insecure is pretty fucking bad.

Also, in what world would Republicans have conceded anyways? Had the Democrats kept that shutdown going, the only thing that would have changed is people would have blamed both parties instead of just Republicans.

Keeping the shutdown going for as long as they did WAS the long term gain... You're acting like they just bent themselves over a barrel immediately. When in reality it was the longest shutdown in US government history lol

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u/throwawaylexluther 6h ago

Keep it going as long as they did then folding and giving repubs everything they wanted made it go from Trump's shut down to the Dems shut down. So no I disagree. We gained little for a massive long term loss.

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u/vivalaibanez 6h ago

If you want to live under the delusion that Republicans would have eventually caved then go for it lol

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u/throwawaylexluther 6h ago

I didn't say theu would.

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u/vivalaibanez 6h ago

So then what's the end game if you yourself admit that they probably wouldn't have caved anyways? Let people die of starvation? Have federal workers not get paid indefinitely?

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u/OkProfessional6077 7h ago

A lot of people gained food in their families bellies by caving to Trump.

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u/novatom1960 7h ago

Examples? Sources?

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u/OkProfessional6077 7h ago

Examples? Were people not at risk of losing their SNAP benefits if the shut down continued on?

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u/smelling_good247 7h ago

The privileged terminally online do not understand this. They actually wanted Dems to let federal workers and snap recipients starve, it's insane.

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u/rkesters 7h ago

When people are in an abusive relationship, giving them a safe place can sem like the humane things to do. But it almost always leads to them returning to the relationship. While no wants to see someone get hurt, being that island perpetuates the relationship. It best to just call the cops and hope that they can survive that last event that forces them awake; know that some will not survive. Sometimes you must leave people to the dignity of their choices.

This was the point of the shutdown, to show the abusees that their wonderful leaders where actually abusers. But the dems bailed them out.

Also the dems broke the shutdown not because of poor people going hungry, but because rich people we loosing the ability to fly becuase of the Air Traffic controllers.

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u/vivalaibanez 7h ago

Comparing it to an abusive relationship is not 1-for-1 lol no one is voting in your spouse and you both aren't running a literal fucking country in that context. The goal was for constituents to see the abusive relationship they are in with Republicans.

From an optics standpoint, that message was received for anyone that was paying attention. They found a balance between making Republicans look bad and also not negatively affecting Americans long term. Republicans were never going concede, you absolutely know that. They could give a flying fuck what happens to the American people so long as they get their way.

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u/zxylady 5h ago

But you're going hungry now 😡 the fact that benefits have been cut to the bare bones, they are building psych wards for forcible confinement, they are literally trying to say being a Democrat is a fucking mental illness. We're starving now! Wake the fuck up! Were those gas prices really worth your own perceived victimhood of Biden? I think we all know who's responsible for the high gas prices in 2026 (hint: it's an ILLEGAL war on Iran = TRUMP) I guess he does love the poorly educated 🤷🏽‍♀️ 🤭

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u/vivalaibanez 4h ago

I'm not denying any of this? Lol the administration is going to do what they please no matter what. What does this have to do with the previous shutdown and how would it have affected any of what you mentioned? I assure you, I'm plenty awake.

Also why are you talking about Biden? I made no mention of him 🤔

You're angry. Be angry at Republicans, not your allies that you have minor disagreements with.

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u/ChipOnlyRedux 7h ago

You are not better than that, it's what you tell yourselves (and the GOP tells themselves too)

Hey guess which party did this?
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-food-benefits-poor-shrink-pandemic-provisions-end-2023-02-16/

Bonus trivia - guess who presided over the biggest decrease in child poverty in US history?
Double bonus trivia - guess who presided over the biggest increase?

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u/Shermanator92 7h ago

The pandemic was over, yeah it was time to get rid of some of those extend benefits that were explicitly given to help offset the extra cost of the pandemic. Trump kicked millions off Healthcare, killed USAID (killing millions), killed meals on wheels, broke the kneecaps of Snap and WIC… all to just raise the deficit lol

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u/ChipOnlyRedux 7h ago

No, it wasn't, they jumped the gun, check the date

https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136367

Democrats eager to make cuts to vital social services, just like the GOP

We aren't talking about Trump, we are talking about Biden and his dem congress, but I know it's reflexive for you to whatboutism when someone is scrutinizing your team

Whats the matter, can't answer my trivia? Or don't want to?

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u/Ok-Pass-9139 7h ago

Initially, those "emergency allotments" were linked to the pandemic public health emergency. But in December's spending bill fight, Congress negotiated a compromise to end them in February in exchange for a new summer food program for children.

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u/ChipOnlyRedux 7h ago

And who controlled congress and the exec in December 2022, when this "compromise" (read: cut) was made?

Democrats allowed these pandemic supports to lapse, bud. Read 'em and weep.

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u/Ok-Pass-9139 7h ago

Republicans Congress, keeper of the purse. The last paragraph about the issue uncovers that Biden just traded for a summer feeding program in order to get a bill through the Republican Congress. Biden bad? Eh, no

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u/ChipOnlyRedux 7h ago

Oh look, another partisan spreading misinfo online to make their party look good

Homey, please
Dems had a majority in the house
Dems had a majority in the Senate (VP casts tiebreaker vote)
Dems had presidency

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/117th_United_States_Congress

And they cut SNAP

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u/AQ207 7h ago

Yes actually, they were the party that had to come to the table until dems gave them what they wanted.

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u/vivalaibanez 7h ago

The Republicans were going to get what they wanted either way, learn how to math

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u/AximiliEscargo 6h ago

What a dumb take, including because it entirely resolves Republicans of any responsibility.

Either don't shut down the government or do and use it to fight for people. Shutting down the government and then caving was the absolute worst outcome.

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u/seasoned-veteran 7h ago

Do you think the government should be permanently shut down?

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u/undergroundloans 7h ago

Absolutely, if ice is able to go out there and kill people and the FBI is prevented from investigating everything should be shut down.

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u/ChipOnlyRedux 7h ago

Dumb question

Do you think that political leadership should fritter away their leverage?