An increasing number of Democrats view the funding deadline as the best opportunity to fight back against Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk’s efforts to gut the federal workforce, dismantle federal agencies, and freeze spending.

In the minority in both chambers, Democrats have struggled to form a cohesive defense as Trump and Musk scour the executive agencies for waste and override congressional funding decisions in the name of cost-cutting. The administration has taken a sledgehammer to at least 15 government agencies in the last week, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Treasury Department.

Democrats are facing growing pressure to fight back against what activists are describing as a “power grab” from Trump and Musk and to stop the administration’s Cabinet picks from advancing. There have been daily protests from Democratic lawmakers, activists, and federal workers in front of government agencies. In addition, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have said their offices have been flooded with calls from constituents asking questions about Musk.

“Truly our office has gotten more phone calls on Elon Musk and what the heck he’s doing mucking around in federal government than I think anything we’ve gotten in years,” Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) said, speaking to reporters.

Democrats are attempting to explore a tactic they’ve long avoided using: shutting down the government if they don’t get what they want out of a funding deal. Democrats in both chambers of Congress have previously spoken out about shutdowns, calling them a “disaster” for the federal workforce and the economy.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Senate Democratic whip, last year ahead of a fall spending showdown said the fact that they’ve “come to the brink so many times is really embarrassing to Congress.” 

Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said in January 2024 that “Democrats are in lockstep that we need to avoid a government shutdown, which would be a disaster for our economy and disaster for hardworking American families.”

At one time, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) considered using government funding as leverage to halt border wall construction and create a pathway for protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. Ultimately, they abandoned that approach.

Durbin said he often exhausts all options to avoid a government shutdown, but warned it may become inevitable. 

“I never support a shutdown. I can see where it could happen in this situation. It’s an extreme situation,” Durbin said, speaking to reporters.

“We’re going to use whatever tools are available to return to normal Washington. What’s going on now is endangering a lot of critical missions to the government,” he added.

Other Democrats are not openly calling for a government shutdown, and instead say that Trump himself has shuttered government operations during his first weeks in office.

“Obviously we have been fighting Trump’s partial shutdown of government the last three weeks, we’re obviously interested in keeping the government open and operating,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said.

“We’re going to have a negotiation over a budget and those negotiations are ongoing,” he added.

However, Schumer is treading carefully by laying the groundwork now to blame Republicans for a lapse in government funding next month if it happens.

“In five weeks, funding for the federal government will run out. Let us remember, that when there is talk about a shutdown, President Trump and Republicans are already shutting down large parts the government,” Schumer said Tuesday morning. “Democrats do not want to shut the government down. It’s the Republicans who are in charge, and it is their responsibility to avoid a shutdown.”

Democrats have not fully made clear what they want out of the March 14 spending deal, with many pointing out they don’t negotiate in public. Senate Republicans will need the support of at least seven Democrats to get a government funding bill through their chamber.

“The bottom line is Republicans are already shutting down good chunks of the government,” Schumer said, speaking to reporters at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “Democrats don’t want a shutdown, but it’s in Republicans hands. It’s up to them.”

Schumer also said Democrats are “certainly going to try” to add language to appropriations bills to undo what Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency are doing, in response to a question about the recent shuttering of USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

In a letter to colleagues on Monday, the New York Democrat emphasized that Democrats don’t want a shutdown but said it may happen unless Republicans make concessions to Democrats.

“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,” Schumer wrote in a letter to colleagues on Monday. “It is incumbent on responsible Republicans to get serious and work in a bipartisan fashion to avoid a Trump Shutdown.”

“Senate Democrats will use our votes to help steady the ship for the American people,” Schumer added, a clear warning shot to Republicans.

Democrats are placing the blame on Republicans if there’s a gap in government funding in the weeks ahead. 

“This is on them. This is about whether or not they can get the votes. They are the majority, And if they cannot govern, then that’s for the American people to see,” said Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) in an interview on NBC News’s Meet the Press.

Kim said Democrats shouldn’t support funding if Republicans are going to turn around and “dismantle the government.”

“If we have to take steps to be able to hold them accountable, use the leverage that we have to force it, I cannot support efforts that will continue this lawlessness that we’re seeing when it comes to this administration’s actions,” Kim added.

Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist, said he has concerns about whether a government shutdown strategy is an effective one.

“Democrats are going to have to make the calculation if the over/under is worth it,” Reinish said, speaking to the Washington Examiner. “Government shutdowns are very unpopular, voters do not like them.

“Maybe that is one solution, but I don’t see Democrats taking the much more apparent solution which is to adeptly and definitely move public opinion. There are solutions outside of government itself,” Reinish said, adding that he believes Democrats’ messaging has largely been ineffective.

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) said he believes there will be negotiations using a government shutdown, but said they are attempting to hold the administration accountable in different ways.

“When they break the law, we’ve got to hold them accountable for that,” Hickenlooper said, speaking to reporters on Monday. “We have networks of people we know who are whistleblowers, people that understand what some of the essential stuff is that’s happening in these agencies.” 

In the past four years, Republicans have struggled to meet funding deadlines and GOP leaders have relied on Democratic support to pass every federal funding bill since they took the House majority in January 2023. Now, the California Democrat told reporters that Republicans are going to have to go it alone on government funding if they aren’t willing to negotiate with Democrats. 

“If Republicans need votes, they can come to us and we are happy to negotiate. … There’s very little appetite to help Republicans when we don’t trust that Donald Trump is going to spend the resources that we’ve allocated,” Aguilar said on Tuesday.

Schumer set up a new whistleblower complaint portal for federal workers on Monday, urging them to submit reports of what they believe to be unlawful activity in their respective agencies. The form is similar to one available on the website of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

As House and Senate GOP leaders attempt to settle on funding legislation among themselves, Republicans are deploying their own messaging. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said Democrats are siding with bureaucrats over the U.S. taxpayer.

“This about finding and reducing spending and finding spending porn and stopping it,” Kennedy said, speaking with reporters. “And predictably, some of my colleagues have sided with the bureaucrats and spending porn over the American taxpayer.” 

“I find it very strange that this is a hill that many of my Democratic colleagues are willing to die on. I don’t know how anyone can support this kind of waste, [Democrats] may shut down the government over it, they are so upset,” Kennedy added.