(From press release) Minority Leader Schumer, as chair of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate, broke with the vast majority of his caucus to allow a GOP funding bill to advance, without any restrictions on the ongoing efforts from Donald Trump and Elon Musk to dismantle the federal government. Indivisible Yolo issued the following statement:
Under Senator Chuck Schumer’s Leadership, Senate Democrats just surrendered a rare moment of leverage to rein in the chaos and harm of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans. By voting to advance the GOP government funding bill, rather than demanding anything in return, Schumer handed more power to the extremists destroying the government. This was not just a strategic mistake – it was a demonstration that Schumer is not prepared to lead the Democratic opposition to fascism and protect our democracy. We thank him for his years of service, and call on him to step aside as minority leader.
After working hard throughout 2024 to flip Republican Congressional seats in California, including playing a key role in the razor-close win in nearby CA-13, Indivisible Yolo members were shocked and dismayed by the November results. We quickly pivoted to resisting the fascist Trump agenda however we could.
Specifically, we contacted our Senators many times to urge them to use the leverage provided by Senate rules – particularly the filibuster which had been used against progressive legislation so often in the past – to avoid or mitigate the damage caused by Republicans. We are very grateful to Senator Padilla and Senator Schiff for recognizing the stakes and voting “no” on March 14. Despite a “no” vote by nearly 80% of the Democratic caucus, Senator Schumer surrendered to the Republicans and thereby authorized nine other Senators to vote yes. We feel cheated by the losses we suffered due to the filibuster being used against us in the past, and betrayed by Senator Schumer’s refusal to use the filibuster when we needed it to save democracy. The first branch of government now is merely an advisory body and we are deprived of our democratic representation while being subjected to the tyrannical oppression of the Trump administration.
Indivisible Yolo continues to work to assure that our Democratic representatives act as a true opposition party and promote progressive legislation. As an independent grassroots organization, we engage in a wide variety of resistance activities. Please check our website for details and sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://www.indivisibleyolo.org.
The Trump/Musk reign is causing chaos and terror in our community. At the University of California, Davis, scientific research grants are being cancelled with associated job losses and cessation of important progress in scientific research. Federal employees are receiving conflicting, unlawful notices about the status of their jobs. The many immigrants here are terrified of the threats they face in their daily lives. The recent loss of federal funding for refugee resettlement has left over 1,000 families in the Sacramento region facing hardship. We need our leaders to understand the impacts we face and to fight like hell to reverse them.
We do not come to this decision lightly – for the country, or for our democracy. But the stakes are too high, and we need leaders who are willing to fight as hard as we are. Schumer should step aside as Minority Leader so another Democrat who’s willing to lead the opposition can step up to take his place.
Indivisible Yolo’s mission is to promote progressive policies by activating people to engage in their democracy at all levels of government. We organize and advocate for our policy goals and to get out the vote to elect candidates who pursue those policies. These complementary efforts ensure our democracy works for everyone and that those in power do, too.
Davisite 
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