Democrats dig in on shutdown demands after Russ Vought ‘bully’ tactics

Published October 2, 2025 6:00am ET



Senate Democrats stood their ground on Wednesday opposing a GOP government funding plan, even as the Trump administration used the first day of a shutdown to begin slashing federal projects already funded in blue states.

White House budget director Russ Vought canceled or postponed roughly $26 billion for clean energy and transportation projects in more than a dozen Democratic-led states, drawing criticism that signals how the apparent pressure campaign isn’t, at least so far, softening congressional resistance in a fight over healthcare.

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