U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) attend a press conference following a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and top Republican congressional leaders at the White House, just ahead of a September 30 deadline to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, at the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., U.S., September 29, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
Washington Week with The Atlantic
Airs Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 at 8PM on PBS(check local listings)
Democrats’ Risky Strategy
After months of being sidelined by President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress, Democrats are using their party’s leverage in the federal funding process to confront them. But for the Senate and House minority leaders, shutting down the government is a risky strategy, and one that may not pay off as they face the White House's threats of mass federal layoffs and drastic cuts to projects in blue states across the country.
Joining editor in chief of The Atlantic and moderator, Jeffrey Goldberg, to discuss this and more:
- Leigh Ann Caldwell, Chief Washington Correspondent, Puck
- Andrew Desiderio, Senior Congressional Reporter, Punchbowl News
- Toluse Olorunnipa, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
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