Budget
Week of May 16-22, 2025
Welcome to TRACKING THE CRISIS, a weekly round-up from The Democracy Collaborative tracking the administrative, legislative, and other actions of the new Trump Administration as well as the many forms of legal and movement response from across a broad range of social, political, and economic actors. TDC is providing this service for collective informational purposes, as a tool for understanding the times during a period of disorientingly rapid flux and change in the U.S. political economy. TDC should not be understood as endorsing or otherwise any of the specific content of the information round-up.
TRUMP TRACKER: Administration actions
House narrowly passes ‘big, beautiful’ budget bill after overnight deals with Republican holdouts; on track for largest Medicaid cuts in history. Early on Thursday morning, May 22, the House voted 215-214 to pass the domestic budget megabill after intense opposition from within Republican ranks was quashed this week by a combination of concessions from Speaker Mike Johnson and strong-arming from Trump. The bill still seemed doomed as late as Tuesday, May 20, when it failed to pass the House Budget Committee, as moderate Republicans decried cuts to Medicaid, hard-right Republicans did not think spending cuts went far enough, and deficit hawks balked at the nearly $3.8 billion addition to the federal debt. Trump visited Capitol Hill late Tuesday to push the remaining GOP dissenters into supporting the bill. A marathon session in the Rules Committee on Wednesday resulted in Johnson making key concessions to Republican holdouts, including pushing up the deadline for new Medicaid requirements from 2029 to 2026, raising the cap for state and local tax deductions to placate blue-state Republicans, and a faster phaseout of clean energy tax credits. Two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio, broke with the party line to vote no on the bill, which Massie described as a ‘ticking debt bomb.’ The centerpiece of Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ budget bill is the extension of approximately $4.9 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthy, which is offset by the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance in history, with over $792 billion in Medicaid cuts and new work requirements which the CBO estimates will kick nearly 10 million people off health insurance over the next 10 years. The CBO report released this week noted that the bill will also necessitate cuts to Medicare, long considered a political third rail by both parties, which can hurt Republican chances to retain their House majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
Critics say the budget bill represents a massive transfer of wealth to the top 10 percent, which according to the CBO report will see a roughly 4 percent increase in net worth, while the lowest 10 percent will see a nearly 4 percent cut to their real incomes as a result of benefit cuts. A parallel analysis done by the University of Pennsylvania finds that the lowest quintile of Americans will see their incomes decline by an average of $1,035, while the highest quintile will take home an additional $389,000. The bill also ends pandemic-era premium credits for low-income workers, which the CBO estimates will throw an additional 4 million people off of health insurance over the next 10 years; and the New Republic notes that Medicaid cuts would provoke a rural unemployment crisis throughout the United States. The bill also includes at least $150 billion in new defense spending, plus billions in new spending for Trump’s anti-immigration programs. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune has promised ‘substantial changes’ as Senate Republicans chase different priorities for spending cuts, leaving the centerpiece of Trump’s tax cuts intact. The Lever reports on the ‘secret history’ of the conservative movement for tax cuts now being realized in the budget bill.Provisions in budget bill undermine democracy, expand executive power and strip federal protections. Included in the over 1,000 page budget bill passed narrowly by the House on Thursday, May 22 are several provisions that have raised alarms for democracy and community advocates. Although the notorious ‘nonprofit-killer’ provision was removed from the bill sometime before its passage on Thursday, tucked into the bill was a small provision prohibiting the courts from enforcing contempt charges unless a bond is posted by the plaintiffs. This provision would effectively enable the Trump Administration to ignore any court ruling it wishes to ignore, including those issued by the Supreme Court, which is highly significant given that the over 170 court rulings against Trump Administration actions have been the most significant bulwark against the Administration’s aggressive use of executive power to implement Trump’s agenda. Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse ripped GOP Rep. Jim Jordan on Wednesday over the provision at a House Rules Committee hearing on Wednesday morning. The bill also strips states’ ability to regulate AI, including the use of AI in political campaigns and elections, which 20 states have already enacted laws to curb given the role of AI in spreading political misinformation. The bill also gives the Justice Department power to prosecute those who leak tax information to the public, a provision seemingly designed to retaliate against recent disclosures of Trump’s and Elon Musk’s tax information that have led to controversy and legal issues for them and other wealthy Americans. While provisions to sell off over 500,000 acres of public lands were scrapped at the last minute thanks to efforts by Rep. Ryan Zinke, one of the Republican holdouts for the bill, the bill will still significantly undermine environmental protection on public lands as well as reduce staffing for national parks, which many consider to be a precursor to privatization. Federal workers are alarmed by provisions that cut federal employee retirement benefits by over 4 percent unless workers agree to shed job protections and become ‘at-will’ employees. Community advocates are also warning of two ‘devastating’ provisions to health care in the bill, one that will quietly defund Planned Parenthood with implications for womens’ health care, as well as a provision that prohibits ACA-based coverage for gender-affirming care in a blow to LGBTQIA+ communities.
United States’ credit rating downgraded by Moody’s as tax bill, tariff, debt concerns rock economy. On Friday, May 16, Moody’s’ credit rating for the United States was downgraded for the first time in a century, from its AAA ‘perfect’ credit rating to AA1. Moody’s cited the soaring federal debt as the reason for the change, as it became clear from reports that Trump’s tax bill would increase the federal deficit by at least $2.5 trillion. While the United States’ AA1 Moody’s rating does not portray the country as a credit risk, largely due to the stabilizing force of the ‘independent Federal Reserve,’ the rating can affect higher lending rates, which could be passed down to consumers. The White House criticized the credit downgrade over the weekend, blaming the Biden Administration for its deficit woes. Consumer sentiment hit an all-time low this week according to new reports, citing concerns about tariffs raising consumer prices as Walmart warned that tariffs could begin to cause product prices to spike in a few weeks’ time. Trump attempted to publicly browbeat Walmart this weekend into absorbing the tariffs rather than passing the cost onto consumers. The Guardian also reported on Sunday, May 18 that the White House is seeking legislation to make it easier to fire civil servants who produce economic data that appears unfavorable to the administration, under the pretext of ‘intentionally subverting presidential directives.’ Experts warn that this provision could enable the Administration to hire yes-men that would ‘cook the books’ to keep the illusion of a strong economy, fueling market uncertainty. Stocks opened lower on Monday on the news that the budget bill would increase the federal deficit, as the bond market experienced a sell-off and the dollar weakened significantly on the news of the country’s downgraded credit and the passage of the budget bill. Investors are increasingly embracing the movement to ‘sell America’ or, as some are calling it, ‘ABUSA’ (‘Anything But USA’), which is contributing to a weakening U.S. economic forecast. As Trump increasingly seeks a controlling role over the economy, concern over tariffs and currency issues are at the top of the economic agenda going into the G7 meeting, as well as bilateral talks between the United States and Japan which have been announced for next week. Reuters reports that companies are scrambling to make warehouses ‘tariff-free’ zones in order to subvert Trump’s new tariff regime.
Trump Administration blocks Harvard from hosting international students. On Thursday, May 22, Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem ordered the DHS to revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, banning the university from hosting international students in an escalation of the Trump Administration’s attack on the elite university. Nearly 6,800 international students currently at Harvard, comprising 27% of its student population, have suddenly found themselves in limbo, including several hundred Chinese and Indian students as well as the future queen of Belgium. Among the international students from around the world studying at Harvard, over 20% are students from China, who feel as if they have been especially targeted in the government crackdown. The order will force over six thousand Harvard students to transfer to other universities immediately or risk their legal status in the United States. Hours after the news broke, Harvard announced that it would open a second lawsuit against the Trump Administration over the order, seeking an injunction to keep their students on campus. Deans and faculty at the university expressed support for international students in the Harvard Crimson, as devastated students faced fear and confusion over the sudden threat to their legal status, left wondering if they will be targeted as with other international students who have been detained by ICE over the past several weeks. DHS secretary Kristi Noem called the order a ‘warning’ for other universities in the United States that ‘harbor’ student protests, especially in support of Palestine. As the news rocked institutions around the world, China quickly responded, saying the move would tarnish the U.S. image in the world and that China would do all it can to safeguard the rights and interests of its overseas scholars; and Hong Kong University opened its doors to potentially displaced Harvard students with ‘unconditional offers’ of enrollment. International student tuitions are a key source of revenue for private universities such as Harvard; and AP reports that several of Harvard’s sports teams could be ‘wiped out’ if the ban takes effect. Inside Higher Ed discusses the implications of the Harvard order, and Al Jazeera provides a timeline of the escalating confrontation between Harvard and the Trump Administration. Early Friday, Harvard President Alan Garber issued a personal statement in response to the Trump Administration’s actions and Harvard’s pending lawsuit. The Guardian is providing live updates as the story develops.
DOJ charges Congresswoman LaMonica McIver after confrontation at ICE facility. Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced on Monday, May 19 that the Justice Department is charging New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver with two counts of assaulting, resisting and impeding officers over a confrontation at the Delaney Hall ICE facility during which Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested. The charge came on the same day that the DOJ dropped charges against Baraka after being chided by a magistrate judge against the ‘severe action’ taken against elected officials conducting oversight. Habba claimed that “no one is above the law - politicians or otherwise” in a statement defending the charges, which former HUD secretary Julian Castro called “hypocrisy of the highest order” given that the Trump Administration has violated court orders. Following the charges, McIver alleged that the charges are “purely political” and “are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight.” The Washington Post published a video analysis of the approximately 30-second confrontation as ICE agents arrested Baraka at the facility, showing that McIver “made contact” with at least 2 agents but noted that it was “difficult to discern the force of the contact and to what extent it was intentional or a result of the chaotic moment.” McIver also claimed the charges were ‘absurd’ and noted that “it’s in our job description to have oversight over the facility, and the entire situation was escalated by ICE.” Rep. Jasmine Crockett posted a statement in solidarity with McIver as Democratic supporters rallied around her and legal scholars claim the charges are an attempt to “intimidate potential critics” of the Trump Administration; eleven former Republican lawmakers also spoke out against the charges, calling them “extreme” and “outrageous.” A New Jersey federal judge released McIver on her own recognizance on Wednesday, May 21 as she awaits further hearings; Republican Rep. Nancy Mace also filed a resolution on Wednesday to expel McIver from Congress as Republicans ‘moved to punish’ her and other Democratic lawmakers for their role in events at the facility.
Immigration Updates: Noem’s Hunger Games, migrants in South Sudan limbo, ICE agents stalking immigration courts. Reports surfaced this week that Department of Homeland Security officials are working with Canadian-born “Duck Dynasty” producer Rob Worsoff to pitch a reality show in which immigrants would compete in a series of challenges for U.S. citizenship. The show immediately drew comparisons to the film trilogy ‘The Hunger Games’, which Worsoff dismissed, saying his concept was to “celebrate what it means to be an American” and is based on his own experience of immigration to the United States. A marked difference between Worsoff’s experience and that of immigrants currently seeking citizenship is the presence of ICE agents ‘camped’ outside immigration courts, waiting to arrest people immediately after judges dismiss immigration cases; reports of ICE arrests have been seen at courthouses in Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, and Mississippi, where a Danish father of four and Trump supporter was arrested after his citizenship hearing. The Cato Institute released a report this week showing that over 50 of the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador had come to the U.S. legally and never violated immigration law, as new emails surfaced indicating how a top aide to National Security Adviser Tulsi Gabbard pushed analysts to rewrite an assessment to insulate the Administration from criticism over its claims that the Venezuelan migrants were tied to the Tren de Agua gang. The Supreme Court this week allowed Trump to lift temporary protected status for Venezuelan migrants, stoking criticism of differential treatment between Venezuelans and Afrikaners from South Africa who were recently welcomed by the Trump Administration. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man mistakenly deported to El Salvador, remains in limbo as officials debate his placement and a federal judge expressed ‘utter frustration’ over the Administration’s invocation of ‘state secrets’ as an excuse to keep him at the CECOT prison. A federal judge also rebuked the Trump Administration for violating court orders in a deportation flight conveying Asian immigrants to South Sudan; Judge Brian Murphy ordered the U.S. to retain official custody of the migrants, including keeping them on the plane, saying “if they want to turn the plane around, they can.” A new report from Human Rights Watch condemned the Trump Administration for deporting several non-Costa Ricans to Costa Rica without giving them the opportunity for an asylum screening review. The Trump Administration also challenged laws in 19 states allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers’ licenses, which critics claim is an attempt to grab the data of undocumented people to mark them for arrest. At a Senate hearing this week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was asked to define the term ‘habeas corpus,’ to which she incorrectly answered that it gave the president “the right to remove people.” White House adviser Stephen Miller and other Trump Administration officials have been promoting the idea of suspending habeas corpus, which according to the correct definition, is the right of people to contest their detention and can only be revoked by Congress.
Two Israeli embassy staffers killed in D.C. shooting as Israeli troops fire warning shots at diplomats in the West Bank, Netanyahu vows Gaza to be ‘emptied’ of Palestinians. The escalating Israel-Palestine conflict reached a high pitch this week as two Israeli embassy staffers were killed in a shooting at the National Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. on Wednesday night. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, shouted “Free Palestine” as he was taken into custody by police officers. Earlier that day in the West Bank, Israeli troops shot at a group of diplomats from 31 countries as they gave media interviews on an approved mission organized by the Palestinian Authority to observe humanitarian conditions there. Israel expanded its ground operations in Gaza this week, killing 70 Palestinians in ‘extensive attacks’ as it sought military control over more of the occupied territory. Amid pressure from European nations to lift the aid blockade to Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced he would allow ‘minimal’ aid in order to retain U.S. support, while reiterating plans to take control of ‘all’ of Gaza, saying the only way Israel will end its assault is after all Palestinians are disarmed and Trump’s plan to ‘empty’ Gaza of its residents is realized. Support for the military assault is increasingly contested within Israel as international pressure mounts on Israel to end its operations in Gaza; the UK announced this week that it is suspending trade talks with Israel citing the ‘repellent extremism’ regarding the aid blockade and extremist right-wing ministers’ statements calling to ‘purify’ Gaza.
As hurricane season begins, cuts to weather service, FEMA leave communities unprepared for disasters. NOAA announced on Thursday, May 22 that an ‘above-average’ hurricane season is predicted this year, forecasting up to 19 named storms and up to five ‘major’ hurricanes of Category 3 or higher to hit the United States between June 1 and November 30. On Wednesday, FEMA acting director David Richardson rescinded the agency’s strategic plan, reinforcing fears that the agency, which has faced deep cuts in the past several weeks, is unprepared to handle potential disasters during hurricane season. Truthout reports on how DOGE’s elimination of Americorps has deprived communities of an entire workforce of young people dedicated to handling disasters. A series of storms across the eastern and central United States over the weekend spawned deadly tornadoes killing at least 29 people in Kentucky and Missouri in a stress test for local weather agencies that have also experienced staffing cuts. Scientific American reports that states that had experienced catastrophic flooding and tornadoes in the spring have been left ‘begging’ FEMA and the Trump Administration for aid, as Capital B reports on Black communities in St. Louis that have been “left alone” to fend for themselves after the devastating tornadoes that ripped through the city over the weekend. The Trump Administration moved to cut funding for the Integrated Ocean Observing System, stoking fears that military and commercial maritime operations will be left without critical data on hurricanes and other sea-based hazards that threaten coastal communities. CNN also reports this week that the USGS is also facing critical staffing cuts to its seismic monitoring programs for earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, the “guardians at the gate” providing early warning for affected communities. As a major new climate study predicts the total loss of polar ice sheets even at the Earth’s current level of global warming, the Trump Administration and its allies in the oil industry are moving to gut state-level climate policies, including ‘climate Superfund’ laws and California’s planned ban on new sales of gas-powered cars; and the current budget proposal zeroes out energy assistance for low-income communities as temperatures and energy costs rise over the summer. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum dismissed concerns this week, saying that there is “plenty of time” to address the climate crisis.
Tracking the Money: Trump Administration advances crypto agenda with memecoin dinner, GENIUS Act; insider trading in the Trump Administration; Kristi Noem gets a jet. On Thursday evening, Trump hosted a lavish dinner at his private golf club for the top holders of his $Trump cryptocurrency, which has personally netted the Trump family over $148 million since the dinner – blasted by critics as “corruption embodied” – was announced. Notable attendees included NBA star Lamar Odom and billionaire Justin Sun, the largest investor in Trump’s crypto venture whose 2023 fraud case was paused by the SEC in February. The White House shrugged off ethics concerns that the dinner, personally touted by Trump to raise funds for his memecoin, gave foreign investors the opportunity to ‘buy’ access to the president, saying it posed no conflict of interest since the money was held in a trust managed by Trump’s sons. Meanwhile, a provision within Trump’s budget bill allows oil and gas companies to pay for lenient regulatory treatment from the Energy Department using $Trump memecoin as currency. Sixteen Democrats within the Senate dropped their ethics concerns over Trump’s conflicts of interest to pass the GENIUS Act this week, a crypto regulation bill backing dollar-denominated ‘stablecoin’ that dissenter Sen. Elizabeth Warren claimed “provides even more opportunities to reward buyers of Trump’s coins with favors like tariff exemptions, pardons and government appointments.” Mother Jones outlines the 10 ways oligarchs have been enriching the Trump Administration and the MAGA movement. ProPublica reports this week on the apparent insider trading of a dozen U.S. officials who sold stocks just before Trump’s tariffs sent stock markets into a tailspin, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, who cashed out over $1 million in Trump Media stock one day before the tariffs took effect, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who sold stock in three dozen companies two days before the tariff chaos erupted. The Lever reveals leaked recordings in which a finance executive talks about having offered IRS pick Billy Long a ticket to the Trump inauguration, and was promised tax benefits if Long was confirmed. As the Pentagon officially accepted Qatar’s gift of a $400 million ‘flying palace’ for Trump, approving its use as Air Force One after an estimated $1 billion in modifications, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also came under fire this week for the department’s last-minute request for a new $50 million Gulfstream jet for her use, paid out of the Coast Guard’s budget.
MOVEMENT TRACKER
Speaking out for Gaza: commencement speakers defy restrictions, activists disrupt Microsoft conference, protests within Israel; the Pope weighs in. As the crisis in Gaza deepens and the Trump Administration steps up its attacks on universities with pro-Palestine student movements, many students are continuing to speak out in protest despite retaliatory actions and threats from their institutions. At Columbia University’s commencement this week, acting president Claire Shipman’s speech was disrupted by loud boos, heckling, and shouts of “Free Mahmoud!” from students, two weeks after Shipman authorized the arrest of dozens of students who had occupied the university library in a pro-Palestine action. Jewish alumni gathered outside Columbia’s gates to tear up their diplomas in protest of the university’s repressive actions and capitulation to the Trump Administration. George Washington University senior Cecilia Culver was banned from the campus after using her commencement speech as a platform to call attention to the suffering in Gaza and advocating for divestment, saying she was “ashamed to know” her “tuition is being used to fund this genocide.” New York University announced it would be withholding the diploma of senior Logan Rozos, who also used his commencement speech to decry the atrocities in Gaza, saying his “moral and political commitments guide me to say that the only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine." At the University of Chicago, student protestors surrounded a meeting of the university’s board of trustees at the Rubenstein Forum, calling for divestment of the trustees’ many personal investments in Israeli companies. Truthout reports on the many hunger strikes taking place on campuses across the country, netting multiple divestment wins as they push for more action to end the genocide; and featured an op-ed calling for the creation of ‘sanctuary universities’ to protect the right of students to protest. Microsoft’s Build developer conference was disrupted multiple times this week by current and former workers who protested Microsoft’s role in providing AI for Israeli operations; developer Joe Lopez disrupted a keynote address by CEO Satya Nadella, and the next day a Palestinian tech worker was escorted out of another address by Azure/CoreAI head Jay Parikh after yelling “my people are suffering! Cut ties! No Azure for apartheid!” In Maine, 25 activists with Veterans for Peace and the Maine Coalition for Palestine announced the beginning of a 40-day hunger strike in solidarity with starving Palestinians in Gaza and to call for resumption of aid to the territory. Anonymous released video this week of large protests occurring within Israel, as Israeli citizens lined the streets holding pictures of Palestinians killed at the hands of their government. In his first general audience addressing over 40,000 pilgrims, Pope Leo XIV called for humanitarian aid to resume in Gaza, calling the situation “increasingly worrying and painful,” and called for a cessation of hostilities “whose heartbreaking price is being paid by children, the elderly, and sick people.” The New Republic published a long read on how Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, paved the way for the succession of an American pope who would share his values and ensure the Catholic Church would not be hijacked by the far right.
Democrats pushed to acknowledge their ‘age problem’ after multiple deaths in office, new book on Biden highlights gerontological majority in Dem leadership. After the passing of Rep. Gerry Connolly this week from esophageal cancer, the third Democrat to die in office this year, the Democratic Party has come under increased scrutiny for its ‘gerontological dominance’ in its makeup and especially in leadership positions. As Democratic constituents grow frustrated with the party on its ‘weak’ resistance to the Trump Administration’s excesses and yearn for fresh faces in the party, the generational divide has come into focus over the DNC’s decision to re-do a vote over young upstart David Hogg’s election as vice chair. Critics note that the GOP-dominated budget bill, passed by only one vote the day after Connolly passed away, may have been able to be blocked if Connolly had given up his seat before entering into his cancer battle. The debate over the party’s ‘age problem’ has only intensified after a new book was released this month detailing the party’s attempt to cover up Biden’s decline in office. A chart making the rounds on social media shows that half of Democratic voters are under the age of 50, while half of Senators are over the age of 67. Axios reports that many younger House Democrats are pushing for a “hard conversation” over reforms such as committee leadership term limits as a way to incentivize older members to retire. Rep. Bill Foster, a champion of term limits who is nearing 70, has announced he will be ‘handing off the baton’ as an example to other Democrats to signal a change in the party. Former vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz also decried his party’s failure to stand firm on trans rights, one of many issues on which Democratic leadership has capitulated to the Trump Administration’s agenda.
Community defense organizing thwarts ICE, helps in disasters. Online organizers are urging their followers to get involved in their communities, as anti-ICE protests continue to sweep the nation and in many cases attempt to physically stop ICE from conducting arrests. Homeland Security has claimed a 413% increase in ‘assaults’ on ICE officers, although reports of such melees are few and far between. In many cases, communities and employers are able to assert their rights to stop ICE from entering facilities. Activists have also loudly protested recent arrests, in some cases leading to the release of detained migrants. Other community actions include alerting the community to the presence of ICE, posting locations so vulnerable migrants can avoid the area. Protests at immigration courts are also becoming more frequent, as ICE agents now wait outside immigration courtrooms to conduct arrests. As disaster season commences and DOGE cuts curb agency capacity to serve communities, activist groups are also stepping forward to provide mutual aid as well as community defense. In Louisiana, community groups are fighting to retain the role of citizen science in monitoring and reporting toxic air pollution. As hurricane season looms, activists are also posting online self-help guides and resources to prepare for and deal with potential disaster situations.
Hands Across Chicagoland draws 18,000 people over 30 miles in protest; grassroots demonstrators disrupt budget talks, Trump crypto dinner. This week, over 18,000 people stretched across 30 miles of DuPage and Cook Counties to protest the Trump Administration’s actions, lined up along Ogden Avenue and 26th Street from Aurora to Little Village in Chicago. Organizers from the DuPage Democratic Party cited that their previous successes in the TeslaTakedown protests gave them the idea and opportunity to ‘organize something bigger.’ Protestors were joined by Reps. Robin Kelly and Bill Foster, who spoke about the importance of fighting cuts to Medicaid and other government programs. Grassroots protestors camped overnight in Washington DC as Republicans held their marathon sessions over the budget bill, speaking out against cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and more. As Trump gathered wealthy investors for his memecoin dinner in Sterling, Virginia, a group of around 200 protestors organized by Public Citizen lined the sidewalks to heckle attendees, shouting “Shame” as they were stuck in traffic.
Labor and Federal Worker actions against the Trump Administration. In the wake of this week’s Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump Administration to fire members of the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board, AFL-CIO president Liz Schuler issued a strong statement condemning the decision as a ‘slap in the face of every worker in this country.’ AFGE members rallied on Capitol Hill this week to protest the gutting of the NIOSH worker safety agency, sharing stories of the impact of DOGE cuts to public health, safety, and scientific agencies. Labor groups also planned to attend a press conference by Labor Secretary Lori Chavez De-Remer on Friday morning, ready to respond to an unknown announcement. Board and staff of the U.S. Institute for Peace regained access to their building this week after a judge ruled that the DOGE takeover of the non-profit was “null and void.” The Government Accountability Office rebuffed efforts by DOGE to access their facilities, while a group of staffers at the Department of Homeland Security quit en masse in response to Kristi Noem’s push to subject employees to polygraph tests. ProPublica reports that EPA employees refused to implement a tip line mandated by the Trump Administration to snitch on colleagues working on DEI initiatives. The online #AltGov account Alt Department of Labor shared a know-your-rights post for federal workers reminding them of their First Amendment protections on the job. The Federal Unionists Network is calling on organized labor, federal employees, and allies to submit public comment on the government’s planned implementation of Schedule F before the deadline on June 7.
Upcoming Protests.
Sunday, May 25: Veterans are calling for a rally at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to reaffirm their oath to the Constitution and reject kings. More information can be found on Reddit.
Saturday, May 31: An immigrant justice march is being held at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to Say No to Ice, Say Yes to Community. More information can be found on Mobilize.us.
Sunday, June 1: The People’s Action Coalition Against Trump is holding a March Against Police Violence in Minneapolis to protest the Trump Administration’s recent rescinding of its consent decree over the Minneapolis police department, and for passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
Friday, June 6: The Unite for Veterans coalition is holding a Veterans’ March on Washington DC. More information can be found at Unite4Veterans.org.
Now through June 14: Mothers of autistic children are organizing children and parents online to participate in the virtual #CrownCrush protest in the lead up to the #NoKings protest on June 14. More information on how to participate can be found on Bluesky.
Saturday, June 14: A Nationwide “No Kings” Day of Action has been called in Washington DC and state capitals in all 50 states. More information and a map of local actions can be found at NoKings.org.
Local protests continue throughout the country. The Big List of Protests has information on upcoming actions.
Lawsuit Updates.
Late Thursday, March 22, U.S District Judge Susan Illston has indefinitely barred the Trump Administration from carrying out mass layoffs of federal employees, saying Trump needed permission from Congress before continuing to overhaul government agencies.
A federal judge has upheld a previous order issuing a preliminary injunction against the Trump executive order that strips collective bargaining rights from nearly two-thirds of federal employees.
A federal judge in California barred the Trump Administration from revoking the visas of international students, as well as prohibiting the Administration from arresting or detaining any foreign students on the basis of their immigration status as a lawsuit challenging previous terminations moves through the courts.
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun blocked the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and ordered some 1,300 DOE employees to be reinstated, saying that the department cannot be shut down without consent of Congress, and that the "record abundantly reveals that defendants' true intention is to effectively dismantle the department without an authorizing statute.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 40 state Attorneys General sent a letter to Congress opposing a federal ban on state regulation of AI as a provision of the House-approved budget bill.
SNAP recipients filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for attempting to demand access to state data on food stamp recipients, citing the violation of privacy laws as the Trump Administration attempts to consolidate data for immigration enforcement.
