I’m deeply disappointed, angry, and sad about what recently happened with the U.S. government funding bill — instead of blocking the Republicans’ terrible budget bill, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer helped them pass it. This gives the Trump/Musk administration free rein to continue dismantling our federal government for another six months without getting anything in return. Sen. Schumer should step aside as leader. And every Democrat in the Senate should tell him to step down now while they make plans for new leadership. I’m seeing our democracy slipping through our fingers, and want the Democratic Party to fight harder before it’s too late. So I’m calling on Senate Democrats to elect a leader who will stand firm to stop the Trump/Musk takeover.

Schumer had a rare chance to hold strong against MAGA’s dangerous agenda. Instead, he surrendered. He helped pass the Republican funding bill that puts critical programs at risk and gives Donald Trump more power to dismantle our government. We are already in a constitutional crisis. Trump and Elon Musk are following their dangerous playbook to slash public services, enrich the wealthy, and strip away our rights. In this urgent moment, we need leaders with courage and backbone — but Schumer let us down when we needed him most. Our local Northampton Indivisible group (like many across the country) took a vote and 80% want Sen. Schumer to step aside. We agree that we need new leadership in the Senate that won’t back down when our democracy is on the line. Please call or email your Senators to demand they choose a leader who won’t bow down to tyranny. Our democracy is worth fighting for — let’s not surrender it without a fight.

Lawrence Pareles

Florence