Senate Democrats turn up pressure to counter Donald Trump: Surveillance fight becomes latest battleground

Senate Democrats’ move to allow a crucial surveillance power to expire reflects their growing willingness to confront President Donald Trump in Congress, AP reported.

As opposition to his policies and appointments intensifies, they have increasingly blocked legislation, including measures that have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support.

The stance marks a significant shift from a year ago, when Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer faced criticism from within his own party for joining Republicans in a vote to avert a government shutdown. Since then, Democrats have adopted a more confrontational approach, contributing to government shutdowns, delaying President Donald Trump’s nominations, and most recently blocking a bipartisan intelligence measure in an effort to gain leverage in a Congress controlled by Republicans, AP reported.

The risky strategy has consequences when government programs go dark, and Democrats have little to show for it so far in terms of policy victories.

Republicans say it is a grave threat to national security to let the surveillance law, which aims to prevent terrorist attacks, expire just as millions of people are entering the United States for World Cup games and as celebrations for the nation's 250th anniversary get underway.

But the hardball approach has helped unite Democrats inside and outside of the Capitol as they say they have no other choice - and that the blame should fall on Trump for how he is governing.

"I don't deny that this is dangerous," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Thursday about Democrats allowing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to expire starting Saturday. "But this didn't have to happen."

Democrats' growing confidence also comes at a time when Republicans are often sparring with Trump, who has made clear he has little interest in compromise with lawmakers in either party. Democrats are blocking renewal of the law, known as FISA, in protest of Trump's appointment of federal housing regulator and loyalist Bill Pulte to temporarily lead the nation's intelligence agencies. The choice also rankled Republicans, who said Pulte lacks the required experience for the job.

Lawmakers in both parties urged Trump all week to pull the appointment, and on Thursday, he nominated a permanent replacement for the job just after lawmakers left Washington for the weekend. But the Senate confirmation process will take time, and Trump has not budged on Pulte's appointment as an interim director.

With no change, Democrats “are going to use every tool we have to fight back,” said Schumer, D-N.Y.

The standoff over FISA has won Senate Democrats some respect, as base voters revolted a year ago. Schumer and the caucus have “shifted to more of a fight posture,” says Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist who served as an aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev, AP reported.

(With inputs from AP)