"We become irrelevant if we don't use our power on cloture to demand that we have a seat at the table," one Senate Democrat said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said a shutdown would be a “costly distraction” in Democrats’ larger fight against the Trump administration’s cuts.

President Trump is not the political colossus he and his supporters claim — and everything from the stock market to his opinion poll ratings prove it. The problem for Democrats is that their own divisions — on everything from legislation to a broader uncertainty about the party’s direction — have rendered them unable to take advantage.

Democrats plan a series of town hall meetings in highly competitive U.S. House of Representatives districts currently held by Republicans, aiming to tap into anger over President Donald Trump's campaign to aggressively slash the federal government.

Democrats are hoping to fill the vacuum left by Republicans‘ decision to avoid town halls, planning events across the country that highlight the Trump administration’s layoffs and federal funding cuts.

The Florida context From Florida Phoenix The Florida Democratic Party is organizing town halls in GOP districts through Wednesday. For details and to register, see floridadems.org and hit the “News” link.